Trans-Mexico Part 2 Day #8 Coicoycán de las Flores to Los Tejocotes

Trans-Mexico Part 2 - Day #8

January 9, 2023

Coicoycán de las Flores to Los Tejocotes 72km

Start 7:25am Finish 6:47pm

Total Duration 11:22

Moving Time 7:43

Stopped Time 3:39

Ascent 2,316m

Descent 1,854m

Tour Total 628km

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/110967579

I slept well amidst the cement dust and building debris in the house under construction outside of Coicoycán de las Flores. A bright light beamed from directly above my tent all night long, but the prodigious amount of mezcal enabled me to sleep just fine. I got cold during the night and had to completely zip up my sleeping bag. I woke up at 6:30am and began packing. My tent was soaking wet from condensation, and I had to stuff the soggy roll into my compression bag. The nice family paid me a visit before I left. I regret not remembering their names. They were speaking a mix of Spanish and Mixtec, and I was asked me to write my name on a piece of paper as a remembrance. I had a pen, but no paper. It later occurred to me and I regret not writing my name on a dollar bill. That said, I hate to be patronizing. They handed me a plastic bag containing bananas, oranges, and tomatoes, which I hung from my handlebars.

I continued forward on the route going up and over a rise and then I enjoyed a pleasant downhill, first on dirt and then on brick pavement. I rode into the center of Coicoycán de las Flores and noticed people out sweeping the streets. Girls with white knee socks were walking to school. I saw a sign at one institution that instruction was both in Spanish and Mixtec.

In centro I admired the beautiful church, Santiago Apóstol. As locals passed the gate they would make the sign of the cross. I saw a number of tiendas and the only food available was sweets and soft drinks, so I didn't stop. My lunch-stop goal was Santiago Juxtlahuaca. I enjoyed a nice downhill back down into the valley. As I began climbing up the other side I rode alongside the municipal dump. The edge of the road was piled with household garbage and a large pack of dogs were protecting their territory. I was barked at as I cycled past. It was still chilly and my fingers and toes were freezing. I was back on tarmac and trying to make up time from yesterday.

I stopped at a little bridge and sat on the concrete guardrail to eat my bananas. Then I began to climb. The ascent was a series of steep switchbacks, and I soon got warm. I pulled over to refill my water bottles from the plastic bottles that I’d been carrying in my saddle bag. I continued to ascend, and later stopped at a retaining wall to eat the oranges. They were extremely pulpy, and I squeezed out the juice and spat the remains. It was delicious and invigorating. I continued up the hill. At another break I stopped and relished the first tomato. The sun was getting bright and I stopped to don my sunglasses and plug in a Duane Train episode. I was surrounded by pine trees, and stopped to eat the second tomato.

I reached the top of the first bump at 10am. The surrounding mountain views were spectacular. I rode by the turn-off for San Martín Peras and was at 9,000'. By 11am I had reached the top of the pass. I was at 9,250'. I had climbed 3,000' over the distance of fifteen kilometers. I was twenty-nine kilometers from Santiago Juxtlahuaca and the downhill began.

I stopped in Guadalupe Nunez for a mango juice and a package of Bimbo muffins. The woman at the tienda had worked in the United States for several years harvesting strawberries and broccoli. She let me charge my devices while I enjoyed my snack out front at a table in the shade. A few guys joined me while I was sitting there. I purchased water and filled my bottles before leaving. On my way out of town I stopped and took a photo of the beautiful Templo De Nuestra Señora De Guadalupe.

As I continued down the mountain I passed a herd of goats being driven up from the other direction. I crossed a small river and then began following it downstream. I stopped in San Martín Duraznos to pin my arm protectors to my sleeves. The bumpy roads were preventing them from staying up. There were many places to eat, but I wanted to make it to Santiago Juxtlahuaca.

I pulled over to the side of the road for the tour's second outdoor poop. Afterwards I kept riding down into the valley. I had to keep lifting my buff around my face because of all the dust being kicked up from the cars, trucks, and pick-up trucks. The sun was becoming strong, and I stopped to put sunscreen on my legs.

I rode through San Sebastián Tecomaxtlahuaca, and rather than taking the highway the route went off road on chunky dirt. I was cursing Mark and Hannah, whom had created the route. I was hungry and tired. I finally rounded a bend and saw Santiago Juxtlahuaca, which had been my planned destination for Saturday January 7th. I was one and a half days behind schedule.

I came to a traffic light, the first I had seen in days. I rode into centro near the market and found a fantastic taco restaurant. I ordered beef tacos and a Coke, and there was an outlet next to the table where I charged my devices and posted on social media. I had been off the grid since Olinalá three days ago, and wanted my friends and family to know that I was ok. I called Michele to let her know that I would be arriving late in Oaxaca. I noticed a group of indigenous women dressed in traditional apparel. A guitar player serenaded the restaurant.

I was exhausted and didn't want to leave. It was 2:30pm and I still had four hours of daylight. I pedaled out of town, and the route immediately departed from the main highway and began to climb steep chunky dirt. I was despondent. According to Google maps Santiago Juxtlahuaca was five hours from Oaxaca by car. All of the main roads and highways ran north-south parallel to the mountain ranges. The route was direct, and went due east straight across the range. It was sheer, craggy, and grueling.

After the steep climb, the dirt road leveled and became nice. I was following a stream up into the mountains and the dirt was smooth. At one point the creek went right across the road. There were no motor vehicles and it was cool in the shade. The brutal climbing returned and it got hot. I had to stop and take copious water breaks. I was once again cursing Mark and Hannah. And then the crazy switchback climbing began. A guy in a blue Ford Bronco with Michigan plates passed me. I saw a large clump of Spanish moss dangling from a fir tree. Puffy clouds hung in the sky, and the sun was blazing. I approached a red pick-up truck pulled over on the side of the road, and noticed a family down below. I heard a chainsaw and I saw that they were collecting firewood. I finished off my container of cold water, and teasured my insulated Hydro Flask.

By 5pm I had travelled twelve kilometers of the pass, and was still climbing. The sun was descending and I was enjoying the shade. A pair dogs ran out onto the road and barked at me, and I realized there were sheep down below in the trees. I was at 8,000' elevation. Tall pine trees surrounded me and the ground was scattered with pinecones. A large valley emerged to the left where I noticed corn fields and houses. I entered Santo Domingo del Progreso.

I reached the top of the 8,780' pass at 6pm. I had climbed over 3,600' over a stretch of seventeen kilometers. The downhill was chilly and I stopped to put on my jacket. I rode through the pueblo of San Isidro Yucumay, and at the bottom of the descent I crossed a small bridge. I noticed a trail leading off into the woods and considered looking for a camping spot. Then I began climbing again. The road turned steep and I had to hike-a-bike. It was getting dark and I turned on my lights.

Up at the crest as I circled left I deduced a level spot behind some trees. I turned off my lights and walked my bike into the brush. I proceeded away from the road and began to set up behind some scrub. A motor vehicle stopped where I had left the road, and I thought that I noticed a flashlight. I was incredibly cautious. In these situations its best to remain calm and trust the odds. I was in the middle of nowhere and not a soul knew that I was there. Nobody would want to harm me. Worst case, someone would ask me to leave or invite me to their house.

My tent was still damp from this morning. I set it up in the dark using my headlamp's stealthy red setting. My Wahoo was at 55% and my iPhone was at 55%. It was 8pm when I went to sleep. The stars above were amazing.