Home again......... Ahhhhhh!

November 18
I couldn't post yesterday because the hotel we stayed at didn't have a working computer in their business center. We drove yesterday from Lordsburg Texas to Jackson Mississippi, about 900 miles. We didn't stop much, just for gas. It took about 12 hours and was a completely uneventful ride. Jenn and I continued to talk through what has happened and the emotions are still really close to the surface, so there was again a lot of tears, but mostly about how much we had to be thankful for. Yea, there were some broken body parts and some "stuff" gone like our computer and our wedding rings, but they are just things. We still have each other, a beautiful family, and some wonderful friends. Things didn't work out the way we had planned, but life finds a way of letting you know you aren't completely in charge!

November 19
 We arose early this morning wanting to get on the road before 8am. We quickly ate our scrumptious "Continental Breakfast", but I would like to know on what continent this crap is considered a regular breakfast!  Anyway, Jenn spent the day talking on the phone, explaining to friends that she was OK and that this wasn't going to stop her from getting back on her bike. I know to most that is hard to understand, but to those that really have a passion to ride, it seems perfectly natural. We drove the 419 miles back to Atlanta pretty quickly, doing it in about 6 hours. During our ride, Jenn and I decided that our first stop in town would be at the "Doc in the Box" to have them take a look at the injury and redress it. The little bit we could see thru all the wrappings didn't look so good. There was a lot of black material, which Dr. Limon (remember him from Hermosillo) said may indicate dying flesh. So, we went to the Emergency Care down the street from our house before going home. There was some discussion as to whether they would even look at it, as the broken bones had penetrated the skin which made it high risk for an infection that could jeopardize her entire body! But after the nurse met with the doctor, they decided to open it up and take a look at it. The nurse seemed excited about the opportunity to see the injury after Jenn and I gave her the circumstances on how she got hurt. She gently, pulled back layer after layer of gauze to finally reveal the wound. Guess what.................... IT WAS PINK, still pretty yuckie, but PINK. Which means that circulation was happening and the toe could be saved. The nurse cleaned it up and had the doctor come in and take a look. He looked appalled and wouldn't even touch it. He said the toe looked "viable" to him, but we needed to see a foot specialist. He recommended we call Resurgence, which specialize in hand and foot trauma. The nurse re-wrapped Jenn's foot and applied a new brace which was much more comfortable, and said to contact Resurgence, first thing Monday morning. We said our thank you and quickly walked back to our truck to get home to see Erin. The homecoming was what you would expect, lots of hugs and kisses mixed in with "I really missed you". Walking thru that front door seemed so far away just a few days ago, and at times an impossibility, but we are finally home..............ahhhhhhhhhhh!  

Final Major Hurdle Cleared

Jenn and I slept until around 6 am and wanted to get on the road as soon as possible. So we just brushed our teeth, wolfed down some crappy "Contenental Breakfast" . I quickly wrote yesterday's blog at the business center and we were on the road by 7 am. We needed to drive the 488 miles to Presidio. Try and find some folks to help me unload the bikes out of the uhaul truck and get them back up into my truck. Then drive the 150 miles to Fort Stockton to return the rental truck Neal had obtained for us. The good news was the speed limt ranged from 70 mph to 80 mph. The bad news, I was in a rental that seemed to have a governor. So I just kept the peddle mashed to the floor and we got to Presidio at around 2:30 PM. The truck was there were we left it (that was another nightmare I chose not to entertain). I went into the office and paid the lady the $20 weekly storage fee, and asked if there was anyone around to help me load the bikes. She called into the back and a gentleman named Steve came out to lend a hand. A really friendly guy and a biker himself. He really didn't let me do much of anything! he road the bikes off the uhaul and powered them back up the ramp on our truck. After he got both bikes up, he sat on them while I strapped them down. He did seem to really like the KLR, so I told him to take it for a spin around the several acre parking lot. He was spinning out, popping wheelies, just having a grand time! Finally he brought it back around and said he needed to get him one of these. Hah, another KLR convert!! Anyway, after we finished loading I reached in my pocket and gave him what was left of our Mexican currency for his efforts, 600 pesos (I think around $40). I figured with him being right next to the border he could easily spend it. He seemed embarassed and said he didn't help us with the expectation of being paid, he was just helping a fellow biker. I told him I understood, but I would feel better if he would take it, and if he gets the chance to "pay it forward". A gret guy and another in the long list of folks who helped us get home. We started over to the rental company in Fort Stockton and Jenn had to drive the 2+ hours with her bad foot. Fortunately it is her left and the truck was an automatic. We got to the rental place 10 minutes before they closed (6pm). Handed everything over and finally headed out in all of our original equipment! We stopped in a cool steak house called the Barn Door and had a great meal, a couple of drinks, and took a deep breath for the first time in almost 1week. Today we will try to cover the 1200 miles that are left to get back home. It all depends on how much Jenn can take as she is stillin in a lot of pain. But, worst case we will be home sometime Saturday. That is all for now, we are hitting the road again.

