Surveying around Chiang Rai's mountains

[KTMphil]

A little hazy from the burning, but still great off-road riding conditions, so time to survey some loop ideas in the mountains of Chiang Rai.


RIMG4135_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


The coffee harvest is underway, here drying some picked coffee beans around Huai Pa Kham, amungst the Akha Hill Tribe villages

RIMG4036 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Pineapple crop looks like its well underway too



RIMG4026_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


RIMG4029_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4027 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

During the dry season, Chiang Rai still has some amazing greenery unlike the brown that develops in other areas of the north


RIMG4030 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



One of the new checkpoints near the Singha family orchards that looks like might give riders some access issues in the near future


RIMG4031 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Look at those colors

RIMG4032_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The Akha ethnic tribes in the region had been visited my the missionaries in the past and can be confirmed by the various graveyards that are scattered around


RIMG4034 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4035_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Hilltribe Akha Villages in the distance


RIMG4038_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4040_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



National Park building's ive never seen before


RIMG4041 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



50% smokey, but can still see pretty good

RIMG4042_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Here we could see real well


RIMG4043_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Beautiful trails carving themselves down the mountain

RIMG4044 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4050 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Tucked away between the hills, this looked and idealistic dwelling with water at the foot of the house


RIMG4056_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Over a couple more ridge lines & out pops a huge village

RIMG4058_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



It has a Chinese feel about it immediately and could be of Jin ethnic tribe origin


RIMG4059_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4060 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Chinese scripture

RIMG4062 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Last day of school in the village, looks like they had a great party


RIMG4064_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Further along and the religion in the next village is heavily Muslim


RIMG4070 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



More superb ridge line trails as we leave the Muslim village

RIMG4072_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The new bridge

RIMG4076 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4081 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Terraced rice fields


RIMG4082_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4085 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Making a plan of where to turn for some fun steep stuff


RIMG4087_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Evidence of the burning

RIMG4088_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Fun stream crossings

RIMG4090_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4093 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4095 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




One more, this one quite long


RIMG4097_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4103 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4104 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Back up on the ridge line and marvelous views of the rice terraces

RIMG4105_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4108 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4109_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4115 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




......more to come

 

[bsacbob]

Nice pictures Phil was a great day's riding.

 

[KTMphil]

Two stroke from the babies bottle, the easiest way to measure 15 ml per liter

RIMG4119 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4120 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Then off to some of the more nasty trails north of the Kok River to the NW of Chiang Rai

RIMG4124 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Nice, fast trails to start of with


RIMG4127 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4130 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Then a beautiful, fun piece of single track


RIMG4131_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Gradually, more gradient and more rutted and nasty

RIMG4132 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Then real nasty

RIMG4135_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4136_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4139 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




VP on Doi Bo, shame about the smoke spoiling the view

RIMG4140_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Lots of steep stuff around there


RIMG4142 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4143 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



& back down to civilization


RIMG4146 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Back up into the hills


RIMG4151 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Beautiful views over the Kok River


RIMG4153_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




& the terraces


RIMG4154_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4158_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4160 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



An easy indicator of how remote the village is, is to look and see if there's electricity going to the houses

RIMG4163 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Fair sized village and no electricity


RIMG4166 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Remains of Akha Tribe, year end celebrations


RIMG4168 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Some of the landscapes out this way are unique

RIMG4169_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4170 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Liked the place so much, took one of their big sticks home as a momento

RIMG4175_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

The huge Chiang Rai Prison. In the grounds around the Prison there are numerous guard dogs, they got pretty excited with me stopping there.


RIMG4178 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Buffalo's & Wat staircases

RIMG4180_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Unusual Wat


RIMG4181_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4182 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4183 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Kok looking east

RIMG4185 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



What a beauty


RIMG4187_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4191_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4188_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Pretty steep (doesnt show the gradient in the photo), surely there's a way through the bamboo on the trail


RIMG4192 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Looks like no & a backward skid when stopped that all went wrong


RIMG4193 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Looking to link up a couple of trails, this might not go through

RIMG4194 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Huge mystery building, anyone know what this is?


RIMG4195 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



2 months and this rice crop will be ready for harvesting


RIMG4197 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Some unusual houses hidden away around Chiang Rai

RIMG4199 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



This looks like it may have once been a GH


RIMG4200 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The Chiang Rai Prison from another angle. Looks like the inmates have a decent view

RIMG4204 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



More unusual Wat's

RIMG4205 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



& caves

RIMG4206_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Abandoned GH's


RIMG4207 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Really nice new GH on the Kok


RIMG4208 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



More hidden mansions

RIMG4209 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



On this development some of the huge houses were derelict, there's a real interesting story here for sure


RIMG4210 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The big Buddha on the Kok River


RIMG4211 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Locals chillin out on the river
\

RIMG4212 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4213 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4214 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Thats about it

 

[bill]

Phil
Any observations yet on the big bored 150 ?

 

[bsacbob]

Some of my pictures from the first day's ride, was hoping for Phil to bin his bike in the water but no such luck.

IMG_0740 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

IMG_0759 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

IMG_0761 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

Phil and the mighty 150

IMG_0764 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr


IMG_0768 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

IMG_0774 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

Was sure this would cause a spill, but sadly no.

IMG_0778 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

IMG_0786 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

Evidence of the recent burning.


IMG_0775 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr


IMG_0790 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

The newly refurbished suspension bridge in the background

IMG_0791 by Bob Kelly, on Flickr

 

[Captain_Slash]

Looks like theres still plenty of water up your way Bob

 

[Gnasher328]

Looks great, do you have a gpx? Did you get past the fallen tree?
As Cap'n slash has found there is a lot to be said for small bikes when the going gets rough, getting my CRF lowered was the best thing I have done to it (well, possibly apart from the seat!).

 

[KTMphil]

Phil
Any observations yet on the big bored 150 ?

Bill, looks like its an overall success, anyone who's tested it agrees, really ideal for short legged people, even with the 18" X 21" wheels.


More conclusions on the Kawasaki KLX 150 BF below:


http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...klx-d-tracker-choices-2012-a-5.html#post58410