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Day 2:

At dawn, the cloud ceiling had lowered, obscuring the local hills and mountains. A light drizzle began to fall. Inconceivable, this is the dry season. After coffee and more chorizo eggs, we suited up, pushed the bikes out of the rooms, and were ready to roll.

We cut across the mountains just ourside Gomez Farias towards Temosachi - an awesome road.

Unfortunately, the drizzle became a steady rain as we climbed upward into the clouds. We stopped at the dirt bypass around Guerrero to warm up and goof off for a bit. The rain had subsided into a drizzle once again.

It was truly gray and dreary day, yet brightened because we were riding. In Mexico!

The sole survivor from last night's festivities rode along on the back of the Adventure, no doubt awaiting a certain fate just 75 miles away when I reach Creel.

It should be perfectly chilled.

We all blasted off on the La Junta bypass around Guerrero, headed for Highway 16 and then San Juanito for gas.

The group broke into three parts:

  • The LC4E and the XR600R handily took the lead;
  • The 640 Adventure travelled alone in the middle;
  • and the DRZ and the two KLR's were sweep.

Each group seperated by a half mile. Justin followed a few minutes behind in the SAG.

On the south side of Guerrero, the rain stopped, and the skies looked a little brighter. However, just a few miles later as we approached 16, the drizzle started again.

The XR600R and the LC4E were on point, and bulleted off to the east on that little bit of a jog on 16 until you turn off towards San Juanito, Bocoyna and Creel. I was about 1/2 mile behind, but hell bent on catching up as I twisted the throttle up. The first two riders crested the hill, and I noticed I was doing about 6500 rpm in 5th, and catching up.

As I crested the hill, there were two trucks blocking the road. The XR600R and rider were already down and sliding on the left lane of the road, the bike pirouetting on it's footpeg. The LC4 was skidding off the right side to the shoulder, but still upright.

With no where to go, I rolled off the throttle, but instinctively did not hit the brakes as I felt the rear of the bike skidding on the road surface. The rear end of my bike began a slow pivot as the rear tire skidded on the pavement, from just the effects of engine braking.

WTF? Ice?

Not cold enough!

OIL SLICK!!!

Killer was in the grass, his bike still in the middle of the road, slowed by a footpeg that dug into the asphalt.

I was still doing over 70MPH and coming up on the two trucks blocking the highway. I managed to just miss the right truck as I 'threaded the needle', whizzed past them at 40+MPH, over the dirt shoulder, and caught air as I hurtled over the embankment of the road into the grass.

Relieved no one was damaged, we set to work performing some mexicanada to repair the bikes. Killer's XR took the worst beating, needing a bit of tweaking to make it useable again. The rain got steadily harder and harder, and by the time we reached San Juanito, it was a all out deluge. The proverbial cow pissing on a flat rock type rain.

Then the front wheel bearing failed on the SAG truck.

This is the dry season, right? We were all wet and cold when we reached Creel. Since the SAG was FUBAR'd, we checked ourselves into the Best Western. That was a decision that proved it's meddle later on in the evening.

All our [dry] clothes were in the SAG, so the Hotel sent out the van and retrieved our stuff. A few veinte notes to the maids yielded freshly dried clothes.

Boots, gloves, jackets, etc. were carefully arranged around the gas stoves in the rooms.
The rain came down in buckets. The roar was deafening. The drops were so big, you can see them in this pic as white specs.

While Justin rousted up another sag, we went to eat, having some awesome steak sandwiches, chicken burritos and Tecates.

This is when we met Raul! Our new SAG truck driver, since Justin is on two wheels from this point on. As we sat there stuffing our heads with food and beer, there were a few bright green flashes, as transformers blew outside somewhere in the storm.

Then power then went out, and the storm raged on.

Thanks for the gas stoves and having the insight to buy lotsa beer before the power went out.

What should we do? No power, bad storm, wet clothes......

Drink more beer! And we did.

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