Back in the good ole USA, although still a long way from home!

The plan that I had put together came off pretty much as planned. The rollback to caryy the bikes and the car with driver to get us to the border showed up around 10 AM, so we loaded up and said goodbye to our friend Francisco. It took about 4 hours to get to the border crossing in Nogales, and stopping and having a complete search of the bikes by the military. When we finally reached the crossing, that is when the wheels came off. The way the border is laid out there is no turn around point within a 1/4 of the actual crossing. So, I needed to have the two driver stay with Jenn while I try to take one bike at a time across. The first problem was that the rollback motor wouldn't work. After searching around for a while, the tow truck driver found a hill that almost matched the 4 foot height of the flatbed. So the him, the car driver and I went over to try to get the bikes off. As much as we tried to find ways to make it work, there was still a 2 foot gap between the end of the flatbed and the hillside. So, the tow truck driver and I lifted each bike over that gap, while the car driver tried to keep the bike from falling the 4 feet to the ground. Eventually we got both bikes off without mishap and it was time to attempt the crossing. Jenn nervously stayed with the guys, while I drove the 1/4 mile to the border. The lines were long and it took about 45 minutes to get up to the crossing guard. After I explained to him our issues, he told me I could park the bike over with the border crossing trucks while I went back thru the Mexican crossing so I could get the other bike. I walked the 1/4 back to Jenn and the boys who seemed excited to see me. While I was gone Jenn knowing that we were going to miss our UHaul pickup time called Neal. Neal called them and reserved us a truck for pickup after they closed. Thansks so much Neal. So I jumped on the other bike while Jenn hobbled her way to the walker entrance. I again waited for about 45 minutes but eventually reunited with Jenn on the other side. In the meantime our friend Neal had arranged for a friend from Kimberly Clark to meet us about 1/2 mile inside the US to help us go get the truck. Our only option was for us to ride 2 up on a bike to met him. So off we went with Jenn's injured leg sticking out in the wind, but we got there and saw the smiling face of Luis (KC) and his lovely wife Belma to welcom us into the US. So while I walked the 1/2 mile back to get the other bike. Jenn and Luis went to pick up the truck, while Belma stood watch over the one that was already in the US. I got back to the bike and drove back to the meeting spot. Belma and I had a wonderful conversation while waiting for Jenn Luis and the truck. Finally the arrived and we loaded up and bid goodbye to some more wonderful people who have helped us on this journey. So, we grabbed smething quick to eat and drove a couple of hundred miles until around 10:30 last night. So here we are in Lordsburg New Mexico, getting ready to drive the last 400 miles to Presidio to our truck and our final leg back home. If all goes well, we shouls be back home late Friday or early Saturday. Thank you Francisco for getting us on our way and Neal, Luis, and Belma for helping us across the border. We couldn't have done it without you.

Adios Hermosillo

At last we are prepared to leave Hermosillo. Jenn and I went back last night to see the orthopedic surgeon who operated on her foot. A great guy named  Carlos Limon. Between his broken english and our broken spanish we were able to determine that when we came in late Sunday night, he thought that her little toe would need to be amputated. We also learned that there were other broken and cracked bones in her foot, but he first wanted to try and save the toe. So he cleaned it extensively, and re-attached it hoping that it would be OK, although he was afraid the damage was so severe that she would loose circulation and it would need to be removed to save the rest of her foot. But last night we got some great news. It appears that the circulation was re-established and healing had begun!!!!!! YEAHHHH. So he took some more X-rays, cleaned and re-wrapped her foot, and said we were good to travel.  We said goodbye to Dr. Limon and thanked him profusely for all that he has done. I gave him one of our blog cards and I hope that he reads this to know how much we appreciate him and his skills.

