Trans-Mexico Day #10 Potrero de los López to Lagos de Moreno

Trans-Mexico Day #10

January 6, 2022

Potrero de los López, AG to Lagos de Moreno, JA 128Km

Start 8:47am Finish 7:01pm

Ride Time: 7:40

Ascent: 1306m

Descent: 1408m

Tour Total Km: 1,019

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/81183121

I slept well behind the cactus, down the road from Potrero de los López. I was warm throughout the night, and perhaps didn’t need my long underwear. I got up during the middle of the night and didn’t get jabbed by a cactus. I woke up with the light and it was a slow pack up. I stumbled over a tent stake and broke it. I had to patch my front tire, which had gone completely flat. I flattened all of my beer cans and tied them to my rack pack. I had probably been visible from the road. Two motorists a car and a motorcycle had passed me while I was packing up. I then headed back out to the road. The ride began with a climb up out of the valley.

Up on the Ridge I marveled at the splendid canyons to the east. I was wearing my cycling shorts, short-sleeve jersey, short-sleeve sweater, leg warmers, and socks. I was also wearing my brim. My legs were warm and the leg warmers would be coming off first.

It had been an 8:47am rollout and there were wispy clouds and a deep blue sky. I had 20km of off road riding ahead of me until Gracias a Dios. It was open range. There were no barbwire fences along the dirt track, and just amber grass and scraggly palm trees. I was hoping my Crazy Guy reader Bill would be able to identify these trees.

I rode past a granary surrounded by stacked stone walls. I marveled at the walls. Some of the boulders were huge and I could imagine it taking a whole day to drag one across a field by donkey. The stacking was an exact science. I climbed up to the next ridge. The best road conditions were on the flats. The up hills and down hills were rutted and crunchy unless they’d been cobble-stoned or paved. Rain storms must, obviously, cause a lot of erosion.

I then came to a cobblestone rock downhill and uphill. I hate cobblestone rock pavement. It’s too bumpy! The rock cobblestone finally ended near the top of the ridge and then there was a bad rutted section that I hike-a-biked. In between the rock wall surrounded ranches was open range. There were no fences, no barbed wire, nothing.

I rode into Santa Rosa which was basically a ranch. There were herds of cattle, a few horses, two friendly dogs, and a guy driving around on a tractor. My bike and gear were once again covered in a thick layer of dust. I guess if I hadn’t cleaned everything in Zacatecas the layer would be twice as thick. My off-road skills were improving. I was able to do an entire rutted uphill without stopping or hike-a-biking. Chris, Jeff, and all the bikepacking guys keep telling me that I needed to get a bikepacking rig. I really like my Surly LHT. I need drop down handlebars and I like to bring a lot of crap. That said, I’ve realized that there’s quite a bit that I’m carrying that I’m not using or could do without. I need to investigate the tubeless set up because the flats have been driving me crazy. Maybe I should’ve gone with different tires. I don’t remember having this many flats on the Carretera Austral. It was just as rigorous, and I used the same tires. 29” wheels would be great, as would disk brakes. I also think I’d like to have a dynamo hub.

I passed a white pick-up truck sitting in front of a gate, just as a woman was opening it. I rode up a hill and saw some round rowdy cows horse-playing up ahead. I rode past a young man and women who were ostensibly corralling the cattle. I came down the other side of a ridge and was treated to jaw dropping views of narrow canyons filled with green trees. What a glorious downhill with gorgeous views. All I had to do was pay attention to the track, coast, and brake. Every once in a while I was treated to paved double track.

I stopped at an abarrotes in a small pueblo. A notice asked patrons to wash their hands with sanitizer and wear a mask. I got myself a Nescafé Latte, sweet bread, JUMEX nectar de mango, and two bottles of water. After my stop there was, oh my goodness, there was asphalt riding out of the other side of town. Yes! There were beautiful views of narrow canyons. All of the sudden I was once again sharing the road with motor vehicles.

It was now 11am and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The air was starting to warm up. The next town was Milpillas de Arriba. I greeted the dudes hanging out at the corner, and then took a left back onto dirt. I had a nice little descent and then headed straight up a hill on cobblestone rock paving. It ended up being less bumpy than others because there was sand and dirt packed into the interstices.

I stopped to remove my legwarmers, socks, and short-sleeve sweater. My rear tire was soft and I pumped it back up to 60psi. I had a feeling that I had another puncture. It’s impossible for me to find these small punctures without submersing the inner tube in water and looking for bubbles coming up from the hole. I crossed a bridge over a small stream. The water was accessible by dodging barbed wire and cactus. I stopped and inflated the tube from yesterday’s front flat. I then found myself down to the water along a steep embankment while dodging barbed wire and cactus. Hole found and marked, I then decided to fix my rear tire, which actually did have a puncture. I found a small wire filament that had ostensibly come loose from the steel belt in the tire. I removed the sharp wire and headed back down to the stream through the barbed wire while dodging cactus to the stream. I located and marked the second hole. Rear flat fixed, two holes marked, I lathered myself with sunscreen and continued down the road.

