Canada to Mexico Dual Sport Motorcycle Adventure

Leg 3 - Dual Sport Motorcycles from Phoenix Arizona to Cabo San Lucas Mexico following the Baja 1000 course. the "Broken Leg Leg"

Link to Dual Sport Motorcycle Riding in Baja photo gallery - click HERE

After much anticipation January 8th finally arrived and the 3rd leg of our Canada to Mexico dual sport motorcycle adventure was under way. Arnie arrived in Phoenix and headed straight over to Premier Motorsports to check on the work they had done to the bikes. They are an excellent KTM dealer who were easy to work with and did a very good job of putting the bikes back in order and prepping them for our foray south of the border. Most important, they found the source of my mysterious electrical problem. It turned out to be nothing more than a dead short in one of the cells of my battery. (GO FIGURE!!). Unfortunately they were not able to mount Scotts Steering Dampers to either bike so we were faced with dealing with riding our heavy dual sport motorcycles in the Baja sand un-assisted. Hey..if it was meant to be easy..we wouldn't be doing this anyway.

With the help of Arnie's buddy Dave Kasper they were able to shuttle the motorcycles over to Dave's house and find the neighborhood bar before Monday Night Football started. The timing of my flight from Cancun caused me to miss the first half of the game but not the cold beer, hot wings and warm friendship.

The following morning it took us a little while to sort out the loads due to the new hard plastic KTM motorcycle panniers and modifications we had made to the gear we were carrying. I had a little running around to do in Phoenix plus we needed to return to the dealer to have a couple of small things sorted out before we could head out. With the delays, it was early afternoon before we got locked on to the GPS screen and on our way.

Finally escaping the sprawl of Phoenix we got onto a small secondary road, then downgraded to a good gravel road and finally hooked in to a wonderful, disintegrating, double track that wound through the desert mountains. YEA BABY.. this is what we wanted!! Real Dual Sporting Adventure.

We managed to avoid the pavement as we navigated in a zig zag pattern toward Yuma. Damn it was good to be riding again with my mate at my side and some loose sand beneath the knobbies..

It became apparent that we were not going to make Yuma or any other place with a soft bed before daylight ran out. With the option of a bivouac at the side of the trail getting an immediate thumbs down from both of us, we decided to push on through the dark with a strong warning from Arnie about the danger of riding in Mexico after sunset. (more on that later) Thankfully I had Premier Motorsports upgrade my lighting system so that I now could actually see where I was riding. Here too the GPS proved it's value as the illuminated screen laid out our route through a maze of back roads engulfed in darkness but for the knife like beams of our headlights clearing a momentary path. Other than it was getting cold and I was hungry, I was enjoying the solitude of riding my motorcycle at night.

We made Yuma in time to find a warm bed and the restaurants still open. A near by Mexican cantina was recommended to us and provided an authentic meal and margarita as a prelude to what lay ahead.

By mid morning of the following day we were at the large border crossing just east of Calexico/Mexicali. Everyone waived to us as we meandered through the traffic lines, when all of a sudden we realized that we were in Mexico without anyone even stopping us. We knew this was not going to work so we doubled back to find Immigration and Customs. I am a Mexican resident so I just needed my residency permit stamped by Immigration. Arnie required a tourist card. Although not required in Northern Baja it is needed in the south and the border is the only place to obtain it.

With Immigration quickly out of the way, we set off to find Customs in order to get our bike papers organized. This was something we were not looking forward to. We anticipated that it might take a full day or more to sort out.

We ultimately want to have the bikes permanently registered and plated in Mexico. Numerous hours of investigation had been done by both Arnie and myself trying to learn the rules for doing this and we both got sent in circles or down dead ends. The best that we could determine was that the law had changed since we imported the KLR motorcycles and now only a Mexican citizen could make the permanent importation. Since I am waiting on my Mexican passport, we decided to bring the bikes in on a temporary/tourist import to start, with the idea that by the time we come back into Mexico from Belize, I should have my citizenship and be able to make the permanent import.

To complicate things just a little, both bikes are registered in Canada to Arnie. This is because I don't want to jeopardize my Canadian non resident tax status by having a vehicle registered there.

Concerned that it might be a problem for Arnie to temporarily import 2 bikes into Mexico, he not only checked before hand, but pre registered on line and had the forms completed when he went to see the Mexican Customs agents.

