25
Nov

Going Deep in the Sinforosa – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico (Part 6)

Posted on November 25th, 2009 :: Posted in Camping, Canyon, Mexico, Outdoor, video, waterfall

Some towns just feel disappointing before you even get there. Guachochi–the gateway to the Sinforosa Canyon, one of the deepest in the entire Copper Canyon system at over 6,000 feet at it’s most dramatic point–definitely gave us that vibe.

Luckily, we spotted a sign marking the turn off for the canyon while we were still on the outskirts of town and we quickly made a right, crossing our fingers that we’d miraculously be able to camp out by the canyon instead of settling on what was sure to be a lackluster (at best) guest room in Guachochi.

After about 12 miles of dirt road which was practically destroyed in places by the steady convoy of logging truck driving in and out of the area we finally reached the gate to the Sinforosa viewpoint. The old man at the gate told us he locks it up at five and if we’re not out by then we’re in for the night. He also said our ten pesos per person entitled us to camp out at the veiwpoint if we wanted to. We hurried down the final mile of dirt road to check out the canyon and the camping.

Sinforosa Canyon with the Rio Verde far below as seen from the Sinforosa viewpoint.

The Sinforosa Canyon seemed more jagged than the chasms and slopes we’d been seeing for the past 10 days or so as we traveled through the Sierra Madre. From where we were standing the canyon walls were even too sheer for cactus, scrub trees or brush to cling to. This meant the underlying rock–with all it’s color, shape and striation variations–was much more visible than in other parts of the Copper Canyon that we’d visited. Here more than anywhere else, it felt like looking at the Grand Canyon as the evening light created contrast and surprisingly vibrant colors on the world of rock below us.

Sinforosa Canyon in the evening.

Opportunities to camp are not routine in Mexico and they can sometimes mean nothing more than a sort-of flat spot to pitch a tent. Out at the Sinforosa viewpoint, however, a range of flat spots had been cleared and a covered pavilion with a huge brick fireplace in the center had been constructed along with bathrooms with running water and ample trash cans.

As the sun sets we set up house in the pavilion, happy that we always travel with enough food and water for at least one night of unplanned camping so we can take advantage of opportunities just like this.

A rough road down from the main overlook brings you to this bridge over a side canyon and waterfall.

A dirt road leading down from the main overlook and camping area brought us to this bridge over a deep and narrow side canyon cut by the Rosalinda Waterfall. The red-roofed pavilion makes a spectacular camp site.

After crossing the bridge, the trail heads further into the Sinforosa Canyon.

After crossing the bridge the trail heads deeper into the Sinforosa Canyon, eventually reaching the bottom.

The next morning we walked a mile or so down a dirt road beyond the rim-top viewpoint and camping area. As we headed toward the spring-fed Rosalind Waterfall we discovered two more covered camping pavilions–one of which is right on the lip of a side gorge cut by the cascada. There’s no bathroom or running water down at this pavilion, but if we had it to do over again we’d drive the extra mile to this stunning location. Next time…

Oee of several covered pavilions, with fireplaces, which make for great campsites. This one has fantastic views to boot.

One of three covered camping pavilions with fireplaces along the rim of the Sinforosa Canyon. Pity about the view...

A panorama of the Sinforosa Canyon from the Sinforos viewpoint. (click image for full size panorama)

A panorama of the Sinforosa Canyon from the Sinforosa viewpoint. (click image for full size panorama)

[geo_mashup_map]

Leave a comment

16
Nov

Gorditas, Guesthouses and Gorgeous Views – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico (Part 3)

Posted on November 16th, 2009 :: Posted in Canyon, Drive, Mexico, Mountains, Sunrise & Sunset, video

If you’re taking the CHEPE train and not getting off and exploring areas along the way (silly, silly) the Divisadero station is your only chance to look down (way down) into a major canyon. For that reason the train stops here for 15 minutes–long enough for passengers to enjoy the view from a vantage point right across the street from the station. It’s also long enough to grab a snack.

Even if you’re not hungry do yourself a favor and head for any one of the handful of food stands on the train platform and get yourself some of the best gorditas we’ve ever tasted. Trust us, these lightly fried thick corn cakes stuffed with combinations of meat, cheese, beans and vegetables have the food on the train beat by many, many miles.

Divisadero train station exists only for the view -- as well as the food and souveniers. If you are taking the CHEPE train and not stopping along the way, this is the only view of the major canyons you will get from the rim. The train stops here for 15 minutes to allow passengers to enjoy the viewpoint.

The Divisadero train station: Get your views! Get your souveniers! Get your gorditas!

The view of the Urique canyon from the Divisadero viewpoint which is next to the station.

The view of the Urique Canyon from the Divisadero viewpoint which is right across from the train station.

Some of the Tarahumara craft stands at the Divididero viewpoint.

Shop with a view! Tarahumara craft stands at the Divisadero lookout.

We had some of the best gorditas we've had anywhere at Divisidero station.

Some of the best gorditas we've had were at the Divisadero station.

