Baja A Tropical Paradise??

Most people think the Baja is purely desert landscape but come September we get our rains turning Baja into someplace like Africa or Thailand making it a real treat for riding that will surprise you!

Our mountains in Baja Sur rise up to just shy of 7000' therefore we get a lot of afternoon thunder/rain storms in the mountains to contribute to the lush factor as well we get to deal with our hurricane season which is this time of year. Most of the hurricanes miss the direct hits to landfall but the remnants from these storms pass through bringing rains from 1 - 3 inches. To see the transformation of the landscape from everything looking like it is dead mean vegetation to wham bam everything is alive and completely green in a matter of days is pretty cool and always a welcome transformation to mucho verde. The translation for riding is a major change for the trails, traction, and yes a challenge for the changes in the areas with heavy rains and runoff to make plenty of rain ruts and dangerous spots to keep your attention, but overall great riding!. Along with the Sept rains we also experience the absence of tourists in our area so our village becomes a bit of a ghost town with the only people coming to visit are the hungry fishermen that thrive on the some of the best fishing in the northern hemisphere. I am here to challenge you to the thought of coming down for the great riding this time of year and experience our taste of Thailand, of course if the fishing draws you down and you are also a dirt bike enthusiast then this is a perfect time to do both, ride Baja with moisture in the dirt and then head out to catch Marlin, Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo for a trip of a lifetime.

So with the fishing being hot this time of year especially Tuna I will have to share with you the fact we love Sushi and or anything to do with Tuna. My love of the raw pescado and passion to be in the kitchen lead me down the path of figuring out how to make my own Sushi thus friends calling me Kirkisan when I fire up the rice cooker. Its pretty hard to screw up fresh Atun but when it comes to sushi time it gets a little trickier, having the proper supplies are bit of a challenge here so often our guests will be requested to bring some supplies with them, but they always feel rewarded for doing so after making some of my favorite rolls, like the Hippie Roll with Pesto, or utilizing our fresh peppers to make a caliente Jalapeno roll. Of course this is just a small sample of Sushi things, we also love to use the fresh tuna for Poke, and Jae's favorite curry seared style to eat by itself or on a salad that would pass with hardcore critics!

Bon Appetite
Captain 

Bleeding Orange!

You Might just assume that this is all about KTM but my color of choice for many years has been Orange. As it all started with my learning to drive a Kenworth when I was 11 years old and the truck was the prettiest semi on the road, yes it was bright hugger orange and when I got the chance to slide over in the drivers seat I was proud as a boy could be until I would miss a gear with the 2 stick and have to slide back over to the passenger seat. The Orange appeal would continue with my first rig, it was a Datsun Pic Um Up yes that's what the custom pin stripper wrote on the bright orange fancy little truck that was all pimped out from the truck shop crew where I was still working. To this day old school friends still remember that truck and yes the crazy kid wheeling it around always with a dirt bike in the back. I have ridden and raced all the popular brands of bikes over the years and always thought which ever bike I was on was the best and fastest of course, with age comes a little wisdom and came to the realization that all dirt bikes can bugger a guy up pretty bad and so you better figure out your skills and try mastering them before whiskey throttling any of them. My first KTM was a 94 440 2-stroke and man was this thing was a hand full and still is today needless to say the technology in dirt bikes has come a long way since then and all the newer bikes are wonderful to ride and race but my heart has always stayed Orange. When deciding which brand to offer our customers for their Baja experience with us it was an easy decision to go KTM for the reasoning that they have made the necessary changes to become a leader in most disciplines of racing and winning along the way as well. When KTM decided to put a big effort in Baja which has been owned by other brands it was an easy decision to be different than other Baja tour companies and go with those beautiful orange color bikes and be proud of it. The KTM's of today are so enjoyable and easy to ride as well race like no other I can't imagine them taking any steps backwards. Therefor I am feeling very good with all my orange around me for many years to come satisfying all that ride and my satisfaction sticking to my true orange blood lines, I just hope I don't bleed out anytime soon!

Speaking of Orange I promised some views of Baja life and this Blog is a special focus on Mango Madness yes we have an abundance of mango's here and they are absolutely superb fresh of the trees. To be honest I never cared for mango's much when you get them in the states they sometimes are good most times the flavor was so so and mealy texture was a turn off so I usually would skip them over. Down here in LB these things are so incredible you start the day off with a Mango smoothie made with combination of Mango, Papaya, Banana, Strawberry, Cantaloupe, Pineapple whichever is fresh and desired, throw in some yogurt and you start the day off Orange Ready!. After a great day in Baja it is awesome to finish up with a Mango Margarita blended with a good Anejo Tequila, Controy liquor a couple fresh li'mons garnish with paprika and man o man they are so good but you only are allowed 2 as you really don't taste the Tequila so you don't want to get too Mango Eyed and spoil your next perfect day in Baja. One last mention of the Mango's then they will be gone so while they are fresh I use them in Ceviche, Sushi rolls, Salsa, and afterwords I have a stash in the freezer that make a incredible Mango Sorbet for desert.