So the plan this morning begins at 10 am when we are going over to the car rental place to get the car and driver that will drive Jenn and I to the border. The trucks that are carrying our bikes to the border are supposed to be here at 11 am to start the loadout. Our dear friend Neal (remember this legendary person from an earlier post), has arranged a friend of his (Luis) to meet us at the border and sit with Jenn while I work to get both bikes across the border. I will then call Alma at the U Haul office to meet me on the US side. Hopefully if all the stars align, we should have the bikes loaded by around 4 pm and start our trek to Presidio to pick up our truck. This city and the hotel (Araiza), we spent the last 3 days will forever hold a special place in my heart. We arrived here late Sunday night angry, broken, beat, and scared. The wonderful people that we met here took us in like their own and took care of us. The made sure Jenn got the proper care by selecting a hospital that would provide us extremely good care. They gave us a room for nights that they didn't really have opening for, and they helped me plan our evacuation from Mexico when our Emergency Evacuation Insurance let us down. Jenn said today that after the way we were treated by the thugs who left Jenn bleeding and unconscious on the side of the road, she had a very bad impression on the Mexican people. However, after feeling the warmth of the folks here in Hermosillo, and how they couldn't do enough for us, she now understands that the Mexicans are wonderful, and like any other country, there are always a few bad people around. We were just unfortunate to literally 'run' into  few of them. So although we are so happy to begin our journey home today, I feel we are better people for having spent these last few days here in Hermosillo and having restored our faith in the inherent goodness in people everywhere.
ADIOS HERMOSILLO!

We continue our work to get back to the states

Well, like I think it was John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making plans!". Two years we have been planning this trip and we had it down to the the "n'th" detail. 5 seconds and all that went out the window and planning strarted anew. In that same theme, aother 24 hours has passed and the plans that I thought were complete yesterday continue to fall apart. We have a car, and a driver to get Jenn and I to Nogales, but after our Mexican Insurance adjustor told me that moving our bikes with a tow company tomorrow would be  "No Problemo", they seem to have retreated from that position. I have calls out to our Insurance Company home office in Mexico City and have given them to 2 PM to come up with something. Last I heard, they might be able to take Jenn's bike, but they wouldn't take mine unless I work my own deal with the tow company. Worse case, as long as they can get her bike there, I will follow them on my bike the three hours north. If they don't have anything concrete by 2 PM (4 PM Eastern), I will go back to my new friend and "Hermosillo Rigger " Francisco the security guy here at the hotel, and ask him to pull one more rabbit out of his hat!

Jenn and I left the hotel for the first time since the accident today. I asked Francisco if they had a Walmart here in Hermosillo, as all of Jenn's toiletry stuff was also lost in the stolen bag and she wanted to freshen up a bit. He said they actually had 4 here and arranged for a taxi to take us and wait for us to finish. So we jumped in the cab and Francisco thoughtfully brought Jenn the hotel wheel chair for our shopping. The Walmart looked pretty much like the ones up north, mostly the same products that we see, with a few local items mixed in. So we got Jenn her " lady things", picked up some large trash bags to put our road gear in for the car ride, and went out to our waiting cab.

 Jenn seems to be much more pain today, not just her foot but her whole body. But I guess when you were hit by a truck doing over 40 mph and flying thru the air over 20 feet that is to be expected. I continue to be in awe of my wife. Not only is she the most beautiful woman in the world, but they don't make them any tougher. After surviving that horrendous crash, and with her left boot completely full of blood from her crushed foot, she not only drove the last 75 miles through twisty mountains have the constantly shift, but had to do so with that same bad foot and on a motorcycle with her left foot peg broken off! Everytime that a shift was needed she would pull her badly mangled foot off the highway peg and perfrom the shift without a hitch! I thank god that we wear the proper protection. Had she not had those Motocross boots on her foot would have been crushed, and the armor in our riding gear let her walk away pretty badly bruised from head to toe, but with her beautiful body intact.

I am still having trouble sleeping, as the sight of that crash in front of me and the truck narrowly going past me, continue to haunt me. I know it will pass in time, but the sight of her unconscious on the ground is still too overwhelming.  Well, that is all for now. Jenn and I had some time to talk today, shared some cries, but thankful for the chance to hopefully spend many more days together.  EVERYDAY IS A BLESSING!

