Category: Photos

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Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Suchilquitongo – Part One

by Larry • 2023-10-10 • 0 Comments

Where to ride next? That question looms large for those who have ridden the roads and trails around Oaxaca for many years. While there are any number of terrific rides to be had in the Valles Centrales, folks gets weary of repeating the same route over and over. One longs for the excitement and sense of adventure associated with exploring new territory. So on this Tuesday excursion a small group of friends set out for the archeological ruins atop a hill just outside the town of Suchilquitongo, which is located near Huitzo at the northwestern limit of the Valley of Oaxaca. The weather was perfect (as usual) for this fall outing in early October. Four riders set out with no set route, preferring to explore various byways leading in the direction of Huitzo. This resulted in a number of false turns and some backtracking along the way, but that only added to the sense of adventure. Eventually the group did reach Suchilquitongo and located the archeological site, which was comprised of the remains of a plaza, a ball court, and three temple mounts – all with a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. Not wanting to simply retrace their outbound route, the gang continued to wander about in search of a new way back to Oaxaca. All told, the ride covered 80.6 kilometers (50.2 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 536.8 meters (1761 feet) on the circuit.

Pedaling hard to climb the hill to the archeological site.

The stunning view from atop the Zapotec ruins at Suchilquitongo.

Countryside, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Back To Jalapa del Valle

by Larry • 2023-10-08 • 0 Comments

Sunday, 8 October 2023, dawned bright and crisp, holding the promise of being a great day for a mountain bike ride. Six of the usual suspects showed up at the plaza in front of Santo Domingo church at 8 am to begin a 70.8 kilometer (44 mile) round trip excursion to Jalapa del Valle. There are four different routes to choose from to accomplish this ride, ranging from easy to very difficult. Today’s riders chose the easy way, which is a few miles longer but avoids any serious hill climbs. Pedaling at a leisurely pace, the gang reached their destination at the three-hour mark and settled in for a nice brunch at the Rio Jalapilla restaurant a few miles upvalley from Jalapa. There were no surprises – either good or bad – to mark the day’s outing. All in all, a very pleasant trip!

Manuel was the instigator and leader for today’s ride in the country.

Very little vehicular traffic on Oaxaca streets on a Sunday morning.

Out in the countryside for most of today’s excursion.

A woman selling flowers and fruit at a rural intersection.

We encountered dozens of other mountain bikers riding in the hills on this bright Sunday morning.

The valley of the Jalapilla River is lined with farm fields.

On the bridge over the stream leading to a country restaurant.

Cranking up one of many moderate inclines.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Danzante of Zimatlan (Again!)

by Larry • 2023-09-24 • 0 Comments

Our Sunday ride group tries to go in a different direction each week. Even so, there are only so many directions and a limited number of routes and trails. Consequently it is inevitable that often rides duplicate some that have gone before. So it was this bright Sunday in late September. Five cyclists showed up at the appointed time and place, eager to get out into the countryside and away from the city. Our destination: the statue of the Danzante near Zimatlan. Normally September is the wettest month of the rainy season, which historically begins in June and runs through October. This year, however, regular and heavy rains commenced in early April and thus far September has been dry. That anomaly may be a result of climate change. In any case it is a concern for local farmers, whose fields of corn are drying out too early for harvest. As for our bikers, the sunshine was welcome and it was nice to ride country roads not mired in mud and to cross creeks which carried little water. Weather aside, the gang enjoyed the outing, which covered 58.4 kilometers (36.3 miles) with a modest 191 meters (627 feet) of elevation gain and loss. Time on the road was an even five hours, counting time spent at the mercado gastronomico in Zaachila on the final leg of the day’s ride.

The bronze colored statue of the Danzante is imposing for size, but . . .

. . . it fails to capture the color and action of the actual Danza de la Pluma.

The danza costumes are wondrously colorful, but I would not want to ride a bike
with a headdress and leggings like these . . .

. . . when bushwhacking through a cane field, as happened on today’s outing.

Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Searching For A Northwest Passage

by Larry • 2023-09-11 • 0 Comments

Centuries ago, in the early days of transatlantic travel, mariners and merchants went in search of a fabled northwest passage in the Arctic that would connect the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans. No such route was ever found (though with global warming and the melting of the polar ice cap one may someday be revealed).

In a similar fashion, one of our cyclists thought there must surely be a way to ride from the northern reaches of Oaxaca across the flank of Cero San Felipe to the town of Viguera and into the Etla valley. This would bypass the main highway, with its tremendous vehicular traffic, and the never-completed Libramiento Norte bypass road, with its formidable uphill climb to a pass at the top. After studying road maps, he thought he had found such a route, albeit rather roundabout, that followed the contour of the mountain. So on this Monday morning two intrepid riders set out to find the way. Sadly, the map program showed any number of routes which turned out to be drainage channels, long flights of stairs on steep hillsides or were dead ends. Failing to find a through passage, the riders descended to the valley floor and rode into Viguera. Undeterred by their misadventure, they succeeded in reaching San Pablo Etla and riding to the La Mesita park and preserve well up the mountainside. The ride home was less adventurous and much easier, following known roads. From start to finish, the ride covered 52 kilometers (32.3 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 810 meters (2657 feet). This was a good workout for legs and lungs, as some of the hill climbs had a gradient of 17% in places. The outing was deemed a success, despite not having found that elusive northwest passage.

Neither sailing ships of old or an ebike could find the northwest passage.

Pedaling up the mountainside to La Mesita.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Destination: San Andres Ixtlahuaca

by Larry • 2023-09-10 • 0 Comments

Skies were gloomy and the weatherman said there was a chance of rain this Sunday morning; and in fact there was a brief light shower about 7:15 am. This may have persuaded some folks to stay home, as only three fellows showed up for the ride at eight o’clock. The gods of rain looked favorably upon us, though, as the cloud cover lifted and there were patches of blue sky as the ride progressed. The ride itself was a pleasant but rather short one of just 38.8 kilometers (24.1 miles) from Oaxaca’s center to the zocalo in San Andres Ixtlahuaca, where the group stopped to sample the flavorful dishes prepared by women at comals – memelitas, empanadas, tlayudas, quesadillas – all a tasty treat for those who had skipped breakfast. The return to Oaxaca was uneventful, though the ride ended too soon.