Mexico 2013 Part IV: Back to SLP

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the El Salto Section of the Rio Valles, photo by Adam Goshorn

We had been enjoying our time in Veracruz (see Mexico 2013 Part III HERE), but water levels continued to be too high for many of runs we would have been paddling in a normal year.  There were a few paddlers around who had done some recent, high-water descents on some of the other sections of the Rio Alseseca.  However, the idea of going into the steeper and deeper canyons of the Rio Alseseca or those of the Rio Jalacingo at such high levels was unappealing to me... especially after getting beat down on our high-water day on the Roadside Section, which is easier and the proximity of the road provides an escape route.  We only had a few more days in Mexico before we had to head home anyway, so we decided to head back to San Luis Potosi immediately, which would allow us a couple more days of boating in that region before the long drive home.  The drive back to San Luis Potosi from Veracruz was significantly faster than the drive down and we were able to set up camp at Aldea Huesteca with enough time to go into town for dinner.  

Below: Matt Beauchamp running a juicy rapid in the 4th canyon of the Rio Santa Maria, photos by Adam Goshorn

When we arrived back at the campground that night, we heard that our friend Julian Schafer had been asking about us.  Julian is a German paddler who Matt and I had met in Veracruz during our trip the previous year.  In 2012, Julian had quickly become friends with our whole group and ended up paddling with us almost every day our of two-week stay at Aventurec.  This year, he had been living in Cd. Valles and working as a raft guide, but due to a shoulder injury (on the Rio Minas Viejas) was now recovering rather than padding.  We were able to get in touch with him that night and Julian and his girlfriend Karenn ended up coming along with us the following day to run shuttle with Shannon while Matt, Evan, and I paddled the classic 3rd and 4th canyons of the Rio Santa Maria.  The watershed of the Rio Santa Maria is amazing!  There are fifteen known whitewater sections on eight different rivers, all part of the same watershed.  The Rio Santa Maria itself has five distinct canyons that contain beautiful turquoise water and class III-V rapids.  As usual, the Rio Santa Maria did not disappoint us and Matt, Evan, and I had an awesome day making our way through the 3rd and 4th canyons at a healthy flow, eventually reaching the take-out at the base of Cascada de Tamul.  Cascada de Tamul is a 250-foot waterfall created by the Rio Gallines plunging into the narrow canyon of the Rio Santa Maria.  I’ve been told that at very low flows it is possible to paddle through the falls at the confluence., but most of the time it is impossible.  So, groups take-out at the base of falls, climb ladders in a steep gully near the falls, and hike upstream to a small parking area at the end of a long dirt road… not the easiest take-out.  Shannon, Julian and Karenn had hiked in to the base of the falls to meet us and after hanging out for a bit (and the mandatory photo op) we all hiked out with one thing at the forefront of our mind… finding dinner!

Below: Shannon Goshorn at the base of Cascada de Tamul, photo by Matt Beauchamp

The day after we paddled the Rio Santa Maria, we broke down our camp and drove about an hour north to paddle the El Salto section of the Rio Valles.  The  El Salto section starts just downstream of a powerhouse and therefore almost always has boatable flows, making it an ideal run to get on when other things in the area are getting low (although its even better at high water!).   The three- mile run starts out in a man-made channel which is the outflow of the power plant.  This channel creates a quarter-mile section of fast continuous water that leads into a couple of strong holes as it re-enters the natural streambed at a rapid called El Nemo.  The rest of the run is an endless number of travertine ledges ranging from five to twenty feet.  The run goes quickly, so we made two laps and then checked into the resort at the take-out.  Wanting to have real beds for our final night, we were willing to spend a bit more for the nicer accommodations, hoping that a good night’s sleep would prepare us for the long drive home the following day.  However, I couldn’t help thinking about how a single night at this resort cost almost as much as our five-night stay at Aventurec (what a bargain).  The next morning we packed everything into the truck, ate a delicious breakfast at the resort, and our 27-hour drive back to Alabama was underway.  The drive is never fun, but we completed it without a hitch, arriving home exhausted and completely satisfied with another successful adventure south of the border.