Well we have a plan

After a lot of flailing of arms and gnashing of teeth, looks like we have a plan. After spending all morning on the phone with our evacuation insurance company, I was told that Jenn s injuries were not serious enough to warrant an evacuation. It does not matter that she is in a cast and in danger of loosing a toe! So after I gave them a proper dressing down about them taking money for nothing, I regrouped and started thinking about other ways to get home. I went down to the front desk and found my new best friend Francisco, who spoke some english. We brainstormed a while and came up with the following:

STARTING ON WEDNESDAY NOV 16

1. Get our bikes towed to the US Border in Nogales Arizona (our Mexican Insurance pays $300)
2. Francisco arranged a  Mexican driver and I rented a car to get Jenn and I to the border
3. I will ride each bike across the border while Jenn hobbles across
4. I called  and rented a  U Haul truck in Nogales who will meet us at the border crossing
5. After loading the truck we drive from Nogales to Presidio to pick up our truck
6. I will try to find someone in Presidio to help me load the bikes back on our truck
7. We will then work our way back to Atlanta

There is still some unknowns and holes in the plan, but when we encounter them we will do what Martins do, Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. Tomorrow, I need to get Jenn back to the Doctor for one more check of the healing to make sure there are not any infections, and then take a few minutes to reflect and hopefully relax.

part 3

I am working my way thru the maze of things that need to get done, but we are both above ground and get to live another day! Thank you God!!

part 2

sorry but the thiefs stole my computer, our wedding rings and all our document copies and am doing this on my blackberry. Jenn faught her way back to hermosillo and when we got to the hotel we called an ambulance. at the accident scene she said her foot hurt terribly but I let her take her boot off until we got to a safe place. when we did take it off it was obvious ther was serious damage. her little toe was broken in several places and there were bones sticking thru. at the hospital they took her into surgery and basically re-attached her toe and did the best to set some bones. We arw back at the hotel now and jenn is resting. what can say about this woman that married! I am so thankful that she is still here. if she was 3 seconds slower into that turn it would have been a head on collision which could not have survived. anyway we are trying to find a way now to get us and the bikes back home, but

It ended too soon!

well we were on our drive to Hermosillo for our next leg when tragedy struck. we were rounded a turn in the eastern mountains of sonora, when a truck coming the other way cam completely across the center line and struck Jenn at about 45 mph. she and the bike went flying. dropped my bike and went running to her as she wasn't moving. the guys in the truck took that opportunity to pick up her hard bag that had broken off and took off. jenn eventually came around and although a seriuos accident, she was breathing and didn't appear to have any serious injury. we re-attached the other bag and started the bikes and drove the lsst 75 miles thru the desolate country to get jenn medical assistance in hermosillo. I even know how to tell you the emotions that was going on inside me during that 1.5 hour drive. anger, gratefulness that God spared my beloved wife's live, regret that had even planned this  this trip this trip, responsibility  this t

An Epic Day !

Didn't get a chance to post last night, as we left early in the moring and returned after dark from our Adventure ride to Batopilas at the bottom of Copper Canyon. The ride had it all. When we left in the morning the temperature was hovering around 40 degrees and when we reached the bottom of the canyon around noon, it was 97! The road to the cutoff to Batolpilas was a delightful ride of twisties through steep canyon walls. Kind of like the "Tail of the Dragon" in North Carolina but with spectacular scenery.

When we left the hotel in the morning, our included breakfast wasn't ready, so we saw a small store at the cutoff and pulled in, to see what we could find. We happened to run into an Australian chap that we had met over dinner the night before, and he handled the translation and ordered Jenn and I a couple of pork burretos (10 pesos about .75 US). A cup of coffee for me and a Coke for Jenn. Coke is universal it seems :).   We bade goodbye to our Aussie friend, and with bellies now full we pointed our bikes to Batopilas. The first 10 miles or so had been recently resurfaced, so it was pleasant though uneventful. We then got to the area where the construction crew was working, pushing their way to the canyon floor. We only waited about 15 minutes before we got a chance to ride across the 100 yards or so where the road crew had leveled some powdery sand over some head sized boulders. Not too bad as we followed a bus who packed a small double track for us to follow through to the other side. I did notice a bus size boulder teetering above us on the canyon wall, but the flagman said go and we went. Although that same boulder would become a part of our life later in the day. The rest of the 42 miles down to Batopilas was a combination of sand, silt, loose gravel, and off-cambered turns. Not technology difficult, but relentless. We spent most of the morning up on the pegs and negotiating constant turns on narrow (about 8 feet in some spots), with little room for error as one side was a sheer rock wall, and the other side was at times a 1000 foot straigth drop off!

