Mexico- Copper Canyon January 2009

The next set of pictures are from around the Copper Canyon. We took a bus from Navopatia to El Fuerte where we boarded a train to Creel. Creel is at the rim of the canyon at 7,800 feet. It was cold up there! The nite time temp. was in the mid 20's. During the day it was in the 50s. There should have been snow on the ground but it was a low snow year. The Copper Canyon is AMAZING! If anyone is thinking of going to Mexico and doing something other than sitting on a beach, this place should be high on your list.


The train stop at a "town" called Divisidero. It is really just a stop to get a good view of the Canyon. There are heaps of little shops selling touristy stuff and really good snack food. Here is a panoramic of the canyon. The Copper Canyon is actually a collection of different canyons. This is the Urique Canyon.


A few photos of the train trip from El Fuerte to Creel.


Heaps of tunnels to go thru. I think there were well over 60 along 160 miles of track. For any train enthusiasts this trip is amazing. The track does a couple of crazy double loops


We rented bicycles and went around to see the sights.

Darcie next to a mushroom rock. This are was covered in volcanic ash at one point. A harder rock covered the ash. When it was all exposed the more easily eroded ash under the harder rock helped form these interesting formations.

A nice view around Creel.




This one is not going to last much longer!!

Can you see the frog?!

Further down the road was a site with all these granite spires. The local Tarahumara Indians call the area the Valley of the Erect Penises. When the Spanish invaded they could not stomach that name and called it the Valley of the Monks. I like the former. Ha!
Really neat! Some are well over 70 feet high.












Darice and I down in the Copper Canyon on a suspension walking bridge across the Urique River. We took a hair-raising bus ride down into the canyon from Creel to the sleepy town of Urique. The road descended 6300 feet. Temperatures in the canyon were in the 60s at nite and low 80s during the day.

A few photos around Urique.



The beautiful gardens at the backpackers we stayed at. This place is owned by an American who has been living here in Urique for many many years. His home here is amazing. Entre Amigos is the name of the hostel. Here is the link: http://home.comcast.net/~ramsay52/ You can pick from the garden during your stay.



Amazing rocks/boulders along a creek bed.



Pot is grown widely in these parts.




A nice panoramic of the Urique river canyon and the town below.





About the only color in the canyon were these flowering trees. Not sure what they are called.

Here you can just see the outline of the road coming down into the canyon. In places there is nothing between the side of the road and a multi-thousand foot drop. And the road is often only wide enough for the small van/bus.

Another flowering tree/bush.

The Urique River running pretty low in this, the dry season.


Some very cool rocks along the river. It was difficult picking a few to take home with me!

Darcie posing along the river where we swam to cool off from the hot days. The river was chilly but not too bad.



Darcie and I hiked around the canyon a fair bit during our week there. One day we hiked down a creek bed and found this tree growing out of the rocks.

On our way out of the canyon and back home.

A steep look down at Urique, the Urique river and canyon.