Below: Evan Alfano on the El Salto Section of the Rio Valles, photo by Adam Goshorn

Below:  Here is the video I edited from our trip.  It is not in chronological order and is not sorted by river either.  It’s just a sampling of everything from the whole trip, mixed together for variety.  Be sure to stay tuned after the credits for a bit of carnage too!  Enjoy! 

Mexico 2013 from Adam Goshorn on Vimeo.

Until Next Time…

Adam Goshorn

kayak session

Mexico 2013 Part III: Veracruz

Below: Must be going the right way, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: Adam Goshorn on the Rio Alseseca , photo by Shannon Goshorn

The day after we paddled the second canyon of the Rio Verde with Team Previa (see: Mexico 2013 part II HERE); we woke up early and broke down our camp at Aldea Huseteca.  Eager to get on the road south towards Veracruz, we skipped breakfast, planning to find something to eat along the way.  It was raining lightly as we departed our campsite and the rain continued throughout the day, slowing traffic everywhere and lengthening our already long drive to Tlapacoyan.  While driving through a small town, the name of which I have already forgotten, we did eventually find an awesome place for breakfast.  We spotted fresh bread and pastries in a storefront window along the main road.  A couple of blocks later we found a spot to park and backtracked on foot.  The storefront was indeed a bakery, but was also a café with a counter and table-service in the back.  No one spoke any English, but like so many times before we used a combination of our limited Spanish and pointing at meals being consumed at other tables to place our orders.  We didn’t think we had all ordered the same thing, but when our meals appeared they were identical.  We each received a big platter containing a slab of flank steak, a pile of eggs, fried potatoes, and a serving of beans.  A couple stacks of tortillas also appeared; ready to be loaded with the contents of our plates.  We ate to our hearts content and bought a few pastries on our way out the door, beyond pleased with our random breakfast stop.

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the Rio Alseseca, photos by Adam Goshorn

Back on the road again, we slogged on through the rain.  We passed through two state police checkpoints where the officers first asked… then insisted, that we buy them a cup of coffee.  Their exaggerated shivering was effective charades in communicating to us that they were cold from standing in the rain… despite if being about 70 degrees outside.  We complied, not too put-off by the ten peso price tag, after all the current exchange rate put ten pesos roughly equal to $0.75 USD.  It was a small price to pay to not get hassled any further and to move through their checkpoint as quickly as possible.  Soon we were winding along the Emerald Coast, catching glimpses of the beach and its waves on our left.  Had it not been a rainy, foggy day, it would have been quite a beautiful spot.  Eventually we turned right, leaving the coast behind and heading back into the mountains towards our destination, the small city of Tlapacoyan.

Below: Adam Goshorn on the Rio Alseseca, photos by Evan Alfano

Over the past few years the state of Veracruz and the especially the area around Tlapocoyan have become the most well known destination for paddling in Mexico.  Its popularity is due in part to the many great whitewater runs that are in relatively close proximity to each other, but it’s not just the richness of the whitewater that have made it so popular.  In large part, the boom in paddling in the region is due to ease of logistics because of the services provided by a family-owned company called Aventurec.  Unlike most of Mexico, where paddlers are pretty much on their own to figure out logistics, Aventurec makes paddling around Tlapacoyan downright simple!  Aventurec a eco tourism company that has rafting, horseback riding, zip lines, a campground, hostel, rental cabañas, a restaurant (with meal plans!), a bar (that allows tabs!), and can provide shuttle services for kayakers.  Pretty much anything a nomadic group of paddlers could need or want is all right there and coordinated by people who know the area like no outsider ever could.  There is also usually a variety of different paddling groups from around North America and Europe staying at Aventurec, creating a great vibe every night at the bar and around the campfire.