I rode uphill and crossed a plateau. I then cycled down into Gracias a Dios - thank God! It was a beautiful little town with bright painted houses and holiday streamers suspended over the streets. On the other side of town I was greeted with asphalt. I had used Gracias a Dios as an endpoint in Google maps. I no longer had service and was able to use my Wahoo GPS to get me to Highway 70, which would take me back to the route.

I climbed up onto a ridge and realized that I had service. I stopped to upload yesterday’s report and a short video to Instagram, to let my friends know that I was still alive. Both tires were holding. I took a left on Mexico 70 and the fast moving traffic was insane. I got honked at while truing to cross the highway. For the entire morning there had been zero motor traffic. I put on my rearview mirror and turned on my rear light.

I stopped at a taco stand on highway 70 and ordered a nice big beef burrito. The guys behind the counter were friendly and I sat with some truckers who were taking a load to Zacatecas. It was a great experience cutting up with these guys. They couldn’t believe that I had ridden here from Mazatlan. I explained to them that I was taking small roads, dirt tracks, and sleeping in cow pastures.

I continued west on Mexico route 70. It was windy and my rearview mirror was blowing out of alignment, and wasn’t useful. I could see Aguas Calientes spread out before me in the distance. I was now back on the route and my detour around the dam was finally complete. I knew that my detour had added distance, and I didn't know if it saved me any time or not.

I took a right on Mexico 45 heading south towards Leon. On an uphill the mirror part of my rearview mirror fell to the pavement. I’d have to later repair it with tape. I spotted more of the morning glory trees that Crazy Guy reader Bill had earlier helped me identify.

I was able to make good time on the highway and could probably make it to Leon today if I stayed on the highway and busted out the kilometers. That said, the motor traffic was stressful and I missed being at one with the land. My right calf was getting sunburned and I noticed burns on my feet in between the sandal straps. I stopped to apply sunscreen. Maybe I should have brought my leg protectors.

I knew I’d be leaving the highway soon, so I stopped at an OXXO for a Coca-Cola. Afterwards I exited Mexico 45 and took a left going east on State Highway 69 towards San Jose Bahia. This was where I was planning to purchase beer for the evening.

Tim and Cassie were starting the route today out of Mazatlan. They had just finished the Baja divide. They could be followed on Instagram at @funpedaler. Alex and Marina @athome_outdoors were in Oaxaca. Jeff @business3000 was in Zitacuaro.

I passed a huge solar farm to my left and a grove of cactus to my right. I then took a turn and went down a dip and came up a rise to witness the largest solar farm I’ve ever seen. It stretched for kilometers. I took a right on State Highway 36 towards Bahia de San Jose. I then rode by another solar farm, the Parque Fotovoltaico El Trompezon. The sun was so bright that people walked around here with umbrellas.

I passed by a large dairy farm and then rode through a small village. I stopped at an abbarotes in

Bajio de San José where I purchased a few tall boy cans of Tecate, a couple bags of nuts, and a Coke. Hopefully the beer would still be cold by the time I got to camp. I was now in Jalisco, the tour’s fifth Mexican state.

I was on State Highway 232 headed towards Lagos de Morenos. My intended destination was 60km away and it was 5pm. I was somewhat doubtful that I would make it. If I remained on asphalt I had a long shot. I was going southeast and there was a small mountain range to the south. I was surrounded by cactus and scrub, and still on asphalt

I missed a right turn onto gravel and made it up within the next right. I rode through the small pueblo of El Puesto on crunchy off-road. In the center of town there was a carnival set up with rides, a Ferris wheel, and other amusements. It was a good size town with plenty of services. On the other end I was rejoined with asphalt.

I was now headed up a ridge, and the sun had gone over the horizon. I was still on asphalt. It was 6pm and it was getting cold. I was climbing so my body stayed warm. I was now on State Highway 213. At the top of the ridge I stopped to take off my sunglasses, put on my goggles, and turn on my lights. I realized my rear light was missing. I had turned it off on at the OXXO stop on the highway 70. The blinking had been driving me crazy while I was sitting there so I rotated it 90° to turn it off, with the intention to restart it when I departed. It obviously fell off somewhere. It had been an expensive light.

There was a cut at the top of the pass and from there I could see far in the distance. Then came the downhill sign. I screamed down into the valley and then climbed up the next ridge. From the top of the second ridge I could see even farther ahead. It was now dark. Most of the traffic was going in the other direction. I knew my panniers had reflectors. But it just wasn’t safe.

I pulled over and walked over to the barbed wire fence. I removed all my panniers and then volleyed my bike over the fence. I slipped all my panniers through, and then slid myself under the lowest wire. I refastened all of my panniers and foraged my way on cowpaths, away from the highway through the thorns in the dark. I got jabbed many many times. Some sharp things attached themselves to me. Others tore right into my skin. I pushed until I found a secluded spot away from the road. I set up my tent and began working on this report. One of my beer cans had become punctured and leaked. My front tire was soft again. There were so many sharp things here! I edited this report while drinking Tecate, eating spicy nuts, and messaging Jeff, Alex, and Marina.