While Arnie was at Customs I hung out with the bikes. Right in front of where we were parked was a customs broker so I decided to go inside and see what I could learn from him about the permanent import. Well to my surprise and disbelief, he told me that he could import them right there and then and that it would take about 3 hours. I explained my/our residency status and the current registration of the bikes. "No Problemo mi Amigo" I have a friend in customs who can take care of it. Uhmmmmm interesting ...although I was highly skeptical, it was something to think about for sure...

Back outside, Arnie finally returned looking like someone had just kicked his dog. No, forget that analogy. Arnie doesn't own a dog. He was looking more like someone just kicked over his beloved Harley. "Bad News. They won't let me bring in 2 bikes and I can't sell you one because they need to see the original bill of sale. I pleaded and offered a mordita (the bite or more politely referred to as a tip), but they said here was nothing they can do. I guess we are riding around southern California for a couple of weeks."

"Arnie, let me introduce you to my new best friend".... With a copy of the registration and passports given to the broker, we took off to go have a late breakfast. We returned 3 hours later expecting to learn that he could not do it or at the very least that there were 'delays' which is Mexican for "I need more money." To our absolute shock, he had the permanent import papers for both bikes and in our own names. How he got a bike registered to Arnie imported and titled to me, I don't know but Hey.. it's Mexico, we are in, and the Canada to Mexico Dual Sport Adventure is back on track. Now we just needed insurance and we would be ready to make some miles, I mean kilometers.

Obtaining insurance became a problem. There are lots of insurance agents on the border but none of the Mexican agents were able to write a policy for motorcycles. Frustrated I called my agent in Cancun and he too told me that none of the Mexican underwriters are giving out new motorcycle policies. He told me that he had to fight to keep the one I have on my KLR motorycle.

We decided to call Sanborns in the USA and they were more than happy to cover us since we still had the Canadian plates on. In a very short time they wrote up the policies over the telephone and emailed them to us. Muy Bueno!!! We were in Mexico with our bikes all legal and we were ready to go. Except..

It was early afternoon with the next known opportunity for a roof over our heads some distance down the GPS screen. Not knowing what the trail would be like, it was hard to determine average speeds but even at race pace I was doubtful. "So Arnie, we need to either spend the rest of the afternoon and night here, or plan to bivouac, or quite probably ride into the night."

A quick vote was made with 2 thumbs down for hanging out in Mexicali, 2 thumbs down for a bivouac, and 2 thumbs up for hoping we found somewhere to stay before it got dark." Of course this vote was with a helpful warning from Arnie that, "We should never ride in Mexico in the dark." Which, I knew was buddy code for, "You're the navigator so don't screw up."

In my search for GPS data for Baja I was able to find 3 map data sets, all of which had numerous differences with regard to road & trail placement and existence. I knew that this had the potential for some navigating challenges. The first arrived shortly after crossing the border when I tried to plot a route through Mexicali. None of the maps agreed on the road grid so I simply picked one map and laid out a route. While the actual roads proved not to be where they were indicated on our route map. The GPS did provide the directions which proved to be information enough to make it through the city without too much trouble.

West of Mexicali we rode our dual sport motorcycles across the salt flats of Laguna Salada before entering the Sierra de Juarez mountains. The highway pass up to La Rumorosa is steep, twisting and offers spectacular views. This is one piece of asphalt that no street bike rider should miss. As we wound our way up the pass and gained elevation, it got colder and colder to where it was downright miserable. At one point we stopped to warm up and I joked with Arnie. "Do you think it will snow?"

We kept climbing and eventually topped out the pass. Just beyond here was where we picked up the sand track we intended to use in order to head south through Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857 and then on to to Mike's Sky Ranch. This route would take us through Laguna Hanson where I knew there was accommodation. However, it was dusk and so we needed to decide whether to ride on down the sand track in the dark, or make a Plan B and stay on the highway and head toward Tecate. This was out of our way but a large enough city to ensure they had a place to sleep. Any way we looked at it, despite Arnie's warnings, we were going to be riding our dual sport motorcycles in the dark in Mexico. To help with the decision, I pulled out my satellite telephone and tried to call Rancho Rodeo del Rey to make sure they were open and ask how the trail was. Turns out I had the wrong number so after speaking to some nice guy in some little town somewhere in the Baja, we were no further informed.

