October 3, 2008 – As I sit at my desk and look at my fall calendar, planning the next adventure, it seems just a short while ago the season was beginning, then it was here, and now it’s almost done. From the Sea Otter Classic in April to the Interbike trade show in September, they’re like book ends that sandwich the majority of summer’s adventures. So I need to address what books or chapters lay between the 2008 opener and closer – even though we know the adventures never end.

Rolling back the calendar, flip- Aug… flip, July… flip, June… flip – May, ahh there we go. Well it was a wonderful trip to California in April with Wade (Simmons) and the Dirt Series, visiting a whole bunch of cool shops, magazines and finally returning home near the end of the month, that brings us to early May in Mexico with Big Mountain Adventures.

May 2-9, Mexico with Big Mountain Adventures

Organized by the BC Bike Race and Big Mountain Adventures the objective was to create an early season training camp that would allow participants to log some miles in a hot climate and prepare for the big one – the BCBR.

Hooking up with our Guides Arturo, local to the area of Chihuahua and Creel, and Ryan from Austin Texas (but pretty much a local as well) we were met in the city of Chihuahua’s airport, which is located in the district of Chihuahua, similar in size to France and located in N. Central Mexico. From here we traveled south and up into the Sierre Madres and when you think of these mountains I want you to think, Apache Indians, Poncho Villa, Harradura Indians, throw in plenty of pick-up trucks, new and old, mustachios, poncho’s , smiles, tequila, brandy (don’t’ know why) contraband, small airfields for illicit drug trades and dusty white hills. This then is the area we were going to ride in, better known to touristo’s as the Copper Canyon, an extension of the Grand Canyon, but deeper and wider.

Our guide’s friendliness was well-matched to our team of riders; Lori and Dick, aka the ‘Woodbury’s ‘ at 55-65 years of age have 14 Ironmans and 6 TransRockies under their belts, each. Dean Payne the founder and president of the BC Bike Race, Kelli Sherbanin owner and founder of Endless Biking in Vancouver, her friend Mary Sharki, Nathalie, who works with Big Mountain Adventures and usually rides along on early trips just to feel them out, myself and our A/V guy, my buddy Jonny ‘hot sauce’ Fokkema. This was our crew for the next week.

Well it all sounds really amazing and it was for everyone but me – you see I got sick on day two and spent the next three days in bed, or should I say on the toilet, ha ha ha.. The short and dirty can be seen in the pictures, but truly this is an amazing place that is off the beaten path and truly has very little modern influence.

Some of the highlights that I did manage to see during the 35 degree days I rode were the “Valley of the Monks” a National Site and the market in the City of Chihuahua where we all found some wonderful local clothes and belt buckles.