Wow, great photos! I haven't been to Taxco is almost 50 years. Now I really feel like I need to go back.
I did research on this route a while back. Maybe two years ago. I did not ride it. I was aware that they were paving the gap at that time. However, some unpaved sections west of the Sinaloa-Chihuahua border were reported to be arroyo seco and sandy. Google satellite now shows some new pavement. The photography shows good progress on the relatively easier portions of the construction on the Sinaloa side (solid red line). The Google route depicted below shows possible access to the new pavement, avoiding some parts of the route where I suspected the arroyos to be (circled in blue) The dotted red line is the obvious (to me) extension of the construction following easy terrain. At that point it would be at the canyon and it's only a Mexican Engineers guess where to then. I wouldn't be surprised to find the extension already paved. I can also envision a protracted bridge project down in the canyon. The blue cloud circles a dirty portion of the route that utilizes arroyo seco. My take is you are going where few, if any, on ADVrider have gone. SR's track file shows a route across. He may have ridden it on a dirt bike. In his file, the route is not a GPS track but a collection of Spot Tracker pings. Only three or four pings in the gap itself. Here is a link to an interactive version of the map below. The light blue route is what the satellite (who knows how old the photography?) shows as unpaved. Treat this info as here say. Maybe someone will come along and provide better, more recent intel. SR? Have fun. Ride safe. This is what I would consider a real adventure. Especially if you come up short on further information. If you take this route, send me your tracker link. Or maybe I just ride along? Got room for one more rider?
There were a couple guys who rode this a few years ago and posted up some info about it, but i can't remember who. I remember it being reported as a hell of a lot harder and longer than it appears on the map. Something like 12 hours IIRC. This is wild country, with zero vigilancia. I'd love to do it though as it sets you up to cross back over the Sierra in equally exciting manner. The person who would know about this is Tury, although I'm pretty sure he has not done it in several years. Saludos.
I think we may just stick to the Durango-Ruiz route. I keep hoping for another route across the Sierra for old guys on GSs.
I've thaught about that route for years but have never done it. I know a guy who did it in a truck, and it took him something like 18 hours. That was 10-15 years ago. It has probably improved significantly since then. Guaranteed to be an adventure. They are also paving the road from Topia/Canelas Durango to Tamazula-Culiacan. That would be a good adventure too.
Thanks for the info, Digger. I think I will skip this route. If I were to take it, you would be welcome.
I road from El Salto to Stone Island today, On 40 libre ,Did'nt see a lot of traffic either direction. Is 40d open again with the bridge damage?
Damn @SkizzMan I was planning on passing close by Taxco but your photos have me thinking I should at least stop in for a look. Good job!!!
She’s in Lithuania for a brief time on a book signing tour, radio/TV/newspaper interviews and getting new book contracts.
Wow that's remote territory. What about 24 to connect? I see dirt work up to here and paving not far behind it Dropped Pin near Badiraguato Municipality, Sinaloa, Mexico https://goo.gl/maps/z1QMeUde1dq Looks like it's paved to right here on the west side so not far to connect paved from Parral to the west. That will be a twisty road for sure Dropped Pin near Unnamed Road, Sinaloa, Mexico https://goo.gl/maps/o6Er4u6aBas
The satellite view on Google maps shows the main road, Mex 24 unpaved, ending at the village of Cienegita on the west side and at Sta. Gertrudis on the east, with a wild remote section in between. There may be connecting unimproved tracks going through. Maybe someone (akaDigger and MitchG on their Triumphs?) will test it out and give us a report.
My top link very much shows Earth work and fresh paving go on. If you then look at my lower link (end of the paved eastern road) you can see there is really not a great distance between the two. With all that heavy earth work going on to the west (and no big city in between) it's obvious Mexico is connecting the two paved segments. & Yes someone riding up from the west side is key to see how far it's gotten since the Google sat image was taken and maybe ask a worker what is the plan?
