pedalpanam

[MEX stands for Estado de Mexico, or the State of Mexico.  For clarification on the difference between Mexico City, the State of Mexico and the Federal District (the country of Mexico's capital), click here].

I set out today from the old cobblestoned town of Tlalpujahua, famous for its nearby mine that operated for many centuries.  I had used satellite pictures to find a long way to Atlacomulco.  I found a route that would take me up to 10,100 feet, and down into the valley I would have come through had I gone through Angangueo to see the butterflies as I had originally hoped for.  But the recent flooding and mudslides have devastated the area, the worst disaster the town remembers.  I had my heart set on going there, and I will be back one day.  Unfortunately it seems as though assistance to this community is severely lacking at the moment.

I had gotten close to 10,000 feet in Utah and then again a few days ago in Michoacan, so this was a good chance to break that mark.  I made my way east across the Michoacan- Mexico border, and the headed south on some paved roads.  I passed a few small towns not in my atlas, and then followed my nose up a dirt road into the hills.  For a whole very quiet hour, no cars passed either direction, and the only people I saw were a family washing clothes in a creek.

After emerging from the pass I had a spectacular view of the valley hundreds of feet below, and off in the distance, the snow-covered peak of the Nevado de Toluca (gotta love the redundancy).  This volcano is the 4th highest peak in Mexico at 15,354 feet.  I could see one other snow covered peak farther behind Toluca but am not sure which it was.

The dirt road turned into pavement again, and then the cars returned.  I think I’ll be looking for some more back country routes again.

I completed the 7,000th mile of the trip today (11,265 km), and am feeling great at the moment!  Very happy to be back on the road after a slow last month.  Tomorrow I head to Tula, Hidalgo, about 50 miles north-east of here.