At dawn, Killer and I went for coffee.

Soon after, the rest of the crew joined us, as well as Arturo, and we had breakfast. More chorizo and eggs. The last meal together as the No Te Ahuites Gang. We were beginning to look like a gang, too.

It's was cold, about 20 degrees, as we suited up and kicked the bikes to life. They didn't get to come inside last night, as they were filthy.

The ride was COLD!

From Gomez Farias, we ride northeast over an alternately icy and sandy pass to Buenaventura, where we drop over 2,000 feet in altitude. It becomes much warmer as we make the long descent towards Buenaventura. As we turned north, we turned up the speed a bit more.

We decide to stop to get gas at Nuevos Casas Grandes, a town with a huge Mennonite population. The attendents love the "no te ahuitas" scrawled on my windshield.

Nick.

Paul

The ride from Buanaventura to Janos isn't one of my favorites. In fact, it's kind of boring.

In Janos.

Then my sidestand started dragging. Time for some impromptu repairs - a bungy cord.

No sidestand, no problemo.

I looked around a bit, found some steel and wire, and engineered a super-mexicanada repair while we waited for Dick, Paul and Justin.

Dick lost his backpack, but miraculously it was recovered. Then he got a flat, so into the truck went the KLR.

Almost there.

We crossed the border and some turned in their paperwork. Killer and I kept our Tourist Visas, since we're headed to Baja California Sur in March '05.

Clement wished us all well, and headed off into the sunset - riding all the way back to California on the KLR. Nick and Paul loaded up their bikes into their truck, and headed back to Palm Springs. Killer and I loaded up and were headed back to Phoenix.

A great ride, great folks. We'll have to do it again some day.

Look for Clement Salvadori's article about this ride in Rider Magazine.