Trip planning suggestions.

[haksaw4]

   I was wondering if  anyone  could give me and a friend some trip advise. We are planning on taking our KLR 650's(Enduro motorcycles) from Boston and NC to the Big Bend area. While stationed in TX, I hiked the Chisos into Mexico and ran the Rio Grande in the mid 90's. I noticed from peoples postings the La Linda Bridge is closed. We would like to ride over to the deserted mine 25 k south from La Linda and explore the Mexico Side. Again we will be comming from NC to Texas in a PU with two KLR 650's, leaving the pickup on the US side. Plan on doing the trip first week in May. Taking 6 days, in Texas,mexico. Was wondering what would be the best boarder crossing? What you need to cross boarder, ie Passport, title , permit. Gas on Mexico side, best place for maps. Best route, is it safe to camp on Mexico side ect. KLR potential problems mine is a newly purchased 1993 with 9k. If anyone has experience. Best GPS / Map program. Were people have purchesed gas in desolate areas.
   I really appreciate any time you could spend responding to this email.
   Thanks again, Ed Hartwell Boston Ma, email = haksaw4@hotmail.com

[Mrscookie]

The only thing I can really help you with is the border crossings.  You have a choice of 2:  Del Rio or Presidio, both of which will put you many many many miles from La Linda.   Do not try to cross into Mexico any place that is not an official crossing.  I have heard the BP is patrolling very heavily and they are stopping people for any and all reasons

 Also, I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I have will correct me if I am wrong, but a good portion of the Mexican side from BB is a private reserve and very difficult to access. 

You might try to do a search here to find other info on this subject, I know I have seen other postings on this area.

Good luck,

The Cookie Baker

[sleepy]

Sadly the cookie lady is right.  Presidio and Del Rio are the only crossings sanctioned by the State.  Heavily patrolled, hmmm, yes.  Even in the vast expanse of desert, it's not advisable currently to cross any where else.   

Although I have not experienced OJ myself, I hear it is a fine ciudad.  and, a portal to many beautiful things.

[haksaw4]

Thanks for the replies so far. Any more would be welcome. Black Bear, OJ?

[aggiehiker]

There is a road that goes from Acuna, across from Del Rio, up to Boquillas. I haven't been on it yet, but a bus goes once a week so it's passable. Not sure if there is a road down from Ojinaga. Both border towns are great places to cross and eat or shop in. If you want to travel past 26 kilometers, you will need to stop on the Mexican side at the Aduana (Customs) and get papers. You better contact them in advance to know what all to bring. You'll need titles, insurance, a credit card, and passport or birth certificate and maybe some other stuff. Not sure about getting gas once you leave Musquiz. 

There is a member of this board, Homero, who lives in Mexico. Contact him and he can give you more details on driving in Mexico. He's part of a 4wd group that goes into the remote areas of the mountains in Mexico.

[homerboy2u]

There is a road that goes from Acuna, across from Del Rio, up to Boquillas. I haven't been on it yet, but a bus goes once a week so it's passable. Not sure if there is a road down from Ojinaga. Both border towns are great places to cross and eat or shop in. If you want to travel past 26 kilometers, you will need to stop on the Mexican side at the Aduana (Customs) and get papers. You better contact them in advance to know what all to bring. You'll need titles, insurance, a credit card, and passport or birth certificate and maybe some other stuff. Not sure about getting gas once you leave Musquiz. 

There is a member of this board, Homero, who lives in Mexico. Contact him and he can give you more details on driving in Mexico. He's part of a 4wd group that goes into the remote areas of the mountains in Mexico.

There is a road that goes from Acuna, across from Del Rio, up to Boquillas. I haven't been on it yet, but a bus goes once a week so it's passable. Not sure if there is a road down from Ojinaga. Both border towns are great places to cross and eat or shop in. If you want to travel past 26 kilometers, you will need to stop on the Mexican side at the Aduana (Customs) and get papers. You better contact them in advance to know what all to bring. You'll need titles, insurance, a credit card, and passport or birth certificate and maybe some other stuff. Not sure about getting gas once you leave Musquiz. 

There is a member of this board, Homero, who lives in Mexico. Contact him and he can give you more details on driving in Mexico. He's part of a 4wd group that goes into the remote areas of the mountains in Mexico.

  Aggiehiker : I have sent you 2 PM's . Do you know where they are?

 Sure thing..let me put my 2 centavos here, you can pay me at San Vicente,Chihuahua...where they serve some great tacos BTW.