We continued to work our way down the constant switchbacks and got to this rock overhang where a truck on the way up got stuck..

The crew in the truck spent about 15 minutes pulling forward and back 6 inches until they scraped their way clear. We continued pushing forward until we at last reached our destination. We had lost unexpected time with the construction and the wedged truck, so rather than a full lunch in Batopilas, we stopped in a small store and I ordered dos Coca Cola, and picked up a pack of old cookies to munch on while we prepared for the trip back up the canyon. While we were sitting on the front step of the store, Jenn snapped this picture of a donkey casually walking up the street.

We finished our mid-day snack and started our long trek back to the top of the canyon. We took a a lot more breaks on the way back due to the construction, but about 3 hours later we were back at the construction site. We came around the corner where the men were working, and Jenn said through the communicators, "Where is the Road!". Remember that large boulder I mentioned we saw on the way down, well it seems that the work crew had excavated too much supporting material shortly before we got there and there was landslide that had completely engulfed what used to be a road!. So we turned off our motors and took a 45 minute rest while the crew worked feverishly to clear us a path  . When they finally motioned us forward, what we had to traverse could hardly be called a road. They had pushed the larger boulders of the cliff, but left the surface we need to ride over with rocks about the size of your head! I motioned to the backhoe operator to help us, and he tried to push the rocks down into the surface with little effect. Finally he again motioned us foward, we we paddled our way over rocks and powdery sand. At one point Jenn's back wheel fell into a hole and she couldn't move. The backhoe operator came over and pushed her several yards to get her moving again. With a big  "WoooWhooo" from Jenn we were finally back on hard roads!
The rest of the 45 miles home were uneventful, and about 1 hour after dark, we arrived back at Plaza de Margarita's. An EPIC day, some had told us you couldn't go down and back in the same day, but we persevered, and the day ended with a quiet evening of dinner with some riders we had met a couple of days before. Today will be long day as well (345 miles), but all hard road. Goodbye Copper Canyon!

Land of the Tarahumara

Wow what a day. We decided to take the day and hired a guide to show us around some of the back country places in Copper Canyon. Our guide Martin

 took us on a trip back in time to visit some old missions, rock formations and into the daily life of the indigenous people from the area, the Tarahumara. They are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability. They still dress in very colorful native garb.

Martin explained that there are only about 50,000 of them left, and they still live pretty simple lives without any common modern conveniences, electricity, telephone, fossel fuels, or motorized vehicles. they walk everywhere. the canyon we spend most of the day in was crisscrossed with trails and we saw folks walking everywhere. He began our four wheeled van adventure by taking us to a Tarahumara family who had been living in this particular cave for over 300 years. It was rather large, and areas had been created for a kitchen, sleeping area, and some common areas. Today the family that lives there include a woman who looked to be in her 80's down to a child of about 5. Three generations we were told totalling 8 people. WOW.

Martin continued driving us thru the canyon stopping at some rock formations to point out things like "frogs"

and even Jesus and the Holy Virgin (look real hard!)

After an extremely rough drive over solid rock, Martin introduced us to a young Tarahumara man name Alejandro (sp?), who would lead us a couple of kilometers down another canyon to the Cusarare Falls. He was a cute kid though deaf and mute. Martin explained that although most native kids get a chance to go to school, 10 year old Alejandro could not because of his disabilities and there were no schools in Mexico for him, really sad. However that didn't seem to stop Alejandro, he gestered his way to help us traverse the canyon and upon our return we tipped him and Jenn gave him some peanut butter which he quickly licked until it was gone and kept smiling at me and giving a "thumbs up".

We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting some old Jesuit missions dating back to 1741, one even had the skull of one of its founders in a shrine to in a corner of the church. Kind of odd, but it seemed "matter of fact" to everyone but Jenn and I. You'll have to check out Jenns pictures to see that one and the videos she took thru the day. What a great way to emerse yourself in an ancient culture and what a glorious day to spend in Mexico.

