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MexTrek 2009 - Oct 14-17, Galeana, Mexico

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Location
Buda, TX
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Gibbens
3rd Annual MexTrek Adventure Ride​

Oct 14 - 17, 2009

Galeana, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
(the Sierra Leon region)​

The Sierra Leon region (named by intrepid explorer Milton Otto) is a fantastic dual sport playground containing twisty mountain roads, a seemingly uncountable number of class 1 through class 4 unpaved roads, beautiful mountain vistas, pine forests, desert highlands, and unbelievable mountain passes. I suggest that the dual sport adventure riding here is as good as that in the Copper Canyon region. Not only is it a great riding area, but it isn't particularly far away either. In fact, for many Texas riders it is essentially in their backyards (a 1 day ride). So, in short, don't miss the 3rd annual Mextrek adventure ride. It's the best adventure ride all year.

Registration is open - Registration is $35. All registered riders will receive a 48 page, spiral bound MexTrek ride guide, three 11x17 topographical maps, GPS route downloads, and a commemorative t-shirt. Download the registration form here, complete it and get it in the mail to me. To download - click on the above link and then save the form to your computer.

Registration ends Wednesday, Sep 30, 2009. Registrations must be postmarked on or before Sep 30, 2009 to ensure sufficient time to receive and process your registration and then mail your Ride Guide and maps to you. Registrations postmarked after Sep 30th likely won’t receive their Ride Guide and maps prior to leaving for Galeana.

If you miss registration, you can still attend. Just catch up with me in Galeana and I'll get you signed up. I'm bring some extra ride guides, maps, and t-shirts but make no guarantee that any or all these items will be available if you wait to register. Your best bet is to get registered by the deadline, but, hey, sometimes things happen.

Itinerary

Dates: Wednesday, Oct 14, 2009 – Saturday, Oct 17, 2009

Organization: MexTrek begins at ride headquarters 7 p.m. local time Wednesday, Oct 15th. Wednesday evening is for meeting other riders, organizing into ride teams, and selecting and planning the next day’s route.

On Thursday and Friday each team will ride their selected routes. Upon completion of the day’s ride riders will likely adjourn to a local establishment for food, drinks, and war stories.

MexTrek officially ends Saturday morning but Saturday can also be an extra riding day for anyone who didn't get enough on Wed - Fri.

Ride Headquarters:
Hotel Magdelana
Intersection of 5 de Mayo & 15 de Mayo streets
Galeana, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (town of Galeana, state of Nuevo Leon)
Hotel Magdalena: telephone 826-213-0106 (if dialing from the USA dial 011 52 826 213 0106)

The other hotel in Galeana, in case the ride headquarters hotel is full:
Hotel Jardin: telephone 826-213-0420 (if dialing from the USA dial 011 52 826 213 0420)

FAQs

Wednesday through Saturday? What's up with that? My logic for selecting Wed as the start day and Sat as the end day is to facilitate travel from and to home. Most Texas riders can leave on Tuesday after work and get to or very near the Texas - Mexico border on Tuesday evening. They can then easily make it to Galeana on Wednesday and likely get in some good riding along the way. On Saturday, riders can simply reverse this - have a great dual sport ride on Saturday and end up at, or across, the border Sat evening, then get home at a decent time on Sunday.


What should I ride? There is an abundance of riding opportunities in this part of Mexico. A variety of different routes of varying terrain and difficulty are available to choose from so any adventure or dual sport bike will be fine. If you have a limited fuel range, strap a 1-2 gallon gas can on your bike and you will be okay.

Is it safe? Most riders have heard the stories about the drug wars going on in Mexico so the question i get asked most often is whether it is safe to travel/ride in Mexico. Yes, I think it is safe to ride in Mexico if you follow some basic safety guidelines such as don't ride at night, don't buy/sell drugs, or don't go out drinking at night in a border town by yourself. If you observe the same safety guidelines you would follow anywhere, you will most likely not have any issues.

What's the best route to get to Galeana? You can cross into Mexico at a number of places, but for most riders I recommend McAllen. It's less touristy and makes for the shortest ride to Galeana. A group of riders will be meeting at the Motel 6 in McAllen on Wednesday morning to ride to Galeana together.

Can I team up with other riders for the ride to Galeana? If you have never been to Mexico, are unsure of crossing the border by yourself, or just want to ride to Galeana with a group then here's the ticket. There will be a group ride from McAllen to Galeana starting on Wednesday morning Oct 14th. All riders are invited to meet in the parking lot of the Motel 6 in McAllen at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning Oct 14th with their border crossing paperwork already completed for a group ride to Galeana. Riders will organize into groups of 4-10 riders, select a ride leader for each group, and then each group will ride together across the border and on to Galeana.

By the way - get your border crossing paperwork done before Wednesday morning. The groups will cross the border and keep on trucking. The groups won't be waiting for anyone who hasn't done their border paperwork.

Motel 6
700 W. Expressway 83
McAllen, TX
956-687-3700

Where to leave your truck/trailer in McAllen: If you trailered/trucked to McAllen and are riding from there to Galeana you can leave your truck/trailer in long term parking at the McAllen airport. The cost is reasonable and your vehicle should be reasonably safe.
 
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Pig Trail and I will be leading a dirt ride down to Real De Catorce from Galeana. We will only share the routes with folks who attend and will transfer the tracks to your GPS from my laptop.

This will actually be October 9th-17th.
The plan is to get down into Mexico before the official Mex Trek ride, do the ride to Real, which is a good day and a half, and that includes probable flat tires. :trust: And then returning in time to hook up with the Mex-Trek group on the 14-17th.

If you are interested in getting an idea of the route, take a look at the link in my signature.

If you are interested in going with us, please send Pig-Trail or myself a PM or email to discuss details.
 
