The sun still rises over this Sierra Madre paradise- this shot taken from my hotel room!

Copper Canyon Trip- Here is one of our Fall trips to Copper. We go twice a month and can plan a trip for you at any time!

October 6-15, 2012

This is a planned itinerary and may vary slightly.

Included meals are noted.

Oct 6- Arrive in El Paso. The airport is a good place to get pesos. Use the Travelex near the spot where you turn right to go to the baggage area. Meet our van and we head for Santa Teresa NM (20 minutes) to cross into Mexico. We are off through the high Chihuahuan desert toward Casas Grandes. We check into the historic Casa de Nopal hotel. Stroll through Paquime and dinner at the hotel. (L,D)

The journey- We get an introduction to Norteño food as we travel south through the high elevation of the Chihuahua Desert. Burritos and other delicious street foods will be ours to choose from in the little towns.

Casas Grandes- Right on the edge of Casas are the Paquime Indian archaeological ruins- a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Food in the Casas area- This is the high desert area and truly ranch country. We will eat at an historic hacienda and savor the local restaurants.

Oct 7- We have a relaxed morning and a light breakfast at Casa de Nopal, then off by van through ranch country into the Mennonite area around Cuauhtemoc. Lunch in this unique orchard covered area. We check into the Hotel Tarahumara Inn and enjoy dinner at one of the great local eateries. (B,L)

Mennonites- They migrated here from Canada around 1922 and have transformed the high plateaus into some of the most productive land in Chihuahua. Still German speakers, they produce apples, oats, and dairy products- including the famous white Chihuahua cheese.

Oct 8- Time for breakfast and then to the train to go up into the Sierra Madres. We roll through the mountains to Cerocahui and the little San Isidro lodge. (B,L,D)

Cerocahui- This quiet little town sits in a beautiful valley and is a great place to overnight. We will stay above town nearer to the majestic Gallego overlook.

Oct 9- We have time to go over to Gallego and perhaps down to Urique if we want. . Then we reboard the train for the unsurpassed journey toward our evening destination, El Fuerte. Tunnels, bridges, canyons, mountains…have your cameras ready! Arrive in El Fuerte for dinner…this place is known for incredible food! (B,L)
El Fuerte- A small town with a quaint (and delicious!) market and lots of colonial architecture. History, Indian culture, bird watching, and a palm lined plaza make this place a favorite.
Oct 10 – A full day for relaxing and exploring the area- the wonderful colonial town with lots of opportunities for food and photography. A morning trip to the river for bird watching as we float and a walk through the local petro glyph site. Lunch on your own. The visit to the market here is a must, then dinner in a local home with our host Evangelina. (B,D)

Evangelina- This lovely lady with her brother and extended family live in one of the historic mansions off the square in El Fuerte. We often dine with them and get a full taste of some genuine Copper Canyon hospitality.

Oct 11 - Board the train in the morning headed northeast for Areponapuchi (Posada Barrancas station). We arrive at this tiny town and a local lodge- above the canyon- Mansion Tarahumara. Dinner, relax as well as perhaps watch the sunset over the vast reaches of Copper Canyon. “Arepo”as we call it, is officially “nowhere Mexico”. The area around Arepo gives us a good long look at Copper Canyon, and we have plenty of time to look around. (B,L,D)
Areponapuchi- Just call it Arepo and don’t expect the big city. This tiny place sits near the rim of some of the best views of Copper Canyon. The new gondola and ziplines are a scenic thrill, and you can walk or ride horses in and around the great canyon. Also a good place to pick up local souvenirs.Horses are available here- huge views!

Oct 12– All day to enjoy ziplines, gondola, hiking, etc….and relax! Then off to San Juanito by van and we arrive at the relaxing wooded Noritari near San Juanito- a unique cabin style solar hotel with a gourmet cook. A great night to enjoy dinner, chat with the chef, and take a stroll along the stream through the mountains. (B,L,D)

Noritari- This unique 80 hectare site is dotted with cabins with fireplaces, private baths, solar lighting- the nearby stream flows and the pines whisper.

Oct 13- A relaxing breakfast and then off through the ranch country to Casas Grandes, We return to Casa de Nopal and go directly to Mata Ortiz. Dinner at a local hacienda. (B,D)

Mata Ortiz- - The tiny village of Mata Ortiz is an artistic mecca. The pottery from this area is very special and known around the world for its intricacy and character.

Oct 14-  Relax as we finish what we may have missed. Leave Casas by 2 or 3p and drop into Janos on the way and get a warm welcome and tour with Celso and Emma at Don Cuco sotol. Sotol is THE drink of Chihuahua and is somewhat like tequila- but better…bring some home! We cross back into the USA and  to our El Paso hotel. (B)

Sotol- This stop at Don Cuco will give you a full introduction (including a few sips) to this fine spirit from the enchanting Chihuahua area.

Oct 15- Fly home. (B)

• Price for this trip is $1695 USD per person. Single room, add $300.

• This includes all guides, transport, food, and hotels except your visa, 6 meals, gondola and zipline, and alcohol. I will supply an overview of expected personal expenses.

• Deposit is $500 per  person.

• Payable to TopTrips, 514 South Edwin, Champaign, Il 61821.

At the front door of the historic Real de Carapoa in El Fuerte.

El Fuerte is awash in colonial charm and that laid back Mexican pace…I love this place and so do our guests. There are many fine places to lodge here, but my hands down fave is Real de Carapoa. A converted mansion and the handiwork of “Billy”, an architect fromLos Mochis, it features large rooms with those thick adobe walls that make the air conditioning only needed on the hottest of nights.

Carapoa is right on the square and so is easy walking to the market, the river and fort, and many fine restaurants and street vendors. The proprietor is Erasmo and he and his gracious wife Rosaria always show us the best of hospitality.

