I have a habit of making questionable decisions on dual-sport trips. If a GPX track looks tough or borderline not-rideable on a loaded dual sport, that’s usually the one I want to ride.
On the 2024 Mosko team trip to Baja, @alistair.nw@killianmoreno@deerheart and I were south of El Rosario staring at a singletrack route climbing from the beach up to the mesa toward Cataviña. None of us had ridden it, but we’d heard it was “doable,” which was all the encouragement we needed.
The trail climbed fast—rocky, rutted, loose, and lined with towering cardón cacti. It gained roughly 1,800 feet in just 2.5 miles and was clearly not intended for fully loaded dual-sport bikes. Near the top, the Kove 450 Rally began overheating badly, boiling fuel—and that bike was supposed to be hauling surplus fuel for the lesser-capacity bikes.
I scouted the final climb in the singletrack—rocky and borderline hard enduro—and realized we were done for the day. We’d be risking a breakdown if we kept going. We turned around, descended easily, and finished the evening on fast doubletrack at sunset, headed back to Mama Espinoza’s.
That trail is hanging over my head now! I’ve gotta get back and finish it.
Kev called me and told me Max had died the same day Kenna and I found out she was pregnant. It was a heavy time. Building a trail for Max has been a great way to not only spend time with his friends and family; but also to spend some time alone, swinging a Pulaski, thinking on the brevity of life and how little time we all have. It’s been an eye opening study of time and life that I still think about daily holding my son.
Thanks to this great group of trail stewards for the time and energy to make this much-needed connector between Bat Bridge and Morel’s Maze a reality.
Ariana, Peter, and Janet-Lee
@smokehouse_chicken_and_guns@diaryofamattman@dirtyhandskev@mattlocascio@samsonkhatae@shreddartha@bastard_saint@will_kunkle@arnold.redthorn
@ Rob Wise
@addybro@camera.kit@wideboard@_k_h_a_r_m_a@docbonespdx@garrett_c_ryan@zhammond631@w.end.ivx
I’ve been thinking lately about how every time you see a person it might be the last time you see them. I’m never going to be able to run that one shooting drill back and try to beat @the_poacher and his always super fast and accurate score.
It’s been a good winter. Hug your friends and go ride Maxamillion.
RM945 at 11pm at the bottom of Fred’s Tractor Trail.
Mile 160 of 230 for me.
Good racing with DCS this year. What a privilege. Thanks for having me back on the squad @dsmith387
Thanks @desertunlimited for the amazing lighting solutions!
📸: @mybajaphoto
