Dirt Trails in rainy season to Chiang Dao with Johny

KTMphil

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Jan 11, 2011
Location
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bikes
2007 KTM 990 Adventure Suzuki DRZ 400
Dirt Trails in rainy season to Chiang Dao with Johny

What were we thinking?

There's a reason they call it rainy season & that should be a good enough reason to stay away from technical trail riding in those months of the year, some like to learn the hard way.

Jonny was on his perfect Yamaha WR450, which has a clarke aftermarket larger fuel tank with 220km range, I was on a Suzuki DRZ 400.

We left Chiang Mai 0900am and headed north on R 107 , to R 1096 (road to Samoeng), to get onto some decent trails so that we could head north to Chiang Dao on dirt trails. I'd mapped out some trails on the gps and showed them to Justin, who called me and said "you know the first set of trails you've mapped are single track don't you"?

So the first dirt trails we penetrated were down R 1096 (the road west to Samoeng)

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Maps copyright Auke Koopmans

Looked nice, then went single track (as Justin has warned), about 1/2km down the trail a tree completely blocked the path.

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Not a good start and it stayed single track after that too.

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1KM further east we gave the trails north another shot, this one was even worse.

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I gave it 2 tries, but the wet clay was too steep, both times i got up 1/2 way and slid back down, the rut walls being so high meant you did fall off sliding back down.

Things not going well, we decided to get up to the Mok Fa waterfall area as quick as possible as we knew there were some good trails north in that area. So a quick jaunt on R107 and a left onto R 1095 (road to Pai and Mae Hong Son) and we were in business.

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Re: Dirt Trails in rainy season to Chiang Dao with Johnny

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We back tracked to Sop Ghai, then took and easy dirt fire road east to R107. From there north on R107 to the Chiang Dao Nest Resort and Restaurant.

The map below shows how far north we got and so nearly didn't have to turn around!
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For those who havn't been there, the Chiang Dao nest does an amazing BBQ buffet on a thursday evening for 295 bht. Its like an oasis in the desert after a hard day riding, amazing value. Bungalows are 795 bht in low season, cool mountain air, you sleep great.
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Breakfast the next morning at the nest
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165 bht a great deal
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Nasty slick area on R107 south of Chiang Dao, i very nearly came off and went wide, with nobbly tires on Jonny had a skid and luckily no damage done
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There was NO damage to Jonny's WR450 at all, the bark busters, Giant Loop bag and Jonny saved the bike, good protective gear meant Jonny has little damage.
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The skid mark Johnny left down R107 about 23km south of Chiang Dao
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Directions to the Chiang Dao nest
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Looking back on it we had a great time, it feels really good to get out of trail areas that you think you might be stuck
 

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Great couple of days. The Nest in Chiang Dao is fabulous and good value for money, will definitely be returning with my family. Great food from the BBQ, I only had one plate full and was stuffed, it was a big plate though. Come on Phil, spill the beans and tell everybody how many plates you had.....?

The brief encounter with rain and red clay, again, is the thorn in my side, oh how passionate I am about this stuff....NOT!!!

Where we turned around it looks like there was another 7km to go until we hit the road that headed to Chiang Dao. If you look at the route we took on google earth, instead of turning right onto the clay road, if we had continued down we would have come to a small village, hangered right and it looks like there is a decent track that leads north to where we wanted to be, all speculation off-course.

Here's a short video of some antics. Unfortunately didn't record too much, need to be more proactive with the video in future.

 
Johnny --- you only got 3 of my 15 crashes, but you got 3 good ones. Great couple of days.

Gotta get a tether for that gps.
 
Good fun times guys, good to crash if nobody gets hurt or bikes don't become damaged, adds to the saga.
Johnny, I believe the left was the easier option.
Great to see the A.K. gps map being shared and used, the map seems to have enticed some spirited rides. I believe you can blame Devil Dog, Honda Honky and Big & Tall for those nasty trails supplied on the map.
 
Phil, looks like we're going to have to give you some lessons when we get there.
Or maybe you can head down here for a ride or two, we can always find a bike you could borrow.
Hope you have some stuff like that planned for when we arrive.
 
Phil, looks like we're going to have to give you some lessons when we get there

Would that be lessons on how to crash on the tarmac in the dry with nothing else on the road????!!!!!

January 2010 Route 1097, Nan Province.



Sounds like a right old riot you had phil!! thank god you were on top navigating form and were able to find your way out of there safely.........!!
 
The night before we left for Chiang Dao, it was Chris's last night in Chiang Mai, he had a "little" too much to drink and passed out. A too irresistible opportunity for MR. Skywalker to try some artistic touches with a magic marker.

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SargeantSpank said:
Phil, looks like we're going to have to give you some lessons when we get there

Would that be lessons on how to crash on the tarmac in the dry with nothing else on the road????!!!!!

January 2010 Route 1097, Nan Province.
The Yellow Tractor was just homesick for some foliage!
Not my fault.
 

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