Day 44: Los Mochis To Fake Summit 30 Km Before Urique

We had the good sense to stay at the Motel El Patio, the closest motel to train station, since we were told to be at the train station by 5:30 am for a 6:00 am departure.  Extra time is always needed to deal with the bikes on public transportation, so we wanted to get there around 5:00 am when the ticket window opened.

Once we got to the train station, the folks there didn't really know what to do with us.  The train employees out side the station told us we couldn't take our bikes into the waiting area, and that we would have to take them around the building to the tracks when it was time to board.  We were a bit confused and so we asked if one of them could figure out what we were supposed to do.  The conductor came out and said that we could indeed bring our bikes on, but we needed to remove the wheels.  We still weren't sure when and where to bring the bikes, so after some back and forth, Gonzalo asked an official looking guy in a federal police uniform if we could take our bikes to the platform early to avoid any delays and he gave us the go ahead, saying that we should tell the train people the "auditor" said it was okay.  Of course, we had put all of our stuff and disassembled bikes in the wrong place so when it was time to board, we were still rushing to get all our things on.  Turns out we had to load our bikes through the doors at the front of the car (and not the back) so ensure we would board right at the luggage racks.

Bikes go on the train like regular luggage and I'm glad we took the less crowded first class train.  I can't imagine trying to get these bikes if the train had been full!  Somewhere along the way, the kids found our horns and started tooting them throughout the trip.  Even their parents got a few honks in.

I love trains but usually I could never justify the expense of taking one in the U.S.  For the most part, they tend to be expensive and run on limited schedules, so that flying or taking a bus was usually cheaper and often easier.  Here, the train is certainly not cheap by the standards of Mexico, but it is definitely worth the splurge even on a shoestring budget, if just for the views.

Some friendly travelers we met on the train in the dining car... Melanie is a German woman who now lives in Cancun.  I can't for the life of me remember the names of the other two, but they also live in Cancun.

Just one of 86 tunnels along this railway line.

The best seat on the whole train (photo credit: Gonzalo)!

Just one of the gorgeous views from the train.  It's no wonder this is considered one of the world's most scenic rail journeys (at least, so says Lonely Planet).

We made it to Bauichivo around 12:30 pm and put our gear back together on the platform.  Gonzalo and I had decided we would get our bearings, load up on supplies, and head out towards Urique.  After all of our rest days in La Paz, on the ferry, and on the train, we were itching to get back on the bikes.

Rebuilding our bikes! 

The elevation of Bauichivo is about 1600 meters (or 5250 feet) so the terrain is full of pine trees and weather this time of year is warm, but pleasant enough (in comparison to the burning hot furnace Urique is in May and June).  We set out towards Urique via Cerocahui and the Mesa de Arturo on a gloriously compacted dirt road with manageable climbs and almost no washboard.  Although I found myself in granny gear a lot as my lungs weren't used to the altitude, this was luxurious in comparison to some of the sand roads we had done before.

Pine tree lined dirt roads!

Beautiful views of the Sierra Madre Occidental.

On the outskirts of Cerocahui... we thought about staying here for a day to explore these formations, but the highly recommended Paraiso del Oso seemed to be closed for the offseason.  We peeked our heads in and sadly biked away as it looked like one of those fun quirky places we would have loved.

More of the road to Cerocahui.

We made it to Cerocahui with ample time left in the day and so we decided to keep going.

After Cerocahui, the rideable climbs turned to unrelenting 11% - 15% monstrosities with no end.  We hiked our bikes up these huge grades for about 4 kilometers over the next two hours.  Pickup trucks occasionally went by and we were greeted by friendly waves, honks, and shouts.

Gum from the little store around kilometer marker 26.  This will only be funny for Mexicans or those who know a thing or two about Mexican slang.

Oooh, tunnel (photo credit: Gonzalo)! 

Tortuous climbing like this is worth it for the views.  You can see Cerocahui below!

Although both of us had napped on the train, the combination of having waken up at 4:30 am and the strenuous climbs had taken their toll and we were exhausted.  At last, the terrain seemed to flatten out a bit...we could actually ride the hills rather than walk the bikes) and instead of sheer cliffs or steep drop offs, we had relatively flat woods flanking us on either side.  We foolishly thought we might be near the summit and decided to wait to do the descent the next day, so we ninja-ed the fence and set up camp nestled amongst the trees.  After a devouring dinner, we stayed up a bit to watch a forest fire on a distant peak as the full moon rose.  We hypothesized it might be a controlled fire by the Mexican military to burn a marijuana field, but had no idea.  We figured the wind was blowing the wrong way for it to be any sort of danger to us and passed out.

As flat as you can hope for in these parts.

A few travel notes for cyclists:

• The Motel El Patio is on the road that takes you the 4 km from Los Mochis to the train station.  It is on the right-hand side across the street from the supermarket.  They have large clean rooms for 300 pesos, showers, and wifi, but we had to talk to convince them to let us bring the bikes into the room.  I was a little worried it might be one of those love motels since they also had hourly rates, but it turned it out it was just us and some friendly truckers who stayed there.  If you are the drinking type, the sale of all alcohol is prohibited after 8pm so buy your beer early.

• At the time of this blog, the first class train runs every day, whereas the second class train only runs three times a week.  We were told the first class train in this season is much emptier than the second class train, which would give us the most chance of having the luggage racks free.  We had no problems once we got our bikes and bags on the train.  Just make sure to bug people until you can get to the platform, then enter through the front of the car and try to be first in line to avoid any issues.

• The best views are on the right side of the train.  We were lucky that we had seats assigned there, but when you buy your tickets, you should specify you want that side.  

• We had a very hard time finding bathrooms once we got off at Bauichivo so use the one on the train.  Since it's dry season in May and early June, most folks are stingy with toilet water and won't let you use their toilet.  Similarly, the station's train toilets were closed for lack of water.  Try the gas station or your luck at various stores.  

• We took food for 3 days and enough water for 2-3 days (if we conserved), though we could have done fine on a bit less.  The only places to restock food and water between Bauichivo and Urique are in Cerocahui (16 km) and near kilometer marker 26.  Note that the town of Mesa de Arturo does not seem to have a market, but they do sell beer.  We only managed about 20 kilometers the first day and I cannot fathom that we would have made it to Urique in just one day.

• It looks like there is a big project underway to pave the road from Bauichivo to Urique, though they only have about 1 km done so far and then it turns into a dirt road again.  There is very little traffic on this stretch, mostly pickup trucks, all of which go at reasonable speeds and we had no problems with them giving us clearance.