Posada Barrancas - Morning Hike - A look down into the valley below.

From Posada Barancas, it's 10 mintes by train to Divisadero. We had a 15 minute stop to view the landscape.

 

We stopped in Creel for the night and the next morning started our 6000 foot descent to Batopilas by van.

Creel to Batopilas - The first 80 kilometers were on a switchback highway.

 

Creel to Batopilas - we are still up fairly high, as can be seen by the evergeen forests.

Creel to Batopilas - after driving for 90 minutes, we stopped for a stretch just above this rio.

 

Creel to Batopilas - a lonely tree somehow grows out of a rock.

Creel to Batopilas - The last 65km were on a rough, dirt switchback road. Here, you can see the road below from where we stopped for lunch.
See a video of the drive down

Creel to Batopilas - some more scenery from lunch stop - the road is cut right through the mountainside.

 

Creel to Batopilas - after lunch, we were given the opportunity to walk down the road for about 30 minutes, beore the van picked us up. Here we are at kilometer 28 of the 65.

Creel to Batopilas - This canyon was well developed because of its silver mines. At La Bufa, we had a 10 minute stop where we could see the mine tailings (the residue after the extraction of the silver).

 

Batopilas is a small Mexican town of 1500. About 90% of the vehicles were pickup trucks.

 

Batopilas - farm animals seemed to range freely through the town, as if no one in particular owned them.

 

Batopilas - the elementary school was located in the lower part of town, and any younger children living on the other side of the river descend to it each morning, crossing the swinging bridge.

Batopilas - the high school is located high above on the other side of the river. Any older children living in the lower part of town had to travel across the bridge the other way and climb up to it.

Batopilas - We looked out at the river behind our hotel, and saw this hombre driving on these burros.