 Hello Hacksaw ;

  From what the previous members write, all is true. The ONLY way to cross in to Mexico with out you getting in to any trouble is thru Presidio,Chihuahua...NOT the board member here . But i do not recommend you taking this road, since it is almost all dirt road up to ejido Las Piedras and then it becomes a 4 lane highway up to Cuesta de Malena, then it comes back down a 2 lane highway down to Muzquiz. To go to Boquillas del Carmen is all a dirt road. Since you are driving  enduro bikes, you should not have any problems in getting there.

  The other two border cities are Acuña and Piedras Negras, both of them in  Coahuila. Ciudad Acuña is neat place to catch a good meal, check out Amistad Lake and take a glimpse to the Serrania del Burro, which btw, happens to be a clear path thru the middle of immense ranches there that can hook you up to La Linda  and Boquillas del Carmen. Very rough road, very scenic where you can see the plains change in to awsome moutain ranges. That is the Serrania del Burro. I strongly do not recommend you taking that road, unless you know where you are going, the people in the big ranches and the commutter's off highway trucks to catch them. The ranchers have an VHF/UHF radio frequency where they are all connected to help themselves , should you need some assitance. There is an upcoming trip to la Linda which will leave this coming Thursday April 24th 2008, which will be a meeting trip for at least 3 state 4x4 clubs that plan   to bring them together  at La Linda. I will not go to that jeep trip,since i am aiming to go to the San Antonio Bender...still not confirming,partners okay?...I have some issues to deal here first. But i will give you the link to the trip planning , if you understand español, you should have no problem in tagging along with them. Here is Their Link .

  Now Piedras Negras is a more tranquile tourist town where you can catch some eye exposure with your camera on the plaza de las culturas, and many many other places. Plus there are a ton of good places to eat here... and a longer but faster way to head on to Muzquiz. You can also get to Muzquiz from Acuña, it is just that i am not sure if the buses leave on a daily basis. There are two ways to get to Muzquiz from here: one is to catch the daily bus with ATMR bus lines, which by the way they have one weekly route to Boquillas which leaves on Wednesday's and returns on Thurdays..that is it.

  The other one, has much better buses than the previous busline: Coahuilenses, they can take you all the way down to Muzquiz...you can spend sometime there to check out all of the history, which has a ton of history anecdotes to read and learn from them, then hop to the ATMR busline and take the Wednesday bus to Boquillas del Carmen. Remember you do that and you have to get back the next day or you will be stuck there until the next week , when they do the trip again. DO NOT CROSS THE RIVER OVER TO BIG BEND, by any means..even if you are a U.S.Citizen, that will put you inline for a hefty fine: $ 5,000.00 Buckaroos and some jail time as well, what you did back in the nineties is long gone and trouble will be your only door if you try it again.

  There are plenty, and i mean plenty of gas stations along HWY.57 up to Muzquiz, where you can stock up on gas station's fast food.The Oxxo's fill up stations are very well stock with quick draw burritos,sandwiches,soft drinks and all the crap we feed our kids with.Once you venture out of Muzquiz...not even a drop of water you will find to help you out. To be honest, i do not go there unless i bring at least 2 vehicles with me for assitance. I play it safe and nothing has ever happened to me on my trips there. i strongly suggest, that if you decide to venture out you do the same.

 Now for some waypoints you can check out on Google Earth:

La virgen
29°22'6.18"N
102° 9'43.98"W

Norias
29°13'43.02"N
102°22'26.28"W


Ej Carranza
29°11'50.52"N
102°24'25.08"W

Interseccion
29°10'24.00"N
102°26'49.44"W


Ej. Morelos
29° 6'8.16"N
102°25'57.84"W

El Melon
28°38'54.00"N
102°15'52.14"W


Mina Agua Chile
29°14'46.26"N
102°32'7.14"W


Mina 4 palmas
29°16'58.74"N
102°34'8.34"W


La Tinaja
29°26'57.30"N
102°48'24.96"W


La Linda
29°26'53.34"N
102°48'53.94"W

 Here is a Trip Report i did , this past July to the Mines of Aguachile & 4 Palmas of course.

 Anymore questions, please fire away or PM me. I have more waypoints, if still interested.

 Sorry for not reading this back a while ago.

 Homero Jimenez

[haksaw4]

Thank you very much for the input and info Homero Jimenez and all others. Ed Hartwell