That looks pretty interesting, I'll study the satellite map. We will (probably) pass through the east end of that road near Santiago Papasquiaro where it intersects Mex 23 in a couple of weeks. Mex 23 is a good route north out of Durango. You can cross over to Mex 45 at Cienega de Escobar, passing through Santa Maria del Oro. We did this ride 2 years ago and found about 30 miles of brand new concrete pavement twisting through the low hills with almost no traffic. Nice road.
If there is a need for more fotos of Taxco , have a peek at these while keeping in mind the idea of riding your bike in the center of town. Can be done. Remember , the town streets were laid out for burro freight traffic and pedestrians so the historic center has very narrow and winding streets that have numerous Y junctions as side streets split and join while zig -zagging up the mountain face. First pic shows one of the streets going UP to the plaza and the scooter with two is having no difficulty Notice the light coloured line in the pavement. Second image is one of the streets descending to the plaza with one of those Y intersections . Notice this building in the intersection and the obvious steepness of the grade when comparing the horizontal red ridge on the white wall of the building .It is a one way street downhill and if you turn left there will be an exit elsewhere.Red paint scraped off the wall indicates that some delivery micro-vans have made it through. On a bike you too can do it .Again notice the white line in the street to the plaza , it has a purpose .The building comes to such a narrow point that any space inside is probably only a closet, the building function there is really only to shore up the hills side above. Third picture shows one of the wider streets also clearly with a very steep incline and again a white line down the center. These lines are a common feature in Taxco and they serve as a route guide for traffic . Anytime you find a line down the middle of the street you can be assured that it is one that will bring you out of the maze and back down to the main highway through town. In other words you cannot get lost and marooned if you follow a line . The last image shows yet another Y intersection but this street going uphill . traffic does use it but it is probable that it comes to a blind end or a staircase . If you ride up this kind of street be sure that you will have the strength and skill to turn the bike around . And coming back down be able to negotiate the sharp turn to continue down hill . I have seen Beetle taxis ( Taxcis ?) making turns on such corners by going back and forth several times because the steering could not turn far enough. If you have a monster bike best stick to only the streets with width and a line , but you can have a lot of fun and get to many nice photo stops on a bike a lot easier than walking.
Yesterday Paul and I left Taxco to join Gustavo and wife and a few friends for the short trip to Ixcateopan de Cuauhtémoc to see the tomb of the last Emperor of the Aztec empire and observe the annual event honoring him and celebrating Aztec culture. We enter town and park just off this glorieta adorned by this impressive depiction of Cuauhtémoc We walk through a small tianguis (street market) to enter the church grounds We enter the former Catholic church where Cuauhtémoc’s remains were found under the alter in 1949. The church building was then given to the people as a monument and tomb The first statue I ever saw of Cuauhtémoc stands in a glorieta on El Paseo de la Reforma in CDMX. Every one I’ve seen since all depict the emperor as a majestic warrior of imposing stature. When I looked upon his remains I saw the bones of a very diminutive person Beneath the tomb we see the excavation preserved under glass In the room just off the alter we view a modest display of artifacts including this obsidian axe Google Translate is your Amigo Although “Indio” can serve as a powerful insult it is used on this banner. No love lost for the Spaniards We got the day wrong and missed the Voladeros of Papantla. They performed this morning There was a great deal of formal ceremony and dance celebration with costumed dancers @Taxco Guru shared a Voladores vid since we missed the performance I duck out for some pollo empanizado (best of the trip so far) We eat other things later in the day Paul and I end the day at Taxco’s best taqueria followed by a session at a Mezcal bar then nighty-night. Woke up at 2:30 still dressed and staring at the night sky through open doors. Good times
Yes, can be done. And we’ve been riding in/out Taxco since I arrived. It would be nice to swap bikes with Paul (DR650) for the hillside sections. The GSA is one big girl for these streets.
So today was the day I had to let my office mates know I was taking off for Mexico in a few weeks. My goodness, you'd think I told them I was riding to Detroit/Chicago/Newark/parts of DC/etc. Can't wait to hit the road!
JD that video of you eating the scorpion was 2.21 minutes long, and you were still chewing at the end! Great memory for you