We decided that we would rather keep going in the proper direction and more importantly that it would be safer to be riding on a relatively slow, narrow, sand track in the dark than on a highway. We just had to hope that Rancho Rodeo del Rey was open and that they had room. One thing was for sure. It was too damn cold to consider a night in our bivouac sacs. I mean it was so cold that we were not even thinking about beer.

The sand track was a fabulous ride. Relatively smooth with lots of curves and some gently rolling hills. In a couple of places there were dry creek crossings and the odd rocky section thrown in to keep it interesting. We were in the mountains surrounded by evergreens and the lights from our dual sport motorcycles were working well enough to make riding quite easy. It reminded me of snowmobiling at night. It was wonderful except damn it was cold. I mean it was so cold that we were not even thinking about beer.

We pulled in to Rancho Rodeo del Rey at Laguna Hanson and with relief found that there were some lights on at the restaurant. As we were parking the bikes the staff of 3 all came out and eyed us up and down as if we had just arrived from another planet. We asked if they were open, had rooms and could feed us. Si..Si..Si.. I then asked if there was anything wrong. They said they were surprised because they had never had anyone arrive at night before and our being on motorcycles made it even more unique. Welcome to Arnie & Doug's Canada to Mexico Dual Sport motorcycle adventure..

Inside they threw some more logs on the wood stove and we started to thaw out. In fact we were now warm enough to have a few beer. After all it had been quite a day since we left Yuma.

We finished up dinner and our beer and headed over to the room. Damn! there was a blizzard going on outside with sleet belting down on us. Aren't we in Mexico???

We got into the room and discovered that there was no heat, the hot water line was frozen and the wind was nearly as bad in our room as it was outside due to the poor fit of the door. The guy who built this place was not a carpenter but a wood butcher. Even with 2 wool blankets a pair of sweats and a T-shirt I found it necessary to sleep in my sleeping bag.

Baja attracts and breeds characters. Heading out of Gonzaga Bay we were off in search of one who is somewhat of a legend in modern Baja folk lore. Coco and his wacky Corner have been welcoming vagabonds and the race crowd with cold beer and a friendly story for many years now. In fact what would the Baja 1000 race be without the very colorful check point at Coco's Corner?

Much of Baja is void of people. It is a harsh yet beautiful environment where you can go for miles without seeing a living soul. Evidence of those who tried to plant roots and make a go of it are scattered across the desert. Abandoned dreams decaying under the relentless forces of sun and wind are not an uncommon sight. Out there somewhere in this wasteland is Coco. We knew we must be getting close when we found a toilet in the middle of the road.

When we arrived we were disappointed to learn that Coco was off to Ensenada to visit the doctor. In his absence there was a friend taking care of things and doing a good job of keeping the welcoming tradition alive. He even did his best Coco impression for us by posing for a photo with one leg tucked up out of sight.

After a couple of beer and signing the guest book it was time to head off again. We were happy to learn that the route I had plotted was the same as that followed by the Baja racers. We were not so pleased when we got warnings about the water crossings. However, we are from Canada eh.. where our races often cross mountain creeks and rivers. Getting a watered out motorcycle quickly back up and running is nothing new to us. What could a Baja desert throw at us in the dry season?

The route started off on a pretty good road but this did not last long. Soon we veered off onto a sandy track with lots of whooped out sections. However it was pretty wide open with evidence that this was a section of race course where passing could and did take place. We were having fun picking our own lines and swapping the lead as each of our line choices improved or deteriorated against the others.

As we progressed the trail narrowed until we were in a tight canyon and starting to cross those water sections that we had been warned about. In addition to the water there were a number of very muddy places that were deeply rutted from the racers. Normally we would have skimmed across these but with the loads we were carrying a different approach was in order. We took the time to find the high ground and even got off and walked a couple of areas to ensure we didn't get ourselves into something that might get us stuck.

Eventually we came to a very nasty, evil looking place. A steep walled narrow canyon with a wide expanse of deep water running down the center. The water crossing was framed with BLACK, GOOEY, mud on both sides that was full of ruts showing evidence of others being stuck.

