Tecate to Erendira - A trip report

[EWR2004 0]

Tecate – Compadre Trail – Ojos Negros – Tres Hermanos – Uruapan – Erendira.

Six riders and one Jeep.

July 17 & 18, 2010.

Javier – XR-650

Tim – YZF-450

Ralph – WR-250

Mike – WR-450

Blake – CRF-450

Eric – DRZ-400

Scott & Dennis in the Jeep.

I logged onto the San Diego Adventure Riders website on Friday, July 16 to find Javier’s post about his upcoming ride from Tecate to Erendira that would depart from Tecate – THE NEXT DAY! I wrote a quick e-mail to Javier, received a quick response with his phone number, called him and discussed all the specifics, loaded my gear and was to bed by 11:30 that night. I departed Huntington Beach at 3:00 the next morning and was off to Tecate to meet the group. After some quick introductions we geared up and crossed the border by 7:00 a.m.

We headed east out of Tecate and turned right onto Compadre Trail. Saturday, July 17 was very hot, so stopping when we could to rest and re-hydrate was a necessity. The first of those breaks came at a place the group called “The Ranch” and the second break was taken right on Compadre Trail.

After fueling up at Ojos Negros we raced on, and up through the hills and down into Lagrimas. This was a brutal part of the trip, but in retrospect I think the near 100 degree air temperature made it worse than it actually was. Nevertheless, our collective energies were hit hard at Lagrimas and the group consensus was that an alternate route would be used to travel back to Tecate on Sunday.

With spirits on the rise and our bodies re-hydrated we departed Lagrimas and headed for Uruapan. About halfway to Uruapan all six bikes stopped to take a break, but the Jeep never arrived. It didn’t take us long to realize that something was wrong because Scott drives his Jeep as fast as, or faster than many bikes. Tim geared back up and rode off to search for Scott and Dennis. About 90 minutes later Tim returned with the Jeep limping along behind him. The unthinkable had happened in the Baja backcountry – Scott had broken the front driveshaft and the mounting bracket for the left control arm. Upon closer inspection we found that the mounting bracket for the right control arm was also cracked and close to failing. The temporary fix they employed to get the Jeep back on the trail was true Baja ingenuity, and brilliant in its simplicity; it consisted of three ratcheted tie-down straps and a 10’ length of nylon rope (see photos below). Scott was able to drive the Jeep all the way to Uruapan and locate a welding shop to begin working on the repairs.

We were lucky to locate a welding shop very close by, and even luckier to have a Spanish speaking Master welder in our group. Javier rode off to Maneadero to secure welding rods, returned to the shop, and with Scott’s help began welding the Jeep back together. Scott’s original plan was to get the Jeep repaired and return home via Hwy 1, but after watching Javier work his magic, Scott’s faith in the repair work allowed him to continue on to Erendira and complete the trip. From start to finish the entire incident was over in about 4 hours, and the Jeep completed the remainder of the trip without another problem. Excellent job guys!

We made it to Erendira by sunset, checked into our dorm room at Coyote Cal’s, secured dinner from a local restaurant, then sat outside around the fire with margaritas in hand and chatted with our bartender and amiga, Lulu. One by one each member of the group dragged themselves to bed and by 10:30 the bar was closed. It wasn’t difficult to find sleep that night.

After eating breakfast Sunday morning we began gearing-up and preparing for the journey back to Tecate. While retrieving our bikes from the bike-locker at Coyote Cal’s we were presented with our next hurdle – Ralph discovered that he had picked up a nail somewhere along the trail and punctured his rear tire. Tim, Ralph, and Javier jumped into action and in record time had the tire removed, the tube out, the puncture repaired, and the tire back on the bike. It was a pleasure to watch as these seasoned dual-sport riders made quick work of the problem. Another excellent job! We were off and heading south to Punta Cabras and to the home of Javier’s friend who would ride with us to Santo Tomas.

Our ride from Erendira to Santo Tomas was a real pleasure. There were miles and miles of untouched coastland, undisturbed by man. If this same coastland existed in California it would be littered with gated communities, 7-11’s, McDonalds, and little to no access to the coast. This coastline is but one small example of Baja’s magic, there are thousands more available to those with an adventurous spirit.

After arriving in Santo Tomas we re-fueled our bikes and then headed north to Acambaro’s for tacos and margaritas. I highly recommend this place for its great food, even better margaritas, and very nice people. It’s located about one kilometer north of Uruapan and next door to our welding shop.

The remainder of our trip was quick and uneventful. We decided to bypass Lagrimas and instead make our way directly to Ojos Negros via pavement, then jump on the Compadre Trail and take it back to Tecate. We arrived back at our vehicles by 6:00 p.m. with odometers that read 325 miles for two days of riding. I can’t say enough about this weekend and the level of proficiency of these riders. Thank you guys for an absolutely great trip!

Special thanks to Scott and Dennis who drove the chase vehicle and carried most of our gear, and lots of water and beer. Scott is an amazingly talented Jeep pilot and the quickest I have seen. Thanks again!

[javi 0]

Thank you Eric very good report.... see you soon..

[dsfox 0]

Great write up...thanks for sharing....

[Tree 0]

Good report. sorry I missed this one but OTL in the summer comes first. Get ready for the T-day weekend baja ride to be posted soon.

[Dirtdiver 2]

Great report! I love that route. It is a good thing you found some shade.

steve

[kellymac530 0]

its not legal to post pictures of me and my family in our hybrid hyundai delivery van