Here in Creel

Well, ate breakfast at the little restaurant next door to our hotel. The food was good and plentiful. Nothing exotic, bacon and eggs for me and sausage and eggs for my girl. We the mounted our bikes and started to the border crossing about 2 miles away. Pretty chilly, as the bike thermometer said it was 36 degrees! Brrrrrr. Jenn and I assumed we were going to the tropical climate of Mexico, but it started at 36 and only got to 59 for a high today. Anyway, we got to the border office at about 7 AM. Hardley anyone there, and it took us a while to roust a Mexican Govenment employee to help us get our "Tourist Card". Finally the agent emerged downing a cup of coffee and motioned us inside. He was extremely helpful and after asking where we were headed, we pulled out a map and he was suggesting routes. We didn't have the heart to tell him we had our trip planned to the hour and we really didn't need his assistance. He then asked about our bikes and when I told him they were KLR650's, he said that was too much bike for Jenn! His english was excellent and I explained to him she could handle that and more. He seemed impressed. So we finished that station and went next door to fill out the vehicle importation paper work. Jenn had "pre-registered" on-line to expedite things, but our agent after rolling his eyes and saying something that sounded like it was intended for mature audiences, he motioned that I now needed to go across the street and make some copies and bring them back so he could complete our paperwork. Finally after bringing back the copies and paying him $464 we were given our importation stickers and our "Tourist Cards". The total process took 1 1/2 hours, but we made it thru. Good thing we pre-registered huh :). So while we were waiting in line a gentleman who spoke very good english said that we should take the Carmargo to get to our intended route Mexico 16. It was a toll road but with the military checkpoints we shouldn't run into any banditos. We took his advice and the road was smooth and straight. We encountered 3 checkpoints. The first one the officer just asked to see our paperwork, but seemed like he only wanted to do that so he could have more time to scope out our bikes.  He asked a lot of questions about our modes and the cost of the bike in the states. He told me that you could get all of the Harley Davidsons you wanted, but you pay 2-3 times the cost for a Japenese bike. Seems that Mexico and Japan had some kind of importation falling out and the Jap bikes were extremely rare, and KLR's even more so! He said that he had 2 Jap bikes that he got before the embargo, a Hayabusa, a Rebel. He half-heartedly asked us if we had any guns or drugs on us, but after after a smile he bid us farewell. About 30 miles up the road we hit a military checkpoint. About 20 soldiers, all carrying automatic weapons. When Jenn approached with her helmet camera attached (but not on), they pulled bandanas up to cover their faces. I guess they don't want the bad guys to have any photographs of them! They spoke no english, but motioned for us to open our hard bags, and after a brief look at their contents he sent us on our way. About 50 miles further up the road we encountered another portable checkpoint, but they never motioned for us to stop, so we just passed them by. The rest of the morning was spend going thru a high desert until we reached the city of Chihuahua. There isn't any perimeter or beltway around, so the GPS sent us through it. I am not sure how anyone could have done it with a map, as even the GPS got lost sometimes with the miriade of turns. But somehow about 45 minutes later we found ourselves on the western edge of town and back on Route 16. We continued to slowly climb in altitude while the temperature dropped throughout the day, and eventually we got to the Creel turnoff from Rte. 16. The ride through the high canyons was beautiful and we eventually found oursleves in Creel. Now unbeknown to us, the hotel we had reserved did have a street address but few streets have signs, and the GPS was lost!. We began to weave our way through the town and after asking what looked like a homeless guy and a bystander for directions, we finally got here at Plaza de Margarita's right about dark. They had us take our bikes to a fortified locked lot, and we settled for a dinner provided with our room. Tomorrow we are going on a locally guided tour of the area and relaxing for the day. That is it for now. We are safe, full, and very tired, but we have finally made it to Copper Canyon !

Spittin' Distance to Mexico

Well after working 1/2 day yesterday and then driving 20 hours thru the night 1300 miles to Presidio, it has been a long couple of days. The drive was mostly uneventful. Jenn and I switched off driving duties with every tank of gas while the other tried to get some sleep, just as we had done with our trip up to Edmonton a couple fo years ago. But although that continuous drive was over 1000 miles farther, Jenn and I both agree that this drive seemed longer! Didn't get to see much as the sun didn't rise until we got around Dallas, but we did see thousands of wind turbines in west Texas that seemed to go on for over 100 miles.