Ride, Eat, Bleed Orange

Captain.

Ride Report 2 Sea's (Dos Mares)

Hola, this blog is to provide a more detailed account of the riding here in Baja Sur or more specifically from Los Barriles on the Sea Of Cortez to Todos Santos on the Pacific Ocean and back. Today, 2 rejuvenated motorcycle enthusiasts Lang and Andrew gear up early in morning and we head north from LB along the beach, always my preferred direction in the morning, as you really can't beat a sunrise and the early morning light over the ocean. Heading north the first 20 miles is through small developments in and out of pristine beaches until the mountains meet the sea and the trail demands your full attention. Not to dilly dally too much, but a couple short stops for pictures and enjoy the spectacular views from elevated heights over the ocean. A feeling draws you to hang out here all day with a snorkel and cooler '0 cold ones, but noooo, the trails and adrenaline wait not, time to roll.

Passing the summit and down into the Los Planes valley below you can look across and see the next mountain peaks that await us, a quick pit stop as you rarely ever pass a Pemex without stopping then off through the grande cactus and up a very large sand wash towards Piedra Larga which is a large rock outcropping in which the Aztec's performed their human sacrifices to benefit the crops below! when taking the time to stop and climb up the rock it is really a special feeling with lots of energy and strange thoughts fill your head! scary? nahh, but were not going there at night! Continuing on we head through the mountains to El Triunfo where we take a hydrate break while enjoying the old world charm of this 17 century mining town where Eiffel himself designed this structure before he got his big job in Paris.

West ward we head ripping the higher speed road's with a few rancho's to keep your full attention watching out for the vaca, yes we do have cow's to deal with here. Nearing the Pacific the route gets a little more technical mixed with open views giving the sense of feel and smell that the Pacific lays just ahead. Riding the beach is always a special feeling and this stretch of beach gives and gives. The Pacific is usually blasting in the 4 to 6 waves here and plenty of roar to accompany your FMF KTM throaty bike ripping for endless miles of wide sandy beach break with sand whips to play along the way. Todos Santos is a very cool place and great to spend the night or grab lunch at one of the local fares if desired. The draw of this tourist town is shopping galore, historic site's as Hotel California, the Mission etc. Today we are grabbing a few awesome pork taco's another full tank O fun fuel and heading back to the mountains just like my old favorite T shirt said "Work Sucks Im Heading To The Mountains!" Looking back to the East from Todos Santos lie the Sierra La Laguna mountains they rise to almost 7,000 feet and have a very hostile looking environment, we ride straight towards them on a route that a person can never get tired of.  Andrew and Lange are quite happy to have a full belly to keep the energy high for the next couple of hours through the ridge lines, bottom small sand washes and over the mountains throwing in plenty of rocky terrain to keep your S#*! together on. Finally we break towards the Sea of Cortez and follow the large arroyo to San Bartolo for a agua break before heading back to Los Barriles where a cold cerveza or 2 wait for us with the stories and memories to share and laugh over the rest of the perfect evening and a perfect kick a guys ass day!.

As options for this ride, it can be done in one long day as we did today or spending the night on the Pacific, as well there is also a southern route, continue to check out my blog for more ride reports as this is my back yard, a damn big one with lots of abundant riding and adventure opportunities! Come join us.
Captain        

Racing Baja Sur Style!

Our priorities living here are foremost to promote and operate Captain Baja Tours but racing has always been in my blood and when the first race of the season was being held in our town Los Barriles the temptation was too much how do I sign up! You see racing down here is a different beast than what we have become accustomed to in the states. For us that take on the challenge of off road racing we usually wake up way early to drive or make the effort to camp for some extra sleep before the early morning event gets rolling in the middle of nowhere. We take on rituals, gear up, ready our mojo and mount our prepped steed to take on the abuse for whatever distance the checkered awaits! Our wifes, kids, girlfriends, family and friends gather to watch, pit and give general support but beyond that the fan base is relatively small and we are OK with that because what we do is not normal its a heavy personal accomplishment and serious adrenaline fulfillment or as Jimmy Lewis stated Motion Addicted Disorder.
Enter Mexico racing we all think about the Score 250, 500, 1000 some of us me included had to dream for many years before getting to experience these great races and most are still dreaming because location, cost, wife, team, broken bones, etc  ya ya I have had plenty of excuses matter fact all of these! But really us lucky one's that have gotten to experience the grande baja races have gotten addicted because of the excellent competition,  media coverage, great parties before and after, and the huge national fan base that treats us racers like superstars and truly treat off road racing as a national sport!
Baja Sur, Ok I know!  