I could see that there was a muddy bottom to the water crossing with deep ruts from trucks and buggies. I figured that if I could ride the center hump it would not be too deep and likely have a harder bottom. I eased in and quickly fell off of the hump and buried my bike up and over the front fender. With Arnie's help we pulled my bike back and took a better look at the mud bog. There were no good lines so we just had to pick one and give it all we had with hopes that momentum would carry us through. With 20 foot high rooster tails of spraying mud flying off the back wheels of our bikes, we both made it across...barely..

From here the canyon got narrower as we followed a sandy creek bottom up to higher ground. This was the loosest sand we had encountered to date and proved to be very tiring to ride as we wrestled to keep the bikes headed in the general direction we wanted to go. Not enough speed and you would get stuck and/or fall over. Too much speed and you didn't have time to react when the bike decided to spit you off the trail and into the cactus.

We climbed out of the canyon and followed a fast section to highway #1. A short run south and then we hooked into a paved road that took us west to Bahia de los Angles. This is a quiet town on another gorgeously inviting bay.

After fueling up both our bikes and bodies, once again we found ourselves wrestling with the Golden Rule. It was still fairly early in the afternoon so we wanted to make some miles, but there was nowhere that we could reach before dark.

The decision was made for us when I noticed that my lower left hand shock mounting brace on the rear was broken. The brace had been removed for servicing the shock in Phoenix and accidentally put on inside out. Close inspection revealed that it is offset a couple of degrees to miss the shock bolt. Being inverted, the shock bolt rubbed against the brace each time the shock went through the full length of its travel. (which I am sure would of been often the way we were working the bikes.) Eventually it wore nearly clear through and the brace snapped. Being Sunday we could not find anyone to repair it so we settled in for the afternoon.

In trying to get a room for the night we learned that one of the motels was entirely booked by a group of off road motorcyclists who had not yet arrived. Of course we returned to the motel for dinner and quickly bonded with some fellow dirt bikers.

Turns out they were on a guided tour with everyone on full blown desert bikes with chase trucks carrying all of their gear and even a spare bike. They had started in San Felipe earlier that day and followed the same route that we had. Some of their group was still missing and assumed in trouble in 'the canyon'. The organizers support and chase crews were out in the dark helping them home. When the riders learned that we had ridden through the same sections earlier today with our Dual Sport bikes and load, and unlike them we didn't get stuck. We earned instant bragging rights and a few free beer!

Interestingly enough, we had considered a guided ride through Baja and this was one of the groups that we spoke with. Had we signed up for the $2800 six day tour from Ensenada to Cabo, we would of been with this very group. See B.O.R.A. Baja Off Road Adventures

The next day while looking for someone to weld aluminum, we came upon a guy who said that he could fabricate a brace out of steel. I have seen these Mexican back yard mechanics do some amazing things with few materials and tools so we gave it a go. Unfortunately he did not have the correct size drill bits and was not able to do a job worthy of mounting.

Further scrounging around town led us to another back yard mechanic who said he could weld aluminum. We messed around for a few more hours and finally had something that looked like it might work. With it back on the bike we were ready to head out exactly 24 hours later and facing the same dilemma. Once again we decided to break the Golden Rule and ride into the dark ... once again.

It was a very nice ride from Bahia de los Angeles to El Arco. This was Baja. Big cactus, mountains in the distance, sand washes, rocky sections and absolutely no people. How could you not love dirt biking when you get to experience this?

The 24 hours off of the bikes had seemed like an eternity. We rode steady all afternoon enjoying the terrain and vistas. The only set back was that about an hour into the ride the brace broke again. Visions of the other brace snapping and my rear fender dropping onto the tire kept me tentative for awhile but after awhile I became confident that it would hold and so we upped the pace. (In fact I rode the entire rest of the leg with only the one brace. I don't know if this was good luck or good engineering on KTM's part.)

We didn't know what lay ahead of us, but we chased the sunset knowing it would be dark when we pulled into Guerrero Negro on the other coast.

After a pleasant evening in Guerrero Negro we were off to explore the Vizcaino desert. This is that part of the peninsula that sticks out on the left of a map about half way up the west coast. It is a large mostly flat plain with many salt producing pans. Riding here was a little different than what we had experienced so far. Low vegetation, fairly hard sand and long straights where we could really stretch the KTM's legs.