We grabbed some gorditas and headed into the neighboring town of Areponápuchi for some more canyon exploration.

Areponápuchi is a funny place. On the one hand it feels like a small town. Skinny dogs hang out in front of the tiny tienda. Dented trucks kick up dust even on the pavement. Laundry is hung out to dry on every available surface.

Sunset in the Urique Canyon from the Mirador Hotel in Areponápuchi.

On the other hand it’s got some fancy and expensive tourist facilities, including the Mirador Hotel which is, by many estimations, the best property in the Balderama Hotels chain.The Mirador Hotel certainly wins best location and best view as its perched literally on the canyon rim and every single one of its 48 rooms has a balcony facing the Urique Canyon–the deepest in the Copper Canyon system.

Panorama of the Urique Canyon from Areponápuchi. (click for full size panorama)

An almost full moon rises over the Urique Canyon from Areponápuchi.

An almost-full moon rises over the Urique Canyon as seen from Areponápuchi.

The Mirador Hotel is spectacular but it’s also secluded from the real workings of the town so we opted to stay with Armando and Herlinda Diaz and their family at Cabanas Diaz which offers comfortable and economical accommodation ranging from dorm rooms to new two story cabins with kitchens.Not that you need a kitchen. Herlinda’s cooking is copious and delicious which is a good thing since restaurants in Arepo (as everyone calls it) are scarce. Though there are always those tempting gorditas back at the Divisidero station. Mmmmmm. Gorditas!

Urique Canyon from Areponápuchi.

Some of the very steep roads around the Copper Canyon.

There are some very steep, very windy and very narrow roads around the Copper Canyon. Some hairpins were so tight that we had to back down sections in order to make the next turn.

The next day we met up with Gustavo Lozano, a rare combination of expertise, passion, humor and an excellent grasp on English. Oh, and he doesn’t conduct his tours in an obnoxious Hummer like they do from the Hotel Mirador.

Anyway, Gus took us and our companion, Dave Hensleigh from Authentic Copper Canyon (who gets more and more excited as our expedition gets further and further off the beaten path) on a day trip out to a section of the Copper Canyon, just off the Urqiue Canyon, that few visitors ever see.

It happened like this. The previous morning at dinner Gus showed up and asked if we’d ever been to the Oteviachi Canyon–one of the six canyons in the Copper Canyon system. We all shook our heads and said nope. He said he’d pick us up at 9 the next morning.

None of us, except Gus, really knew where we were headed and that was just fine. We drove through San Rafael but quickly turned off the pavement onto a dirt road that lead to a Tarahumara village called San Alonso. Gus had business here. Namely an SUV full of donated books, toothbrushes and athletic equipment for the school children.

Children at a Tarahumara school in San Alanso.

Children at a Tarahumara school in San Alonso.

San Alonso was the last village we saw. From there the terrain became pristine–just trees (including 18 kinds of oak according to Gus) and canyons and circling buzzards and and wacky rock formations and the odd, faint footpath to mark the passing of human feet.

A side canyon off the Urique Canyon near Oteviachi.

Odd rock formations atop the rim of the Urique Canyon near Oteviachi.

Odd rock formations, possibly lava, atop the rim of the Urique Canyon near Oteviachi.

The Urique Canyon from Oteviachi.

There is a road, of sorts, through this area and that’s because a spectacular lodge was built out here. It’s called the Hostal Oteviachi and Gus used to manage it. These days it’s mostly empty and that’s a real shame since the place has a spectacular location that rivals the Hotel Mirador–right on the canyon’s edge.

Panorama of the Urique Canyon near Oteviachi. (click for full size panorama)

Panorama of the Urique Canyon near Oteviachi. That's Gus on the left. (click for full size panorama)

The Tarahumara are adept basket weavers. This Tarahumara woman rarely looked at what she was doing, while her hands moved with practiced swiftness.

The Tarahumara are talented and creative basket weavers. This Tarahumara woman rarely looked at what she was doing while her hands moved with practiced swiftness.

Though Areponápuchi was not the mosr exciting place to experience Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the small cemetary was still filled with color.

Areponápuchi's Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations were low key but the small cemetery was still filled with color as locals paid their respects to dead loved ones.

[geo_mashup_map]

1 Comment - Join the conversation

11
Nov

WAY Off the Train – Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico (Part 2)

Posted on November 11th, 2009 :: Posted in Canyon, Church, Drive, Food & Drink, Mexico, waterfall

Most visitors to the Copper Canyon get off the train once during the entire trip. Our goal, however, was to use the train as a lovely tool to get deep into the canyon where we would get off the train as often as possible. WAY off the train.

After leaving our truck behind with friends we got back on the good old CHEPE, but only long enough to get to the town of Cuiteco where it was pretty much immediately clear that this small town doesn’t see much in the way of tourists.

We checked into the lone hotel in town (though a new guest house called Mirador de Cuiteco is nearing completion) which is owned by members of the Balderama family and was built and furnished with cast-offs from the upscale chain of Balderama Hotels. The place was like a graveyard for 1970s hotel furnishings–mostly in a good way.

