SOMEWHERE IN MEXICO

A Copper Canyon/Sierra Madre Adventure
With the Fukarwe Touring Tribe International

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Day 10 by Jean Akens
with photos from Carmen Hill, Charlie Freeman, Ellie Lincoln and Bob Stuckey

Bob and Ellie were forced to re-do some earlier makeshift repairs before we could get underway. The metal rack attached to the rear of their Bronco had sagged from the weight of gas and water cans, etc., and the constant jarring of rough-road travel. The strap they had run from the back, over the top of the vehicle, and secured to the front bumper, needed tightening before beginning this roughest part of the trek. It was funny-looking, perhaps, but the strap kept the rack and its contents from further damage or loss.

In San Rafael, a small community in the heart of the Sierras, a welder was found who would work on Curley's broken hitch. Because of extensive logging now being conducted in the mountains, the tiny town even had two welders to choose from. Carmen explained the problem to the welder chosen, who dropped work on a logging truck and, within two hours, had Curley repaired and re-united with his trailer - at a cost of $16.00 U.S! (Remote Mexico is a real bargain.)

The usual confusion over route followed, even though the welder had drawn diagrams in the dirt road of the turns we needed to make. We asked for additional directions in a small village (where Frenchie dispensed candy to eager children in the school yard), before the Fukarwes finally headed down into one of the numerous barrancas (canyons) it was necessary to cross. At a fork, Frenchie choose a road that went up along the side of a steep canyon wall - and soon came to a rock slide that blocked further progress. Unable to turn around, the group was forced to remove enough rocks, in order to proceed to where the upper trail joined the main, lower road that crossed a creek. (This road-opening was another Fukarwe good will gesture.)

A recently-started forest fire (probably within the hour) was passed in the afternoon, frightening Ann, who was certain we would be caught within the flames. She envisioned fire dancing in one window of the four-by-fours and out the other. By the next day, viewed from across a broad canyon, the fire had grown to raging proportions. Cut off from returning to Creel, we had no choice but to find the route to Alamos.

Many of the numerous creek crossings throughout this region were made over bridges constructed of logs, (laid either horizontally or vertically) or of railroad rails, laid across the span side by side; few plank or concrete bridges were found. The vegetation within the canyons is a mixture of desert and forest, with unusual flowering trees and shrubs adding splashes of color. This is especially true along the water-ways, where the roads are narrow, the canyon walls are steep-sloped, and the vegetation overhanging.

Camp on the second night of our cross-Sierra trek was made in a canyon bottom beside the RR tracks, beyond the town of Bahuichivo - after a full day's travel in which we progressed only 30 miles! The best swimming hole of the trip was found in the river just across the tracks. Most everyone took advantage of the chance to bathe and wash clothes, native fashion, using the rocks as scrub board.

Back in camp, ropes were strung between trees and laundry was hung to dry from these, and every other available place, including the side mirrors of the four-by-fours. We must have looked like Gringo gypsies to passengers or crew on the trains that came by.

Brad and Frenchie spent much time laying coins on the RR tracks, for passing trains to flatten, but most of the pesos could not be found in later searches. Remarkably, we did find some in the morning that had been flattened by a train during the night - a train that not a one of us heard, we all slept so soundly.

SOMEWHERE IN MEXICO

Fourteen Daily Episodes

Introduction | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13 | Day 14

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