Copper Canyon
written by: Harry Lewellyn
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Harry is the author of "SHIFTING into 4WD" and the
"California OHV Guidebook" produced by the state of California Department of Parks and Recreation.
He leads 4WD trips throughout the US, Baja and mainland Mexico
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I call it the eighth wonder of the world - the world's
best-kept secret.
It's reported to be many times larger
than the Grand Canyon. Actually, it's a complex of six major intermingled rivers
that create an apparently insurmountable barrier to 4WD travel. For sure, one canyon
is 289 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon!
Copper Canyon, or Barrancas del Cobre as the Mexicans call
the area, is an unforgettable scenic and cultural experience. It presents a cross
section of terrain from tropical canyon bottoms to 8,000-foot high alpine peaks.
The "world's most scenic railroad" is rumored
to be the only mechanized way through and its statistics are impressive. With facts
like 572 miles of track (Los Mochis to Chihuahua City), 39 bridges (one 1,640 feet long and
another 305 feet high), 86 tunnels (one makes a complete loop within a mountain) and crossing the
continental divide three times, it's easy to understand why no other mechanized way through
appears to be fact. However, that's not the case.
Those willing can do it "for real" in 4WD, and
it's more comfortable than one would ever expect. Since my first 4WD tour in 1989,
I've watched the Mexican state and federal governments bolster the tourist trade with economic
assistance. Exotic hotels now dot the landscape in contrast to Tarahumara Indians
living in caves, but that doesn't mean there's still not plenty adventure left.
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The Tarahumarans, or Raramuri (runners), as
they have so aptly named themselves, number 40,000 to 50,000 and range over 23,000 square miles of
the Continental Divide - Mexico's Sierra Madre Occidental. It's reported they
can run down a deer for the kill, but we experience them as the gentle souls and artisans they
really are.
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The Sierra Madre is a southern extension of our Rocky Mountains, or vice versa, depending on your point of
view. For more than 4,500,000 years, the uplifted plateaus of ternary volcanic rock
have been eroded away by the ever-working forces of streams and rivers (the Urique, San Ignacio,
Fuerte, Chinipas and Setenrion to name a few). The Basaseachic water fall is 806 feet
high. In contrast to the Grand Canyon, its lush green yields unique geologic and
botanical features. For example, with more than 60 varieties of oaks in the canyon
environs, some believe that plant may have originated there.
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This all dictates
two-weeks minimum for our driving excursion, and the good news is camping is no longer required.
The tour meets in Bisbee, Arizona and crosses the border at Naco, just four miles south. We spend
the first night in Nuevo Casas Grande, Chihuahua near the intriguing Paquime ruins and museum.
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Next, it's off to
Creel for two nights. There, we see how the Tarahumarans live and visit many other
attractions. Then it's off to majestic canyon views with a night each at Tejaban
and Divisidero (meals included at both). Tejaban is the most luxurious hotel we use and
the only one on the actual "Copper Canyon." Due to it's remote location,
we have never shared the hotel with any other travelers!
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The train station at Divisidero offers 4WD
travelers two contrasting attractions. With the hotel perched high above the confluence
of several canyons, one can only be impressed by the expanse of Las Barrancas. It's
even more fun to watch the bustling "market place" as the train travelers shop and then
make their way across the road to peek over the edge at Divisidero.
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For me, our real
adventure starts as we say goodbye to Divisidero. Our destination: The quaint Paraiso
del Oso hotel (meals included). From the rustic wood-burning stove-heated, kerosene
lantern-lit base of operations, we turn Good Samaritan. Having collected medical
supplies and other "usables," we make our way to secluded Tarahumaran schools to deliver
the goods. This year, we also plan to share a backcountry meal with the rural
villagers. On the next day, we descend over a mile to the bottom of Urique Canyon for
more good deeds. On both days, we become the observed and not the other way around as
is "normal" for most tours.
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The next day's travel takes us to Temoris
Viejo. Following a "4WD required" trail to another vista, in one grand
panorama, we see a weaving maze of train tracks, tunnels, bridges and the Temoris Nuevo train
station far below. I can probably count on both hands the number of gringos that have
visited this "divisidero" exclusive of my tours!
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But understanding we have one of our longest
days ahead, an early morning departure leads us to Chinipas. It's as though
you've stepped back into history. We share the streets with horses and burros, and
then wonder if they might be better suited for our most ambitious river crossing. But
somehow, our 4Xs do fine as we ford a hundred yards or so of the Chinipas River. Our
destination: The restored grandeur of 17th century Mexico's colonial town of Alamos for two
nights. This, too, is like time travel, but our luxurious accommodations and modern
surroundings tell us otherwise.
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Copper Canyon is an experience to behold
Do it for real in 4WD!
For information about traveling to Mexico
Harry tells you more that you'd ever want to know in his article:
< Traveling Mexico, Fact & Fiction >
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About Harry Lewellyn
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Contact the author
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Harry has over 17 years backcountry guide experience. He has appeared on
radio and TV and has been featured in magazines and newspapers. He also writes for 4WD
magazines and publishes the Ecological 4-Wheeling Adventures newsletter.
His book, SHIFTING into 4WD, is revered as the cornerstone for 4WDs information.
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Harry Lewellyn
P. O. Box 12137
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
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All photos and text on this page are the property of Harry Lewellyn and Ecological 4-Wheeling and are protected under
copyright laws. Use without written permission is prohibited.
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WRANGLER