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As I lay here on the sofa with a thrown-out lower back I "suddenly" realize that it's time for me to find some mates to join me on these off-road jungle excursions. Stupid is as stupid does I reckon. OK, the story.
I have been away from the site for a few weeks but in that period I purchased a white 250 CRF as well as moved into town.
I had been wanting to get back to the trail where my Lifan just could not make the grade. My goal was to meet up with a trail that I saw on Google Earth that joins up with Mueang Pan further east. This would make one arc of a nice loop on that side of the mountains.
I headed out late morning yesterday and headed to the village via the 1229 and the 1230. Note: The 1229 has been laid down with lovely new tarmac about 1 km past the park entrance (Checkpoint 1). It is still in awful shape the rest of the way over the mountain.
I approach the village where I left the Lifan a few weeks back.
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At this point you think it is a dead end...
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...but you make the right-hand turn and the trail goes on.
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I follow the trail and I get a good 2km past where my clutch burned out the last time.
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I realize how heavy this bike is as I dip to the left under this monster.
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At 18.784605° 99.391002° I am very close to joining up with the waypoint I marked that should be the trail leading to Pan. I go ahead a few hundred meters but I quickly lose the trail. I turn around and get back to those coordinates and spy another trail. As I make the turn my rear wheel slips off the trail on a steep incline (30-40 degrees). The more I try to get back up the more it slips down. I even tried to man-handle the bike up, i.e. drag it up the slope, and I throw my back out. Ugg. The decision is soon made to walk back to my favorite village. It is a 3km walk and you offroad riders know that the last thing you want to do after dragging a bike is walk...anywhere. I take off my protective gear and off I go. Uphill walking is a grind, but downhill is a bear as well due to the pounding in heavy boots.
I take this shot on the way back.
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I make it to the village and decide to say hello to the people who offered me water last time. This chap was in and made me feel at home.
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After a decent break and some sticky rice/salted pork, we round up a neighbor who rounds up some help.
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She gets 4 people (3 men, one girl) and 3 scooters and we head back up to my bike. Riding scooter-pillion on these inclines was an experience in itself. The bike is waiting patiently and we get everything organized to prop it up and ride it out. A rope was used to pick it up, and the guys dug out a 10-meter trail along the incline to ride it out and back onto the path back to the village. The incline is easier to see if you follow the trees down behind the bike.
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We get it off the incline and head back to the village. It is tough riding with a thrown back but we get back and I take some photos with the crew.
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Nothing is free so I gave them an ample reward. They are probably still laughing at the farang who has been there....twice.
Anyway, it is beautiful country back in the Chae Son park area. From CNX to the border of Lampang here takes about an hour and the ride there is nice as well.
Next attempt will be from the back end near Pan and see if I can connect. Or should I say "we"?
As I lay here on the sofa with a thrown-out lower back I "suddenly" realize that it's time for me to find some mates to join me on these off-road jungle excursions. Stupid is as stupid does I reckon. OK, the story.
I have been away from the site for a few weeks but in that period I purchased a white 250 CRF as well as moved into town.
I had been wanting to get back to the trail where my Lifan just could not make the grade. My goal was to meet up with a trail that I saw on Google Earth that joins up with Mueang Pan further east. This would make one arc of a nice loop on that side of the mountains.
I headed out late morning yesterday and headed to the village via the 1229 and the 1230. Note: The 1229 has been laid down with lovely new tarmac about 1 km past the park entrance (Checkpoint 1). It is still in awful shape the rest of the way over the mountain.
I approach the village where I left the Lifan a few weeks back.
View attachment 7572
At this point you think it is a dead end...
View attachment 7573
...but you make the right-hand turn and the trail goes on.
View attachment 7574
I follow the trail and I get a good 2km past where my clutch burned out the last time.
View attachment 7578
View attachment 7581
View attachment 7582
I realize how heavy this bike is as I dip to the left under this monster.
View attachment 7584
At 18.784605° 99.391002° I am very close to joining up with the waypoint I marked that should be the trail leading to Pan. I go ahead a few hundred meters but I quickly lose the trail. I turn around and get back to those coordinates and spy another trail. As I make the turn my rear wheel slips off the trail on a steep incline (30-40 degrees). The more I try to get back up the more it slips down. I even tried to man-handle the bike up, i.e. drag it up the slope, and I throw my back out. Ugg. The decision is soon made to walk back to my favorite village. It is a 3km walk and you offroad riders know that the last thing you want to do after dragging a bike is walk...anywhere. I take off my protective gear and off I go. Uphill walking is a grind, but downhill is a bear as well due to the pounding in heavy boots.
I take this shot on the way back.
View attachment 7596
I make it to the village and decide to say hello to the people who offered me water last time. This chap was in and made me feel at home.
View attachment 7597
After a decent break and some sticky rice/salted pork, we round up a neighbor who rounds up some help.
View attachment 7598
She gets 4 people (3 men, one girl) and 3 scooters and we head back up to my bike. Riding scooter-pillion on these inclines was an experience in itself. The bike is waiting patiently and we get everything organized to prop it up and ride it out. A rope was used to pick it up, and the guys dug out a 10-meter trail along the incline to ride it out and back onto the path back to the village. The incline is easier to see if you follow the trees down behind the bike.
View attachment 7599
View attachment 7600
We get it off the incline and head back to the village. It is tough riding with a thrown back but we get back and I take some photos with the crew.
View attachment 7601
View attachment 7602
View attachment 7603
Nothing is free so I gave them an ample reward. They are probably still laughing at the farang who has been there....twice.
Anyway, it is beautiful country back in the Chae Son park area. From CNX to the border of Lampang here takes about an hour and the ride there is nice as well.
Next attempt will be from the back end near Pan and see if I can connect. Or should I say "we"?
