Copper Canyon 1990
In December of 1990, I joined Gary Perless and some of his friends to do a backpack in Copper Canyon. Other participants were Les+Bev Wilson, Bernie Levy, Elijah Donat, and Laurie Laura. Gary had been to this area several times, had friends in the village of Urique, and speaks fluent Spanish. We flew from Tijuana to Los Mochas and took the famous Copper Canyon train to reach Copper Canyon.
It turned out to be quite an adventure. The original plan had been to do a backpack starting in Urique. We would hike up over a 5,000 foot ridge and end up in Botopilas, in an adjacent deep canyon. But it was not to be.
On our 4th day, while camping in a beautiful small canyon near Urique, we got caught in a record setting rainstorm. We were stranded in the canyon for 3 days. On day 4, with the help of the local villagers who knew we were camping there, we managed to cross the swollen stream. The villagers cut down a tree which bridged the stream and we were able to crawl across. We heard later that it was the biggest storm to hit that area for 40 years.
By the time we escaped, there was not enough time to do the original backpack. So we did a short 2-night backpack up toward the rim. We took the train back to Los Mochas and flew back to Tijuana and then drove home.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Drive from Los Angeles to San Diego - Trolley to Tijuana - Taxi to airport - plane to Los Mochas - Hotel
Day 2 - Christmas Day - Copper Canyon train to Bahuichivo - Truck to Urique
Day 3 - Rest Day
Day 4 - Walk to Guapalina, continue to cave in narrow canyon. Started raining that night.
Day 5 - Trapped in Cave
Day 6 - Trapped in the Cave
Day 7 - Rescue - back to Urique
Day 8 - Backpack toward Rim - Camp at Narango
Day 9 - Backpack upward Rim - Camp
Day 10 - Catch truck ride to Bahuichivo - take Copper Canyon Train to Los Mochas - Hotel
Day 11 - Fly to Tijuana, cross border to San Diego, Drive to Los Angeles
Read MoreIt turned out to be quite an adventure. The original plan had been to do a backpack starting in Urique. We would hike up over a 5,000 foot ridge and end up in Botopilas, in an adjacent deep canyon. But it was not to be.
On our 4th day, while camping in a beautiful small canyon near Urique, we got caught in a record setting rainstorm. We were stranded in the canyon for 3 days. On day 4, with the help of the local villagers who knew we were camping there, we managed to cross the swollen stream. The villagers cut down a tree which bridged the stream and we were able to crawl across. We heard later that it was the biggest storm to hit that area for 40 years.
By the time we escaped, there was not enough time to do the original backpack. So we did a short 2-night backpack up toward the rim. We took the train back to Los Mochas and flew back to Tijuana and then drove home.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 - Drive from Los Angeles to San Diego - Trolley to Tijuana - Taxi to airport - plane to Los Mochas - Hotel
Day 2 - Christmas Day - Copper Canyon train to Bahuichivo - Truck to Urique
Day 3 - Rest Day
Day 4 - Walk to Guapalina, continue to cave in narrow canyon. Started raining that night.
Day 5 - Trapped in Cave
Day 6 - Trapped in the Cave
Day 7 - Rescue - back to Urique
Day 8 - Backpack toward Rim - Camp at Narango
Day 9 - Backpack upward Rim - Camp
Day 10 - Catch truck ride to Bahuichivo - take Copper Canyon Train to Los Mochas - Hotel
Day 11 - Fly to Tijuana, cross border to San Diego, Drive to Los Angeles