Below: Evan Alfano on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Adam Goshorn

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Evan Alfano

We arrived at Aventurec late in the afternoon and secured accommodations for the rest of the week; a hostel room for Evan and Matt and a cabaña for Shannon and me.  We were also able to start on their meal plan (highly recommended!), beginning with dinner that night.  While we ate, we met a Canadian paddler, Patrick Levesque, who had also just arrived and made plans to head to the classic Roadside Section of the Rio Alseseca with him the next day.  The Roadside is the easiest section of the Rio Alseseca and was also the first section of the river to be explored by paddlers.  In a year with average rainfall, by December the Rio Alseseca is at a nice low-ish flow… perfect for the harder sections like the Big Banana and makes the Roadside a low volume bedrock run that is mostly class IV.  In other words, it is usually the perfect warm-up run for the area.  However, this was not an average year.

Below: Patrick Levesque on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: Evan Alfano on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Shannon Goshorn

Hurricanes had caused severe flooding throughout Veracruz and the surrounding states in September of 2013 and frequent rainfall continued throughout the fall.  The result was the high water season extending into December, and unbeknownst to us at the time, it would continue into January as well.  When we got to the put-in, the Roadside Section was quite a bit higher than when we paddled it the previous year, perhaps as much a vertical foot higher in some rapids.  The higher water really padded out some of the rapids that were boney the previous year, but also created some severe holes and resulted in several portages and beat downs.  No one even considered running S-Turn and Matt was the only person to run Sticky Hole and Typewriter.  He had an awesome line at Sticky Hole, easily cleaning it, but took quite a beating at Typewriter.  At one drop, that I don’t even think has a name, I took the worst beating I’ve had in years.  I was surfed, cartwheeled, and power-shaded a few times before I swam and then I was recirculated a few more times out of my boat.  When I finally resurfaced, coughing up water, I was done with battling holes at what was obviously too high a water level.  After sticking around to set safety for Matt at Typewriter, I walked up to the road and followed it to the truck, skipping the last half-mile of the run.  Matt, Evan, and Patrick arrived back at the truck a short time later with more tales of high water epicness, which included Evan’s GoPro being ripped off his helmet and lost to a watery grave.  No other groups ran the Roadside Section the day we did, but over the next few days other groups did paddle it at progressively lower levels and still returned to Aventurec each night with tales of beatings and swims.  I have to admit, there stories were a bit of solace after the rough day we had out there.

Below: The view of the Zapotitlon Section from the hike in… still a long way to go, photo by Patrick Levesque

Below: Adam Goshorn hiking into the Zapotitlon Section, photo by Patrick Levesque

The evening after our high water day on the Roadside Section of the Rio Alseseca, we decided on a low-stress plan for the next day.  Hiking into the upper Rio Bobos near Zapotitlon provides paddlers with around nine miles of read-and-run class IV boulder gardens in a beautiful canyon.  We had done the run the previous year at low water and were looking forward to repeating it at a better level.  After a long drive to the trailhead, the hike into the Zapotitlon is down a rocky switch-backed path that takes paddlers from the top of the canyon down to the grassy valley floor and eventually the river.  Even with the recent rain, the trail was much dryer and less slick than on our 2012 trip and we knocked out the hike fairly quickly.  Despite the high water level we had experienced the previous day on the Rio Alseseca, level on the Rio Bobos were only a little higher than when we had run it 2012.  We had a very fun day and upon reaching the take-out we spent some time enjoying some beers at small café at the take-out, which apparently specialized in preparing large crayfish, caught from the river.  The proprietor of the café, a very nice lady, showed off some live crayfish awaiting their fate in a bucket and also showed us some fresh from a boiling pot she was preparing for her customers.  