Fresh beef tacos in the making at the market in El Fuerte.

Chico Villasenor, El Fuerte at the foot of Copper Canyon,

Several years ago I met a young man at the El Fuerte train station (on the CHEPE line that runs through Copper Canyon- the station is 3 miles east of town). His name was Sergio and he went on and on about his dad, who he described as an experienced fishing guide. A few weeks later I met Chico and we have worked together ever since.

Chico has two nice Suburban vehicles and uses these to get us around the El Fuerte area.

One of the really cool experiences we have with Chico there with most groups is to float the El Fuerte river and watch birds. It is amazing…we usually see a wide variety of avian delights and it changes every season….from vermilion flycatchers to roseate spoonbills. He and his Ocolome buddy Rafael seem to know everything that flies.

These river trips also include a stop to walk through the petro glyphs near El Fuerte…an amazing historical site.

Chico and his son Sergio with Dave at the El Fuerte station.

Chico is funny (like he knows jokes in english), very knowledgable, and trustworthy- a real part of the El Fuerte  community.

Karen and Eric of Trans Americas Journey at Paquime.

The road there is a wild and long one and their account is excellent- it starts as the leave Creel and wind down through San Rafael, leaving the pavement:

We left the pavement behind in San Rafael, not long after leaving Creel. Many of the simple dirt roads that eventually took us all the way to El Fuerte were built to give access to the mines in the region and most were not on the detailed maps in our Gia Roji road atlas. The locals and the mine employees all know exactly where they’re going so no one ever bothered putting up any signs either.

See the whole story here as well as many other adventures in Mexico…and all over.

The Sinforosa Canyon seemed more jagged than the chasms and slopes we’d been seeing for the past 10 days or so as we traveled through the Sierra Madre. From where we were standing the canyon walls were even too sheer for cactus, scrub trees or brush to cling to. This meant the underlying rock–with all it’s color, shape and striation variations–was much more visible than in other parts of the Copper Canyon that we’d visited. Here more than anywhere else, it felt like looking at the Grand Canyon as the evening light created contrast and surprisingly vibrant colors on the world of rock below us.

Our friends at 3 Amigos have a good description of the area and can get you connected to getting there….and this picture is on their site:

The great chasms in Sinforosa from 3 Amigos

One note: 3 Amigos is a great resource for equipment, guides, and info about the back country throughout the canyons. The are based in Creel and El Fuerte…Ivan and Yolanda are great folks!

One is the barber, the hotel people, the little lady we often eat wuth and her family, guys at the market and more. The plaza there is so placid…even during the Judas dancing of Holy Week.

Semana Santa in El Fuerte

So right behind where I am standing there, they just opened a clinic you can walk in to. It is public and you cann get standard tests there- like simple blood sugar or everything you need for a physical. You can get and eye exam and glasses. They do dialysis and other common proceedures people need. It is like a generic lab.

It is easy and it is cheap- reasonably priced. So they have commodotised simple medical needs and middle class and poor people can afford it.

So what is wrong with this? Why do these same services including eyecare cost ten times or more in the US?

Help me here.

Chico chatting about birds along the Rio Fuerte

We often float down the river in the early morning from the little village of Ocolome. The Ocolome Indians are a small tribe that did not survive the Spanish as well as the Tarahumaras up in the Copper Canyon area.

Chico Villasenor is our mainstay guide and trip support person there in El Fuerte. He and his family have been guiding there in the area for 30 years and I always learn something new when we are out on the river with him.

Sometimes we go in kayaks- they are easy to rent there in El Fuerte (Tres Amigos).

The way we approach our experiences there is to have a rough itinerary and then flex to meet the interests of the group. This make for a vastly different experience than people get with the canned or packaged trips. Time on the train, experiences in little towns, hikes to great views, meeting interesting locals and so on- all of this happens on each trip.

We usually stop at this incredible viewpoint- and then go on down to the bottom to the little town of Urique and enjoy some agua chile- some of the best of Norteno food.

Morning at Lake Arekako

Morning times are always special, and for those who want to catch “Amanacer” we can head for the rim or perhaps a remote lake like this one near Creel.

Some prefer just to enjoy the quiet with a cup of coffee or whatever- the point is , there is flexibility.

One of the features of our trips is to visit little trains along the railway that hardly any people visit. Places like Cusarare, Cuiteco, Temoris, Areponapuchi and many more.

One of my favorites is Cuiteco- it is featured in a new Authentic Copper Canyon video- watch for it in the first few moments.

This photo is taken in Cuiteco at sunrise- a quiet and lovely place.

When we pull up to the bank and walk toward the petro glyphs, Rafael begins to discuss the plants and their medicinal uses- as in this video. He shows us common plants along the trail that will help with sore throat, back pain, tooth ache, nervousness, etc….absolutely fascinating.

His name is Rafael. He is Ocolome Indian from thelittle village of Ocolome, and as he sits at the rear of the boat, you soon realize you are in the presence of a treasure-house of knowledge. Like he knows every plant and bird we are encountering.
So, we are off on the Rio Fuerte early on a January morning- perfect weather in this magic place at the foot of Copper Canyon. The air is 70ish, a light breeze, and the fresh smell of the river is on us.

The group is quiet as we float…enchanted by the surroundings. The only sound is the ripple of the water as we float, the occasional splash of a paddle in the water…and the murmuring of Rafael. I realize that he is talking about the birds we are beginning to encounter- “vermilion flycatcher” he whispers and his eye is tuned into a low branch- sure enough there is a little flit of crisp red that moves, then darts to another tree. The attentive ones in the group take notice and I hear the first of 1000s of “awesome!”s.

More later with video—cranes, herons of all kinds, medicinal plants…