 After 1000 miles on interstate 20 from Atlanta, we finally dropped down to Texas 17 for the last stretch that wove its way thru numerous high country canyons. Looked like the perfect introduction to the terrain we will be traversing over the next several weeks. Got to Presidio, dropped of the truck at a local storage yard, and went to the restaurant next door to our hotel for some much needed nourishment. See we only stopped for gas for the long drive and only ate snacks we could find at whatever station we stopped. So the last days fare included Fritos, Doritos, Skittles, and gallons of Java Energy Drinks! Anyway the dinner was awesome ( Buritos for me and Enchiladas for my lovely bride).We wolfed down the grub and settled into our room for some much needed rest. Interesting note, The Three Palms Inn where we are staying doesn't even have a sign. We drove down one of the mainstreets in Presidio and found what appeared to be a hotel with 3 large Plam Trees in front :).

Anway we are tired and getting things prepped on the bikes for tomorrow when the first major hurtle happens, navigating our way thru the required paperwork at the border. If all goes well, when I write tomorrow night we will have navigated the 300 miles thru border crossings and "Federalies" and finally be in the heart of Copper Canyon at a small town called Creel.

BUENOS NOCHES

Adios!

Well, the time is here! Bikes are loaded, 2 hours until we leave. Still a lot of trepidation, but we have a long goodbye to Erin and then we are on our way overnight to Presidio Texas. If all goes well I should be writing you tomorrow night within spittin' distance of Mexico (provided you are a REAAAALLY GOOD spitter :)

Buenos Noches Mi Amigos

The Final Countdown

Well, much like the rest of our adventure motorcycle trips, the last two weeks has been a whirlwind of wrapping up some final tasks and spontaneous anxiety that we missed something. Somehow it always seems to work out, but that doesn't stop the worrying. We wanted to do some final normal maintenance to the bikes, so we changed the oil and looked over the bikes to make sure everything was tightened down (these Thumpers have a way of shaking bolts loose!). Fortunately the Dempter Highway Calcium Chloride
 from 2 years ago had "bonded" all the exposed nuts and bolts together, so everything looked good. We then turned our attention to things we could do to prevent any unforeseen problems. I had heard some horror stories of adv riders getting gas at some remote area in Mexico that was poured from  5 gallon gerry cans. Unfortunately although they now had gas, the petrol contained rust and debris, but that wasn't the worst of it. They often had large amounts of water mixed in, which can not only stopped the bike, but did considerable damage. So I spent the last couple of weeks trying to find a clear gas filter that would fit in the required location under the petcock. I finally found the one pictured below that actually had replaceable filters, and with the addition of some new fuel lines we are in business. Hopefully if we get some bad gas, these will help us discover it before it causes any damage.

New Gas Filter

I had also recently begun spending some sleepless nights worrying about the mileage on our chain, drive and final sprockets, so I ordered a complete replacement set in the standard tooth configuration. So this weekend out dear friends Neal and Sandy Michal came up to our lake house to help us finish up some last minute stuff. So Neal and I spent Saturday replacing the sprockets and chains and while we were in there we performed the Michal stator wire fix to prevent a recent failure that our friend Russ Martin had experienced by a wayward stone that disabled his bike in Tennessee a few weeks ago. The soon to be patented Michal modification (Named after the legendary Neal Michal, a visionary in mechanical engineering) was to apply generous amounts of granulated-vitreous sodium silicate or SILICON GEL for you mere mortals :), to cover the wires in case some adventurous stone makes its way under the cover.


The Legenday Neal Michal in Action



The Patent Pending Michal Mod

 So while Neal and I worked on the bikes, his lovely wife Sandy was preparing some scrumptious meals (Santa Fe Chicken Soup mmmmmmmmmm), and Jenn worked on her trip bracelets and finalized her planning. The final step for our bikes has become somewhat a tradition. So after we have done all the things we think we need to do to our bikes, we add the trip logo as the final seal of approval. As Jenn said during the ceremony, "There is no turning back now Neal, once the decal is applied we have to go!" So today, Jenn rode the 90 miles from the lake house to our home in Duluth on her bike, and I am going to ride my bike to work the next 2 days (about 100 miles), as the final shakedown test of our bikes before we begin to depend on our trusty KLR's in the wilds of Mexico. It almost seems surreal, we are only days away from a trip we have been planning for and talking about for over 2 years.  So with 2 days to go, we have done everything we can thing of, and it is just time to get this show on the road!


No turning back now!