We headed north west nearly to Bahia Tortugas before reaching the coast and heading south again. This is a part of Baja where not many tourists wander. Small fishing villages and endless miles of gorgeous coast line were ours to enjoy alone. This was fast and easy riding. It was like a day off after some of the terrain we had covered previously.

The highlight of the day and one of the top ten of the leg, was a visit to the fishing village of Punta Prieta. A little bit off of a road that sees few strangers anyway, our entrance into town was noted by one and all. Seeing a group of men and children gathered around a warehouse on the beach, we stopped and asked if there was anywhere we could get something to eat and a cold beer.

It seemed that the entire village jumped into action. Someone got on a radio and called someone else to prepare us a meal at their home. Then someone else lead us through the village to a home where they sold beer. (There is ALWAYS someone selling beer from their home in these little towns).

With cold Tecate in hand we were then invited to view the catch of lobster they were preparing for the start of their long journey to Japan. About the time the tour ended we were informed that lunch was ready and led off to someone's house where we were greeted with a fabulous fresh fish meal served on a shady terrace with a million dollar view of the bay. There was even a pair of sea lions cavorting on the boulders to entertain us.

We were not alone though. Everywhere we went a pack of young boys followed us around and asked questions about the bikes. We let them put on our helmets and they raced each other on their pedal bikes and showed us their best tricks. This for me is what travel is all about. Close up and personal with the locals.

We had a long ride ahead of us if we were going to make San Ignacio so we reluctantly said our goodbyes and tore ourselves away. As we prepared to leave we were reminded by more than one person that we had friends in Punta Prieta and were always welcome.

There was a gas station in Punta Abreojos but like so many, it was closed. This is inconvenient but rarely a problem because there is nearly always someone selling gas out of their back yard.

Fueled up and still many miles ahead of us, we set off again with the Golden Rule running through our minds.

Being the navigator I was keeping an eye on things and noticed that we were coming up on 8000 kilometers which is exactly 5000 miles. This was the distance we had traveled since leaving Arnie's house. Thinking this a milestone worth celebrating, we stopped, slapped each other on the back, pulled a couple of beer out of the panniers and toasted our friendship and the ride while we watched the sun set and joked about another ride in the dark.

I was concerned about a section of the route I planned between San Ignacio and Mulege. On the Baja Almanac paper maps (which have great detail) I was able to piece together a route through the mountains utilizing some small trails. On all 3 of my GPS data bases there was a gap that prevented linking the route. My concerns grew larger when that night in a San Ignacio bar frequented by the race crowd, I found a map of the Baja 1000 course.

The course runs right through San Ignacio and Mulege where we wanted to go. However, they did not use the trail system that I wanted to try. Their route is on gravel roads which was the logical link but BORING. I figured this race course routing must be for one of two reasons. You can't get a 4 wheel vehicle through my intended route. Or it is closed off by land owners. With gremlins dancing in my head we were off to find out first hand the reason why.

It quickly became apparent that we were in for an 'interesting' day. The 'easy' section of the trail system was not difficult but it certainly was more deteriorated and less traveled than I had expected. We were in very rugged mountains and the ranchers we met there were equally rugged men and women. How they could scratch out a life here was certainly a lesson in man's ability to survive regardless of the situation.

Each time we met someone we got different answers about if and how we could get through to the coast. We followed a number of very technical trails that would inevitably end up in a box canyon. Most often there was someone living there which never ceased to amaze us. With so much of the Baja uninhabited, why live here? Not only was there very little available to sustain life, but I have been around enough desert canyons to know how a dry creek bed can turn into a raging river full of trees, boulders and debris when a flash flood hits. It looked like they had placed themselves out of harms way, but they would be locked in with their access badly destroyed each year when the rains came.

The day was dragging on into the late afternoon and we were not making many miles due to the dead ends and severity of the trails. While coming down a very rutted out hill I noticed three motorcycles pass by about a half mile away along a creek bottom. GREAT. This must mean that we are on the right track.

We got to the bottom of the hill and our trail died in a tangle of cactus and bush. I knew I had seen motorcycles further ahead so I got off and walked through the brush until I eventually found their tracks on another trail. They had come from the direction we were going which was very reassuring.

While I was off exploring on foot, Arnie found a trail of sorts which would get us out of the creek bed we were in. We followed this and hooked up with the trail the other bikes had come down. The going was tough but we followed it making steady progress. At this point we knew we would be riding in the dark once again with the only hope being that we got on to a more defined trail because we would not be able to pick trail by headlight on something this poorly defined.