I think I already know the answer to this but I will ask anyway. Are there any problems with us Okies tagging along? I figure I'd ask if some of my buddies would like a Mexican trail this fall.
 
AWESOME! I'm in, for Real de Catorce and Galeana, unless disaster strikes. Vacation is cleared at work. Time off cleared with spouse. I've been dreaming about this trip since reading all the ride reports last year, and visiting Real and Monterrey area by car. I sold all my street bikes and went dirt bike crazy. Can't wait! Cheers to everyone who helps put this event on.
 
Mad Sparrow,

I'm not sure who your question is addressed to. Are you asking if it's okay for some Okies to attend MexTrek or are you asking TerraXpeditions if it's okay to ride with him to Real de Catorce.

In case you are asking about attending MexTrek, the answer is Yes. My events are open to all riders, no matter what state they are from.

Come on down - the riding is phenomenal.
 
Mad Sparrow,

I'm not sure who your question is addressed to. Are you asking if it's okay for some Okies to attend MexTrek or are you asking TerraXpeditions if it's okay to ride with him to Real de Catorce.

In case you are asking about attending MexTrek, the answer is Yes. My events are open to all riders, no matter what state they are from.

Come on down - the riding is phenomenal.


And to clear my end up, folks from any state may join us, but we are only trying to keep our group small. We are inviting a few others along, so its kind of first come first serve. Sure, we'll share the routes with those interested in going during that week, but once we get our number (undecided # of folks) we'd prefer to travel only in that group. It makes the traveling faster, safer, and easier for the bunch of us. Its a good chunk of serious offroad riding too, by the way.
 
FYI, here is the website for getting your temporary vehicle importation permit into Mexico. If I remember from last time it costs about $60, will arrive in 7-10 days and is good for 180 days.

http://www.banjercito.com.mx/site/siteBanjer/iitv/instruccionesIITV.html

Thanks for the link. All, please be wise about the purchase of this permit and the timing. If, for any reason, you do not have the bike attached to the permit inspected and cleared for entry back into the US, at the US / Mexico border within your visa's time period (6 months in most cases) you CAN NEVER TAKE ANOTHER VEHICLE INTO MEXICO AS LONG AS YOU LIVE. And when you do decide to travel there as a tourist, there is always a chance you will be asked to stand trial for your "illegal importation" of your vehicle, even if it never left your garage.

So be cautious. Don't sign up for a bike you may sell, or if you may not make the trip, unless a day ride to the border and back sounds like fun to you. Besides, if you get the permit late in the evening on a Tuesday, when you get your visa, it only adds ten minutes or so.

FWIW, my brother recently drove from San Antonio to Nuevo Laredo and back and sat at the border for hours to cancel a permit after his vacation plans changed.
 
And to clear my end up, folks from any state may join us, but we are only trying to keep our group small. We are inviting a few others along, so its kind of first come first serve. Sure, we'll share the routes with those interested in going during that week, but once we get our number (undecided # of folks) we'd prefer to travel only in that group. It makes the traveling faster, safer, and easier for the bunch of us.

You don't have to worry, I'm not expecting to bring the entire state. :trust:

Its a good chunk of serious offroad riding too, by the way.

I'm sure my XRL will be up for the challenge although I may not be. :-P
 
Im planning on going! Can I give you the registration at the Labor day ride? Id love to get all the info on what I need at that time also.
 
Im planning on going! Can I give you the registration at the Labor day ride? Id love to get all the info on what I need at that time also.

Yes. I should have room on the bike and will try to remember to bring your packet with me.
 
Ill be driving to the border pulling a trailer with room for a couple bikes and people if anyone wants to ride along
 
I'm interested in going. Never been on a long dual sport ride but have ridden dirt bikes for years. How many hours a day is the riding, where would we stay (is this camping) and do you have a suggested gear list? Do you need to have a current US street tagged bike for this ride? I have one (a big KTM) but was wondering if my lighter but non tagged 250 2-smoke enduro would be a better choice?
 
I'm interested in going. Never been on a long dual sport ride but have ridden dirt bikes for years. How many hours a day is the riding, where would we stay (is this camping) and do you have a suggested gear list? Do you need to have a current US street tagged bike for this ride? I have one (a big KTM) but was wondering if my lighter but non tagged 250 2-smoke enduro would be a better choice?

They wont let you back into Texas at the border crossing with it... they asked me if my bike was street legal and for my registration when I crossed back last time. I dont know if the Mexicans will care. If you bring a 2 stroke, I'd trailer all the way to McAllen.

But, if your big KTM is the 950/990, you should be able to do a good portion out there with the bike no problemo. It'll be easier just to ride the big ktm out anyways.
 
Oh and here are a couple video clips from our trip in January. Mostly of the Galeana area, but does go down to Real de Catorce. Enjoy


 
Looking forward to it. Registration is on the way. I have not decided exactly which bike I'm bringing or how I'll come, but will be coming from the DFW area and riding a couple of extra days.

Dave
 
Awesome videos!! Worries me a little bit though! Never been on a dual sport ride, and Have no clue as to what to bring along for possible breakdowns. Havent had my DR for long, and dony have lots of baggage to pak things in, and wouldnt know what to bring. Been around the country on a Goldwing, but this will be new. BTW, Ive got room for one bike on my trailer, and would like to split a room ( I guess thats normal?) and will be driving down from Round Rock if anyone is interested. Tom
 
By the way, I just have the stock gas tank, and really dont want a bigger tank. Is that enough for this trip?
 
Tom,

There is a suggested packing list in the ride guide. It will give you a good idea of what you should be packing with you on this trip.

With a range of about 150 miles, the stock gas tank on a DR should be okay for MexTrek as long as you manage your fuel carefully.
 
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