6 Cerro Colorado and Susan
Date: 8/6/01 8:52:00 AM Central Daylight Time
Subject: 6 Cerro Colorado and Susan
Hi Mom
As part of my continuing search for a circular route from Batopilas to
Urique I decided to retrace part of the route I had taken days before, the
route that I had gotten dehydrated on. From my walk days before I knew I
could drive at least part of the way. I drove out of Batopilas, forded the
river at the Rio Batopilas/ Rio Cerro Colorado fork, and entered the
collection of houses that make up the town of Las Fincas. This time instead
of following the road up the mesa that would end with the road builders I
followed the fork that followed the Rio Cerro Colorado. This road wound its
way along the river and past many abandoned mines including a complex that
was quite extensive. I forded the river twice more to find the end of the
road in a cluster of 30 houses. Everyone was sitting around industriously
engaged in plaza life. Although this cluster of houses had no plaza it
would be incorrect to say they were engaged in the hillbilly version of
plaza life because they had electricity (at least part of the time). I
parked my truck to have a better look. Soon the Grey Ghost was surrounded
by three plaza lifers kicking, grabbing, and hitting my tires as if they
were from some alien craft. Clearly they were suffering unrestrained "tire
envy". I went over and talked with these guys.
The plaza lifers told me that this was the end of the road. If you wanted
to go any further you had to use the trail over there that went to El
Manzano. They also added that the cluster of houses here was called Cerro
Colorado. Shazam!! Now it made sense. Manuel (the guy with the map) told me
to look for the trail to El Manzano at Cerro Colorado. He meant Cerro
Colorado the town not Cerro Colorado the cerro (hill) as I had thought.
Eureka ! or maybe I should say Urique! Now it all made sense. Now I knew
the usual route to Urique. If you hired a guide this is the route they
would take you on to Urique. All I had left was to find an alternate return
route.
I left Cerro Colorado (the town) but still had to make one more detour
before returning to Batopilas. I detoured to Cerro Colorado (the hill).
The plaza lifers told me that there was a road up Cerro Colorado. They told
me to look for a turn just past the first river ford on the way back. I
found the turn and started up a road that I don't believe anyone had driven
on since it was dozed and blasted. There was no reason to drive this road
because it went to nowhere, but it went all the way up to nowhere. Passing
around switchbacks by the gross the road became steeper. Darkness arrived
and my headlights would shine into empty blackness as I approached
switchbacks. The switchbacks became so sharp that I was forced to do 3, 4,
and 5 point turns to make it around them. The anxiety of the turns was
enhanced by my lack of a functioning park brake. As I would pull forward
and back up to make the turns I needed a park brake to prevent me from
rolling over the ledge while I engaged the clutch. For awhile I relied on
fast footwork of the clutch, brake, and gas pedal. Then I backed up to a
ledge and the margin for error became to slim. With my tires nervously
close to the ledge and my rear fog lights shining out into a blackness that
certainly held a bad end for me if I were to fall into it I knew fast
footwork couldn't save me this time. I sat there for a nervous moment with
my foot firmly on the brake, and mind firmly in thought. Quickly the answer
came to me. I had a big knife. Of course! I reached behind my seat and
withdrew my machete. With a foot on the clutch, the other on the brake, a
hand on the wheel, and the other holding the machete pushing on the gas I
drove up from the ledge without the slightest backward roll. Phew, never
come to Mexico without a big knife. I used the machete several more times
before I was forced to stop where a rock slide had taken the road with it.
I walked the last half mile of incredibly steep road. The road stopped at a
peak of rock close enough to Cerro Colorado to be considered part of it. How
bizarre a road that went to nowhere. The only people living up here were
injuns. The injuns had no use for a road. I wondered where the money came
from to build a useless road, one of many roads to nowhere in the canyon
(probably mining or logging I guess).I didn't wonder long I just enjoyed
what would become one of my favorite spots in the canyon.
Sitting on the rocky peak I had an uninterrupted 360 view of the canyon. To
the south a storm flashed lightning followed by long delays. Then in the
quite stillness that only comes at night the thunder flowed up the canyon to
me and then ebbed away in several echos. A fat moon illuminated the
vertical walls of Cerro Colorado a pale white. In the Rio Cerro Colorado
canyon I could hear dogs barking. Dogs so far away that when I heard their
last bark they had already stopped barking for several seconds. Then only
stillness. I sat there in the stillness and moonlight for several hours. In
fact I slept up there and returned to Batopilas the next day.
The next day in Batopilas I spied a tourist obviously looking for
someone/something. I having been in town for some time now and she being
cute I decided to see if I could be of assistance. I had no idea of who she
was looking for, some guide to show her some injuns. I wanted to point out
that you didn't need a guide to see injuns they were all around Batopilas.
The injuns were the ones wearing the cowboy hats, snap shirts, tire sandals,
and white mini skirts. At least the men had white mini skirts. We talked
briefly and parted ways.
That afternoon I decided I just had to showoff my little discovery on Cerro
Colorado. I tracked down the tourist I had talked with that morning. I
asked her if she wanted to see one of the best views in the canyon. Soon we
were fording the river at Las Fincas on our way to Cerro Colorado (the
cerro). I think Susan had some second thoughts when we got to the first
sharp switchback and without announcing it I pulled the machete out from
behind my seat. I never asked her what her thoughts were, but she let out a
nervous laugh of relief when she realized what I was using it for. We
climbed the last half mile to the rock point. Seeing it in the daylight was
like seeing it for the first time. Another thunderstorm was getting active
to the south. We sat there talking, listening, looking, not able to decide
where to look. Every direction was spectacular.
Dusk turned to dark as we returned to Batopilas. Once Susan asked me if I
had taken the right turn. I replied that I was positive we were on the
right road and I was positive. She replied "Well by now I trust you
completely." I drove along wondering if I should think of that as a
compliment or an insult. As we neared town Susan offered to buy me a beer.
We went to the one bar in town. The bar was run by a man named Luis. Luis
spoke American English with a fluency that made me suspicious from the first
time I met him. He also had the only computer in town and a satellite phone
link. A sophisticated setup for a town of 1100 at the bottom of a canyon.
A town who's only industries were seasonal tourism and year around drug
production. Luis was always friendly and Susan managed to convince him to
serve us a beer even though the bar was closed. Susan and I took our beers
and went to sit by the river passing the table where Luis and his buddies
were sitting. Apparently they were sitting there drinking and smoking
marijuana. Days later when I saw Luis again I thanked him for serving us
the after hours beers. He told me that his friends sitting with him that
night were all state policemen. Ah! Viva Mexico! Susan and I sat down
talking and watching the moonlight reflect off the plastic bottles and rusty
car bodies in the river. Susan asked Luis for another beer but this time
the answer was no. We left the bar. As we arrived at the door of the hotel
where she was staying she asked me if I owed her anything, for being her
guide, for the gas. I answered Oh just a hug and a kiss, but when the words
left my mouth they made the sound "No you don't owe me a thing." I gave a
final wave as I turned and walked away.
That's all for now
Love you Mom
Warren
Did you remember that Webster likes chicken?