The canyon was getting tighter and tighter but we were fueled on by seeing that the tracks of the 3 bikes had only passed this way once. That meant they had obviously come from the east. About the time it seemed that the canyon would pinch closed, we came upon a small ranch and to our shock there was a couple working on the motor of an old truck. WOW.. they were living here. More impressive, they got that truck in here.

Our jubilation was short lived. The rancher told us that the trail got very bad beyond here. We asked about the other motorcycles and he said that yes, they came through from the other side but that it had taken them 2 days to get this far. He told us that they had to spend a night in the canyon. He described their bikes as being much smaller than ours with less bags. To prove to me how bad it was, he invited me to walk with him a short ways up the trail. I did and quickly realized that this was the end for us. Wanting to help. The rancher offered to take us through by mule.

We were tired from a very hard day of riding and a little frustrated because it was too late to take the road around to Mulege so we would have to back track all the way to San Ignacio and once again ride in the dark.

We were riding very hard to minimize the amount of riding we had to do by headlight. We had a good pace and riding smooth when something jumped up and grabbed Arnie causing him to go down. He said it was not a particularly spectacular crash, but his ankle was very sore. He figured that it was sprained but that he could push on. (Turns out it was broken but Arnie being the tough guy he is, rode the rest of the leg without a cast. Hence 'The Broken Leg - Leg.')

We soon caught up to the 3 other motorcycles. They were tired, concerned about running out of gas and not sure if they could find their way out in the dark which was quickly approaching. We learned from them that they had a horrible time coming through the gap. One of the guys had done the ride a year ago. At that time he found it difficult but rideable. This year it was not rideable. The narrow canyon had been ravaged by the hurricane that hit Mulege the past summer. All 3 of them had to work together man handling one bike at a time through the many obstacles.

We knew the way out so we agreed to help. Arnie and I were riding faster so we went on ahead stopping at each ranch to see if we could get gas for them, and waiting at each intersection until they arrived. Eventually we made it out to the main road that led into San Ignacio. We told them we would go ahead and fuel up, then double back to the hotel. If they were not at the hotel we would head back down the road with our full tanks in order to meet up with them and give them some gas. We ended up all meeting at the hotel where we shared some much appreciated beer and bench racing.

The following day Arnie's ankle was swollen and pretty sore so we decided to make it an easy day. Rather than follow the Baja 1000 route to Mulege, we went around on the pavement. This was an enjoyable ride with some gorgeous coastal views. There were endless photo oportunities passing us by but it was raining and cold so we tucked in and carried on without stopping to capture the moment.

We made it to Mulege in good time but although a very inviting town, we decided to press on due to the rain. Surely there was some sunshine and warm weather some where in Baja. Arnie kept saying it would warm up as we went south. At the rate we were going we were going to run out of land before that happened.

Living in a hurricane area myself, I was very aware that Mulege had got hit last year and flooding on the river had killed a number of people. Evidence of the destruction was still visible as we crossed the bridge and then rode along side the river.

Mulege is on the northern end of Bahia Concepcion which I had heard was nice. IT IS. It was obvious why people pull their sail boats in here or set up their RV's on the beach and then don't leave for months. Other than the freezing cold rain, this would of been an idyllic setting.

South of Mulege I had plotted another trail route into the mountains and then back out at Loreto. With the weather and Arnie's ankle we opted to stay on the highway and continue the easy run into Loreto. An off day was appreciated by both of us.

Loreto was lovely. This is the old capital of Baja California Sur and the cultural heritage is evident in the charming town center. Nice beaches, good fishing and protected bays all contribute to the charm and why Loreto is an upcoming tourist destination. This was a place that I could settle into for awhile. EXCEPT.. it was cold. even if this was not normal the fact that the Baja can get this cold was the reason that I chose to give up this awesome riding and settle on the Caribbean side of Mexico. An extremely cold night for us is when you have to put long pants and a sweatshirt on. I have worked on the ice cap within 200 miles of the North Pole where I experienced -56C (-70F) and I have raced in the desert of the Middle east when it was +54C (130F). Give me the heat please!