Below: Adam Goshorn on the Zapotitlon Section, photo by Patrick Levesque

Below: A tributary joins the Zapotitlon Section via a 200” waterfall on river left, photo by Patrick Levesque

Back at Aventurec there was a lot of discussion of what we should do next.  The water levels still seemed too high for the Rio Alseseca.  There was no recent information on the water level of the Rio Jalacingo, although with the levels of the Rio Alseseca it seemed logical to assume it was high as well.  So, after much indecisiveness, we finally decided to undertake all three sections of the upper Rio Bobos (Pimiento, Tatempa, and Zapotitlon) as a single long day.  We had originally planned to do these sections as an overnighter, but eventually decided we didn’t want to devote two days of the trip to something that we could probably do in a single day.  We made arrangements with Aventurec for a driver and a 6:00 AM departure and went to bed early in anticipation of the long day ahead.  Matt, Evan, Patrick, and I were joined by Brett Barton for what turned out to be one of the most rewarding days of the trip.  Departing at 6:00 AM the drive to the put in was long and at times scary.  At one point we drove through muddy, rutted out tracks across a massive landslide… white knuckles all around and a sigh of relieve on the other side!  Once on the river we were treated to some high quality paddling with very few portages, amazing canyons, and countless waterfalls streaming off the walls.  We made steady downstream progress all day, but were beginning to get worried about running out of daylight when we reached the Zapotitlon put-in late in the afternoon.  With nine more miles to paddle we shifted into overdrive and bombed the whole section that usually takes half a day in a mere two hours.

Below: Morning Sunshine, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: The view upstream from the put-in for the Pimiento Section, photo by Patrick Levesque

One of my goals for the trip was to make sure Shannon got to paddle and wasn’t just along for the ride.  We had done a good job of getting her on some runs during our time in San Luis Potosi, but so far in Varacruz she had spent our whole time there hanging out, while we paddled runs that were above her comfort level.  I decided I would spend the next day paddling with her on the classic rafting section of the Rio Bobos, known as the Filo Bobos.  By morning, Evan and Matt also decided that a relaxing day would be nice after our very long run the previous day, so all four of us hopped on board one of the rafting buses leaving Aventurec and had a great day paddling a run that was new to all of us.  Back at Aventurec that night, we began once again to debate what our next move should be…

Below: Matt Beauchamp boofing on the Pimiento Section, photo by Patrick Levesque

Below: Adam Goshorn boofing on the Pimiento Section, photo by Patrick Levesque

Stay tuned for the fourth and final chapter in this trip report, which will include our crew returning to San Luis Potosi and running a couple more classic there and more excitingly… the video compilation from the whole trip!

Until next time…

-Adam Goshorn

Below: Scouting on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: A nice pic of Adam Goshorn right before he got destroyed by the hole at this drop, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: The road to the put-in for the Pimiento Section where it crosses a recent landslide, photo by Patrick Levesque

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the Rio Alseseca, photo by Adam Goshorn

kayak session

Mexico 2013 Part II: Team Previa

Below: Matt Beauchamp running Puerta del Salto in the second canyon of the Rio Verde, photos by Adam Goshorn
   

Just after dark on the day we ran the Rio Minas Viajas (see Mexico 2013 Part I HERE), we were driving down the narrow driveway into the Aldea Huesteca campground when we met a van going the opposite way.  There were no boats on the roof, so at first I wondered if it might be the campground employees leaving for the night, but then the silhouette of kayak stackers caught my eye.  Windows rolled down on both vehicles and someone inside the van called out from the darkness, “Is Adam Goshorn in there with you guys?”  The voice was Brett Barton.  Our mutual friend Matt Taylor had told both of us to be on the lookout for each other since we would be in the same regions of Mexico around the same time.  Brett and I had briefly corresponded online, but hadn’t made any firm plans to meet up due to both of us wanting to stay flexible and being hesitant to commit to a specific timeline.  However, here we were on the evening of our second night in Mexico already running into each other and staying at the same campground.  The frequentness of such encounters with friends and acquaintances from the paddling community while far from home continues to astonish me… despite it happening too many times to count over the last decade.