An unexpected dash of fancy hotel service may be the most successful hand-me-down here–despite the fact that we are the only guests in a budget guesthouse in a tiny town we returned to our room after dinner and discovered that someone had lit the fire in our fireplace while we were out. Lovely.

Wandering through town friendly inhabitants showered us with greetings of “buenos tardes” and though it would be hard to say that anything of note actually goes on in Cuiteco, the peacefulness (and short walk to a lovely waterfall and swimming hole) is reason enough to spend a day if you’ve got the time.

Tarahumara children at the school in Cuiteco.

Tarahumara children at school in Cuiteco.

A nice hike from Cuiteco brings you to this nice waterfal with a great swimming hole. Regretfully the morning we were there it was too cold for that.

A scenic one hour (one way) hike from Cuiteco (take a guide, there are tricky turns) brought us to this waterfall and swimming hole. Regretfully, the morning we were there it was too chilly to jump in.

Karedn keeping warm by the fire in our room in Cuiteco.

Karen warming up by the massive fireplace in our room in Cuiteco.

The next morning Alberto Lopez picked us up in Cuiteco for the short drive to Cerocauhi and that’s about when the laughing started. This guy is great–knows the area, speaks excellent English and loves to have a good time whenever humanly possible. He was so much fun that we basically didn’t stop laughing for the rest of the day as Alberto showed us around.

San Francisco Javier de Cerocahui church in Cerocahui. Don't miss the hysterical "English" translation of the story of the church in a frame by the front door.

Approaching the Urique canyon a short drive from Cusarare.

Approaching the massive Urique canyon just a short drive from Cerocahui.

First stop: Gallego viewpoint above the town of Cerocahui. Here we got amazing views down into Urique Canyon (the deepest in the Copper Canyon network). From where we stood at the viewpoint–which is currently undergoing a major upgrade with proper bathrooms, new vantage points and more guardrails being installed–the Urique River and the town of Urique were comically small at 4,300 feet below us.

A view of the Urique Canyon with the small town of Urique at the bottom.

The Urique Canyon and the town of Urique way down at the bottom.

The Urique canyon with the Urique river and the town of Urique 4,300 feet below, from the Gallego viewpoint.

The Urique canyon as seen from the Gallego viewpoint with the Urique River and the town of Urique 4,300 feet below.

After the viewpoint Alberto expertly navigated us down the twisting, turning dirt road that switchbacks its way down to the bottom of the Urique canyon. It’s not the hairiest road we’ve ever been on, but the drops are dramatic and there’s not a guardrail in sight. Oh, and it descends about a mile in elevation in the space of just 15 miles of driving.

By the time we reached the bottom we were starving and Alberto knew just the place to go: Restaurante Plaza on the main drag (you can’t miss it–there’s only one main drag and the restaurant is hot pink). He also knew what to order: a cold cerveza (for everyone but him) and matates (stone bowls also used for grinding) filled with a dish called aguachile.

No, it’s not just chile water as the name would imply. This stunner is a kind of thin, spicy Mexican tomato soup absolutely full of peeled fresh shrimp. We each must have had nearly a pound of shrimp apiece and, yes, we ate them all. Not bad for around 70 pesos.

Once we reached the bottom of the canton we stopped for a great meal -- Aguachile.

The steep and windy drive down into the Urique Canyon was rewarded with a meal of aguachile in the town of Urique.

The Urique River.

The drive back up and out of Urique proved easier than the drive down and soon Alberto had us back in Cerocahui where we checked into his shiny new guest house called Hotel Centro Jade right on the town square (look for Alberto or his wife Francia at the Bahuchivo train station and they’ll whisk you off to paradise). We can recommend it because it’s spotless, economical (about 500 pesos for room that will sleep 3-4 people) and comfortable. Each room even has it’s own small patio. And you can’t beat the hosts!

The next morning Francia, took us on a short hike to a nearby waterfall that tumbles through a natural bridge in the rock face, along with their elated yellow lab. We don’t own a dog (except for Grady, but he’s stuffed and doesn’t hike well). However, a well-behaved dog like Muneko (which means “little doll”) always makes a hike better with its full-throttle glee.

Near the trail head to the waterfall we also got a glimpse of a new zip line that has been put up. Sadly, the man who operates it was out of town so we couldn’t take a ride.

Fetch! Yet another waterfall, this one a short hike outside of Cusarare.

Alberto and Francia's lovely dog, Muneko, made our trip to a waterfall near their guesthouse in Cerocahui extra special--and extra damp.

Blue corn, the staple of the Tarahumara diet is left to dry on the stalk.

Blue corn, a staple of the Tarahumara diet, is left to dry on the stalk.

After our morning walk it was time to get back on the train at nearby Bahuichivo station and head for the town of Temoris. Temoris is a mining town that very, very few people ever visit. However, we discovered a lovely place to stay (the Nuevo Hotel) and a great place to eat (Gaby’s). We also found geologists exploring the area for mining potential (hi Larry and crew) and they were all happy to show and tell us about their work. If you’re into rocks, this is the place for you!