The following morning Arnie felt up to the challenge so we locked back onto our route, which once again was on the Baja 1000 course. The first part of this day turned out to be spectacular. The sun was shining and although not warm it was a pleasant riding temperature.

We ran up a gorgeous canyon cris-crossing a meandering creek. It was a fast and fun section which was exactly what Arnie needed. A pretty waterfall made a good back drop for a photo. I am sure on a warmer day it would of made an irresistible place to cool off.

After the mission we had a number of water crossings. One of these was fairly deep and wide. I went across first and found it challenging due to the depth and number of large round boulders submerged out of sight. Upon getting to the other side I figured that I should offer to ride Arnie's' bike across due to his ankle. However, he didn't wait for me to get across before heading out himself.

I turned around just in time to see him drop his motorcycle when he went to dab and could not hold the weight of his bike on the bad ankle. It was a bad situation but I could see he was not pinned under the bike so I started to fumble for my camera. I fired off a quick shot before he started screaming for HELP. I ran out and helped him get the motorcycle standing. To the amazement of us both, it started right up allowing me to ride it out.

Arnie with his broken ankle was not able to negotiate the boulders and current so I had to run back in and provide a shoulder for him to lean on. Ah.. the Adventure was still on..

Not too far after this little bit of excitement we came to a place where I had plotted another one of my questionable 'goat trail' sections. With Arnie's ankle dishing out a steady dose of pain we rightly decided to stay on the Baja course, which was following a pretty well defined trail.

Eventually the Baja course took a turn onto a very whooped out sand section that required an aggressive riding style. This meant standing on the pegs. With the ankle this option was out for Arnie so we back tracked to the good trail and followed this out to a paved road.

We ran the paved road to Ciudad Insurgentes and then on to Ciudad Constitucion. If in your lifetime you never make it to either of these exotic sounding locales, you can rest assured you missed nothing. This certainly is not the A-hole of the Baja, but it is close enough that you can smell it from here. Our intention was to spend the night in Ciudad Constitucion but we quickly decided that striking off for La Paz and riding well into the dark was a more inviting option.

The route out of Ciudad Constitucion involved riding through the city dump. Somehow this seemed appropriate.

Back on our route we discovered that once again we were following the Baja course. This was a beautiful piece of riding terrain. Sand of a perfect consistency with nicely bermed corners. We had a very long way to go before La Paz and wanted to make good time. This trail was providing the right ingredients.

We winded and twisted through a maze of trails following our GPS screens and the odd Baja marker confirming that they too had taken this route. We passed through a number of small ranches and even a village before finally coming to a point where we headed west and the Baja course continued south. This was a bit of a concern since once again my route involved some questionable trails. With the sun getting precariously low on the horizon, we set off down a deserted trail in hopes of being able to make it through to the coast road running north out of La Paz.

WOW, we passed some beautiful country as we climbed deeper into the coastal mountains. Although not well traveled (we didn't see a vehicle in 5 hours of riding) the route remained very passable with few obstacles and the water crossings being low enough to be of no concern. Eventually we came to a section that was extremely rutted. We could see that this would not be passable when wet but thankfully it was dry enough for us to keep rolling on.

We were not alone out here. There were small remote villages scattered throughout the hills. It became apparent that for these people to get to a proper town would be a major undertaking. At one point we came flying around a corner to find a young couple on a mule. The looked like they were on a date and so very cute. We stopped to exchange greetings and were given permission to preserve the moment with our cameras.

As darkness was falling upon us we caught a glimpse of the ocean on the horizon. It was a sign we needed.

Eventually the trail started to improve ever so slightly and we decided that we were going to make it through the gap. We still had a long haul to La Paz and the trail was slow but we kept soldiering on making steady progress. There were a couple of points named on the map and we hoped that one of them would be a fishing camp or some type of tourist resort offering accommodation and food. Each of these we passed with them offering little more than a single light to mark their existence.

30 kilometers (18.5 miles) out of La Paz we got a view of the city lights and another pump of adrenalin to keep pushing us forward. It was late and we were hungry but there was nothing else to do but keep riding. The lights finally engulfed us and we went off in search of a nice hotel. It had been our longest day of the trip.

FINALLY we awoke to sunshine and warm weather! We had breakfast in an open air cafe with a tranquil view of the bay. It was nice to be able to enjoy a meal 'al fresco' for the first time on the leg.