 Below: Team Previa deep in the cane in route to the Rio Frio, photo by Evan Alfano
 

Below: Unloading at the put-in for the Rio Frio, photo by Evan Alfano

Brett and Joni Randall had driven Joni’s 1997 Toyota Previa from WashingtonState to Colorado, where they picked up Jake Perizzolo and kept driving all the way to San Luis Potosi, Mexico.  Team Previa (as we dubbed them, soon thereafter) had run the El Salto section of the Rio Valles on the day we had paddled the Cascadas Micos section.  On the day we met them on our way home from dinner after paddling the Rio Minas Viejas, they had just paddled the Cascadas Micos and were headed into town to get a few beers.  Later that night, after they returned to the campground, it was decided that all of us would head to the Rio Frio together the following morning.  Team Previa had run the Cascadas Micos with another pair of paddlers who had arrived at Aldea Huesteca while we were out paddling the Rio Minas Viejas.  They also asked to join us for the Rio Frio and we agreed, bringing our combined crew for the following day up to nine.

Below: Early ledges on the Rio Frio, photos by Brett Barton  

The Rio Frio is one of the three main tributaries that combine to form the Rio Gallinas about an hour’s drive west of our campsite at the Cascadas Micos.  The shuttle for the Rio Frio is only a few miles, but the road is quite rough so having two vehicles saved us from what would have been a somewhat miserable bike shuttle, had we gone there on our own.  Our group of four was riding in my truck while the other five piled into Joni’s Previa.  The closer you get to the put-in for the Rio Frio the worse the road conditions become.  The last quarter-mile is especially muddy and a few sections required everyone riding in the Previa to get out and walk to prevent it from bottoming out in the deep muddy ruts.  Eventually, we arrived at the put-in, unloaded boats, and Jake and I retraced our route through the mud two more times to set shuttle.

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the first of the “new” rapids on the Rio Frio, photo by Evan Alfano

Below: Evan Alfano on the same, photo by Brett Barton

Leaving the put-in, the Rio Frio starts off slow with only the occasional small travertine ledge and a large down tree to negotiate.  Locals picking oranges high on the left bank waved to us and then proceeded to toss oranges straight from the tree, into our outstretched hands.  As we ran a few more ledges in the three-foot to four-foot range, I explained to the group what I remembered about the first of the slightly larger drops on the run.  I was the only one who had paddled the Rio Frio before, so I was doing my best to remember what I could from my previous runs.  However, without stopping to scout our whole group paddled into what I had described to them as an easy rapid-to-slide combo.  What we found was something completely different, but luckily nothing dangerous.  High water had blown out several travertine dams and dramatically changed the set of drops.  For once, I can say that high water actually changed a river for the better!  The “new” drop was a really fun, fast rapid that accelerated paddlers into a nice water-boof off an eight-foot ledge.  It was so much fun that most of us walked back up to run it three or four times!

Below: Shannon Goshorn on the biggest of the drops on the Frio, photo by Brett Barton

Below: Adam Goshorn on the same, photo by Matt Beauchamp

The changes that took place at the first bigger rapid were an indicator of what we would encounter throughout the day.  Many small travertine dams had been partially or completely broken.  In one spot, a three-foot travertine dam had a vertical crack in it that swallowed most of the volume of the river, but was slightly too narrow for a kayak to pass.  At the site of what has always been the biggest rapid on the Rio Frio, we found more dramatic changes.  What had previously been a six-foot ledge into another four-foot ledge was now a ten-foot ledge with a sticky U-shaped hole.  The high water had caused the second ledge to collapse… along with much of the hillside on the right!  A few people tangled with the hole, but we completed the rest of run without incident and over dinner that night in Cd. Valles we made plans to paddle the second canyon of the Rio Verde the following day.

Below: Getting above the clouds on the drive over the mountains to the Rio Verde, photo by Evan Alfano

 Below: View of the Rio Verde from the shuttle road, photo by Evan Alfano

We woke up early, ate a quick breakfast at camp, and were on the road by 7:00 AM.  The drive over the mountains to the Rio Verde usually takes about three and a half hours, but a new toll road sped up our pace considerably, shaving almost an hour off the trip!  We unloaded boats and left most of the crew on the side of the road where the hike down to the put-in begins.  Shannon would be shuttling my truck for the day, but since she had never been there before, I wanted to show her where the take-out was located.  So, Jake followed us in the Previa to park it at the take-out as well.  An hour and a half of terrible roads later, Jake, Shannon, and I arrived back with the rest of the crew, geared up, and began the hike to the river.

Below: Adam Goshorn on the Rio Verde, Photo by Brett Barton

Below: Brett Barton on the same rapid as viewed from below, photo by Adam Goshorn

The second canyon of the Rio Verde (a.k.a. Middle Verde) is one of the best runs in the area when it has good water.  After having found great water levels on the Cascadas Micos and Rio Frio, I was optimistic about our chances of having favorable water levels for the Rio Verde as well.  However, the glimpses of the river I had seen from the shuttle road looked low, but then again I was far away and looking deep into a shaded valley, so I didn’t mention it to anyone as we geared up and hiked in.  Not to mention that having driven almost three hours to get to the river and another hour and a half to run shuttle, I was planning to run the river regardless of level and I’m sure most of the others felt the same way.  Upon reaching the sandy bank at the put-in, it was clear the water was low, but thankfully not unrunnablly low.  There are still several well-channelized, fun, rapids and drops on the Middle Verde, even at low flow.  The down side is that there are also some long sections of slow moving water, a portage, and quite a few shallow cobble-bar rapids in the wider sections of the river.   As we made our way downstream I tried to push the pace of the group as much as I could.  I knew the low water would slow us down and I was also anticipating the group spending a fair amount of time at the biggest drop on the run, a waterfall in the 35-40-foot range, known as Puerta del Salto.

Below: Matt Beauchamp on the Rio Verde, photo by Adam Goshorn

Below: Warm springs trickling into the Rio Verde, Photo by Bret Barton

We made pretty good time throughout the day and indeed we ended up spending almost an hour at Puerta del Salto.  Everyone scouted for a while and then one by one each person made their decision to fire it up.  I took pictures and video of everyone else and watched their lines off the drop and the mixed results.  The low water was making the entrance especially tricky and almost everyone was checking the left wall at the lip and struggling to salvage their line for the rest of the way down.  Eventually, I was the only one left at the top and opted for the throw-and-go off the cliff on river right.  Once we were headed downstream again, pretty much everyone’s thoughts turned to making downstream progress as quickly as possible, not wanting to be out on the highway late at night.  We hammered out the rest of the rapids and the flat water at the end, reuniting with Shannon and our vehicles around 4:30 PM.  After winding our way back to the pavement at the put-in and eventually the highway, the new toll road once again whisked us over the mountains in record time and we were back in Cd. Valles eating dinner by 8:30 PM.  Hoping for better water levels and missing the easier logistics provided by Aventurec (www.aventurec.com), on the drive home from dinner that night our group decided that we would depart for Veracruz early the next morning.

 Below: Matt Beauchamp running Puerta del Salto in the second canyon of the Rio Verde, photos by Adam Goshorn
   

 Below: Evan Alfano on the same, photo by Adam Goshron

Stay tuned for Part III, when we encounter high water, a few beat downs, and an all around good time in Tlapacoyan.

 Until Next Time…

 Adam Goshorn Below:

Waiting on shuttle, photo by Evan Alfano

 Below: Jake bouncing off the wall at the lip of Puerta del Salto, photo by Photo by Adam Goshorn

 Below: Matt Beauchamp between basalt walls on the Rio Verde, photo by Brett Barton

 Below: Joni cork-screwing off of Pureta del Salto, photo by Adam Goshorn

kayak session

Mexico 2013 Part I: Welcome to Mexico!

Below: Matt Beauchamp, Rio Minas Viejas, photo by Adam Goshorn

 From my house in Mentone, Alabama it is almost exactly a 27-hour drive to the take-out for the Cascadas Micos section of the Rio Valles in San Luis PotosiMexico.  For the eighth time in the last nine years, friends trickled into my house the night before departure so we could wake up early and start the drive the following morning.  In additional to myself, this year’s crew included friend and coworker Evan Alfano; another friend and repeat from last year’s crew, Matt Beauchamp; and my fiancé at the time (who is now my wife) Shannon MacMichael.  This would be Evan’s first trip to Mexico, Shannon’s and Matt’s second, and my eighth.