We decided to find the ferry office and check on schedules for our next leg. After doing this we headed southeast out of town and into the Sierra de la Laguna mountains. This was dual sport heaven. The tracks through the hills were smooth, twisty, well bermed, and rolled up, down and over the natural flow and ebb of the land. We didn't want it to end.

It was in this section that we stumbled into a small kiosk just sitting out by itself off of a small sandy track. The sun was shining, it was warm and we had been riding for a coupe of hours over perfect terrain. A cold beer was most certainly in order.

Shortly after pulling in a group of local guys rolled up with a similar idea. We answered questions about the bikes, our trip, and joked with them about girls and trucks. It was one of those male bonding moments that leave women rolling their eyes.

They informed us that there was going to be a cock fight in this location the next day and invited us to return. It was a nice gesture and would probably be a fun afternoon full of testosterone fueling, but we had to continue south. In truth, I was not sorry to miss this opportunity. I have witnessed cock fights before and find it a terrible form of animal cruelty.

The excellent trails continued as we worked our way out of the hills and down onto the western coastal plain. I had considered settling around Cabo but gave it up in favor of warmer climes and better diving. I knew that I would be denying myself some good riding but I had no idea just how good. This was GREAT.

As we got closer to the ocean the trails became wider and faster. We were hauling now. We picked up a coastal trail/road that would lead us south into Todo Santos. Here was this wide trail paralleling the beach that had been cleared by a hopeful developer. This was some gorgeous real estate but the development ahead of it's time. With the trail pretty much abandoned, we raced along with grins from ear to ear. THEN...

we hit a muddy section. It didn't look bad. Dry on top but gumbo mud just below and a surface below that as slick as snot on a doorknob. That kind of mud that clings to everything and doesn't let go. It just builds and builds until your wheels have doubled in size, your fenders are coated and the swing arm packed tight.

Arnie was leading and running down the defined trail. I gingerly worked my way outside of the track where it was a little dryer. I was not so much steering the bike as skating between bushes and around obstacles. I was making good time and having some fun until I came to a place where the scrub got heavier and pinched close my line of travel. I had no choice but to head back out to the trail. The moment that I touched the berm to cross into the trail, my front tire skidded along the berm and I was down and in a quite spectacular slide. I came to rest deep in the bushes. Ha what fun! I guess it doesn't matter the age. Boys simply like to play in the mud.

We continued on into Todo Santos. This is a place made famous by the Eagles with their song 'Hotel California'. We had a very late lunch in a pleasant outdoor cafe and then went down for a quick boo at the infamous Hotel California. We had intended to spend the night at the hotel but there were so many tourists around we decided to move on. With no other decent accommodation in town, we decided to push on to Cabo.

Once again we were faced with riding in the dark. My intended route was to head back into the hills and follow a system of off pavement trails all the way into Cabo, but with it already late in the day we opted for the highway.

The traffic was heavy between Todo Santos and Cabo but with the bikes we were able to make pretty good time and only ended up riding in the dark for about a half hour. With the heavy traffic we came to realize why the Golden Rule made such good sense.

We found a hotel right in the center of Cabo. It was perfect. They had a large walled compound for storing the bikes and from the hotel we were within walking distance to most of the action spots. Turns out that this hotel is well known by bikers and we met a number of street riders here who had ridden down from Canada and the USA.

The following day was Sunday. We took advantage of a down day in order to get the bikes washed, our riding gear laundered and scout out the motorcycle shops. Monday with no KTM dealer to be found, we ran Arnie's bike up to the Honda dealer to organize some maintenance, a few repairs and storage, before he flew home to get his ankle taken care of. We checked the GPS and saw that we had traveled 2870 kilometers (1759 miles) on this leg. That made it 9245 kilometers (5745 miles) since we left Calgary.

I ended up hanging out in Cabo for a couple of extra days. This is a good place to unwind. There are lots of drinking and eating spots and nice beaches. I made the rounds of the restaurants and bars but passed on the beaches as it was cold again. I have a buddy named Dave Larson who has lived in Cabo for 18 years now. We got together and he introduced me to some of his friends who took me in and showed me some very nice hospitality.

It was a fairly tough leg due to some of the difficult terrain we rode and all of the long days. However, we both agreed it was great and parted ways excited about re-joining on March 21st when the adventure would continue.