Below: Packing the truck in Alabama, photos by Evan Alfano
 


 The drive from Alabama to the Mexican border went as smooth as possible with us arriving in BrownsvilleTexas right on schedule at 3:00 AM.  After a stop at the most evil of all big-box stores for a couple last minute items and a quick bite to eat we cruised through the paperwork at the border in record time.  Leaving the border and heading onto the mostly deserted streets of MatamorosMexico, I was anxious to get through out of the city and out of the whole border zone as quickly as possible.  I don’t remember what distracted me, but I momentary looked away from the road and looked back up in time to realize I had just run a stoplight… right in front of a parked police car, the only other vehicle on the street.

Below: Adam Goshorn, Micos put-in, photo by Evan Alfano

It wasn’t the first time I have been pulled over in Mexico, but it was the first time when I knew I had clearly done something wrong and it was 100% my fault… no denying it.  Traffic stops in Mexico are supposed to result in the police taking your license and holding it until you go to the police station (usually the next day), pay your fine, and get your license back.  From what I have been told, the official fines are fairly low for locals and often marked up for gringos, not to mention having to get a hotel for the night and loose a day of your trip to resolve the ticket.  The reality for police in many locations seems to be that when they pull over a gringo, they know its payday and few tickets are actually issued.

Below: Traffic Jam, photo by Evan Alfano
 

Below: Ants at the Micos take-out, photo by Evan Alfano
 

 The “fine” they ask for seems to always start at $300 USD, but comes down the longer you can draw out the process, claiming to not understand what they are asking for and insisting you do not have cash.  In 2012 a traffic stop in Tampico for a completely invented traffic violation resulted in a pair of police asking us for $300, but eventually coming down to $70.  This year we weren’t as successful in bringing down the price, and eventually forked over $150 to be on our way.  It was a much pricier bribe than normal, but at least it was for an actual offence.  Not to mention that we didn’t have to get a hotel, go to the police station, and most importantly to us… we didn’t loose a day of boating.  Welcome to Mexico!

Below: Matt Beauchamp, Rio Minas Viejas put-in, photo by Evan Alfano

 Below: Footbridge at the Rio Minas Viejas put-in, photo by Evan Alfano

We completed the rest of the drive without any other issues, arriving early afternoon at the Aldea Huasteca campground at the takeout for the Cascadas Micos section of the Rio Valles.  After quickly setting up our tents, we locked our shuttle bike to a tree and drove up to the put-in, excited to shake off the 27-hour drive on the classic travertine drops of the Cascadas Micos.  Despite being road weary, a great water level and the shear beauty of the place raised everyone’s spirits.  After paddling back to camp, Matt headed off on the bike to retrieve the truck while the rest of us changed clothes and finished setting up camp.  We finished of the day by heading back into Cd. Valles to get dinner at my favorite restaurant, Rincon Huesteca, then returning to camp and collapsing into our sleeping bags after being on the move for around 35 hours straight. 

Below: Adam Goshorn, Rio Minas Viejas put-in, photo by Shannon MacMichael

 The next day we decided to head to the Rio Minas Viejas, a tributary of the Rio Valles about 45 minutes north of our campsite at the Cascadas Micos.  Joey Jarell, Polo Solis, and I ran the Rio Minas Viejas in November of 2007, thinking it might be a first descent (see video HERE).  We found out later that a crew led by Spencer Lawley had run it back in 2001.  However, as far as we know, our 2007 descent was still only the second ever descent and the first to be well documented.  Fueled by the pictures and video from our 2007 descent, in the years since the run has become something of a classic for those lucky enough to be in the area during high water events.  The Rio Minas Viejas is one of the most beautiful and unique rivers I’ve ever paddled anywhere, but it is almost always too low.  Despite rarely having a good water level, the best drops on the run are quite channelized so if you can tolerate the wider, shallow sections of the run, it can still be worth it, even at a less than ideal level.

 Below: Matt Beauchamp, Rio Minas Viejas, photo by Adam Goshorn

 We cooked breakfast at our campsite and drove to the take-out to assess the water level.  It looked low, as it always does, but at this point in the winter it was likely to only get lower every day so we decided that if we were going to run it on this trip, we should go ahead and scrape down before it got any lower.  Difficulty wise, the Rio Minas Viejas is above Shannon’s comfort level, so she would be shuttling for Matt, Evan, and I, simplifying logistics for the day.  We drove up to the put in, geared up, and spent a little time enjoying the scenery.  The put in is one of the bluest of travertine pools I’ve ever seen and is at the base of a 150-foot waterfall, a magical setting indeed.

 Below: Adam Goshorn on the “new” drop on the Minas Viejas, photo by Evan Alfano

 Shannon filmed us running the first wide, scrapey ledge below the put in and then she headed back to the truck as we headed downstream.  For a while the riverbed stayed fairly wide, forcing us to zigzag back and forth trying to pick the best of all the scrapey routes.  Eventually, the river narrowed and we arrived at a few small ledges with better flow, followed by a larger horizon line.  We hopped out to scout and to my surprise, the two-stage drop that previously signaled the beginning of the steep section was now a single drop followed by a tight slot through an old travertine dam.  Apparently the travertine ledge that had previously formed the second tier had broken, transforming the two 8-foot drops into a single 16-foot drop… an improvement in by book!

 Below: Evan Alfano entering Double Slide, photo by Adam Goshorn

 Below: Matt Beauchamp finishing Double Slide, photo by Adam Goshorn

 We made our way through the rest of the steep part of the first gorge with good flow, but before long we were back to scraping as the river widened when we exited the gorge.  In the wider section we had to make a couple of portages around some logs placed by locals to cross the river and again at a fence, but soon the river narrowed and we entered the second and final gorge.  Strangely enough, despite the fact that first gorge is all travertine, the second gorge is mostly limestone with only a few travertine features.  As if the river is saving up its travertine magic, the final gorge ends with a great finale.

 Below: Matt Beauchamp, Rio Minas Viejas Chunderslide, photo by Adam Goshorn

 Below: Evan Alfano, Minas Viejas Chunderslide, photo by Adam Goshorn

 The final drop of the Rio Minas Viejas is a bit deceiving when you first arrive at the top.  What looks like a river wide travertine ledge is actually a six-foot tall concrete diversion dam that diverts part of the flow into an irrigation canal that exits the river on the right.  However, the man made dam has been there so long it has become covered in travertine deposits making it almost appear the same as the many travertine ledges in the first gorge.  Who knows what the entrance to the final drop would be like without the presence of the diversion dam, but with the dam, the entrance is unrunable.  Luckily, it is possible to pass boats past the dam, slide back into the main flow, and run the final 30-foot slide, my favorite drop on the run.

 Below: Matt Beauchamp on the last slide on the Rio Minas Viejas, photo by Adam Goshorn

 Below: Evan Alfano on the last slide on the Rio Minas Viejas, photo by Adam Goshorn

 The final slide on the Rio Minas Viejas can be a bit intimidating.  It is tall, you have to slide into the flow right above the lip, and it has a tendency to make people corkscrew off a fin of travertine about two thirds of the way down the drop.  However, on this day, everyone had good lines and stayed upright, landing at the bottom with big smiles and high fives all around.  Even the scrapey paddle out couldn’t dampen our spirits and we arrived at the take-out to find Shannon dozing in the truck parked in the corner of a sugar cane field.  We loaded up and headed back into the city of Valles for another awesome dinner before driving back to the Aldea Huesteca campground for the night. Stay tuned for Part II, when we head to the Rio Frio and Rio Verde with some new friends who we quickly come to know as Team Previa. Until Next Time… Adam Goshorn

 Below: Matt Beauchamp and Adam Goshorn scouting Double Slide, photo by Evan Alfano

 Below: Matt Beauchamp and Evan Alfano above the Chunderslide, photo by Adam Goshorn

 Below: Adam Goshorn and Matt Beauchamp above the final slide, photo by Evan Alfano