Wiley Coyote fired up the bike rapped it out and the fans went NUTS!

False start downtown LaPaz in front of 1000's

Fans for life!

So back to question how do I enter my first Baja Sur race? Well first off a competitor needs to get a Federal Motorcycling Race Licence which requires a medical background checkup plus blood type certificate Humm good ideal ehh! Gather your $$, Doc's, picture send in and wait, you always have to remember Poco De Poco or basically things do take a little longer here in Mexico and forces our US cultural beliefs to step it down a gear!. Next is to make contact with the race association which is our fabulous ASMAC BCS and get a bank account number and make a 300 pesos deposit to assure your in for the start position draw, make sure you keep the bank receipt because when you make this deposit there is no reference to who made it.

Following the Score format all races down here consist of a Revision or Contingency the day before and since this is a National sport well its time to start the festivities/party but instead of the conceived notion that you will have tech done, finish final prep, get a pasta dinner and head to bed early BUT NOOO in traditional Mexican fashion the revision doesn't start until 5pm and nobody even shows til dark. Around 9pm the organizers get into their roll and lines start forming for tech inspection bikes quads and all the truck/ car classes start into the process in which the groves of people also appear from everywhere and with night upon us the music gets louder the MC gets into his job with plenty of details of who the teams are! its hard not to start thinking about that 4:30 wake up!!! 

I think this season my "lay it down" time has always been after midnight as this fiesta thing is contagious for all of us, Oh ya did i mention the pre-entry draw is not until 11pm!! Yep 11.

Race morning comes and the usual  routine Goggles X, hydrate X, hydrate again!X, revisit pit plan w the other sleepyheads X, then you remember somebody mentioned a 6am pre race medical exam Ehh!. So as it flows with our Fed Licence we are insured during events and you have to get a pre race med check up and cert. wrist band what a great concept right! You also must bring your helmet to confirm that you have your name, ph#, race number and blood type on your helmet another great practice ditto.

Time to get down & get with it!! almost all our races are 30 second interval starts thus making a timed event, when contemplating which class to enter I chose the 30 pro class which puts me starting behind all the open pro guys and following me will be the open pro quads. The races are open to pre-run 2 weekends before and the courses are marked well with flagging and arrow's so of course at least 1 pre-run is in order with the Captain Baja friends, pit posse and other competitors and if you are not aware this is always a great time for all! especially here in Mexico. Seeing some new country stopping in different villages to say hello pass a couple stickers and get lots of smiling children to grandma's peering from there ranchero's yes it makes you feel Muy Bueno for riding a dirt bike, not the worried US mindset that a USFS/BLM piss fir willy is waiting for you around the next corner in your favorite childhood riding area.

When the green flag drops all these people are waiting for you along with their full extended family and friends it's a National Offroad Race Holiday and all seem to observe this because its seriously 7 am and the 1000's are ready to cheer, wave, take pictures, video's along the 300 K course. I had no booby traps, arrows moved and in general the crowds know what is going on and respect the event completely, the local Policia control all the road crossing and town control with complete authority to ensure an even greater than expected safety factor. Wow things go well for my first race the pit crew does a fantastic job with all stops and I am able to keep a steady pace with 1st OA fellow gringo Jeff Quade and push the last 40 k to close the gap and take the 1st OA by 1min 12 sec. I guess you could say things went well and upon the trophy presentation I got the 1st OA from another fellow gringo/ racer Roger Norman who was in attendance to check out the offroad seen here in Baja Sur. All the competitors were great and this really feels like a old school 70's 80's racing event as anybody will do anything to help you out I cant wait until the next race!  

Like I said time to get down!

1st Overall w Roger Norman Oscar Ramos and ASMAC 

Pretty Coolio Tequila Keg Trophy's

Keep up with my blog to continue the recap of the season so far  2 more races to go !!
Captain

Hola from Captain Baja!

Technology is an amazing creature in which I am starting this Blog to stimulate your brain to think about a different life style. I own and operate with my sexy girl Jae a off road motorcycle adventure company  Captain Baja in Los Barriles Baja Sur Mexico where we live breath and enjoy a healthy lifestyle that I will be sharing with you on a weekly basis. Of course it will be full of KTM motorcycle riding and racing here in Baja but as well I will be trying to give my readers a insight to 2 gringos who gave up the American dream moved a 1000 miles south and really are living our special dream. 
We love adventuring in many ways from our famous big game fishing, diving, discovering new areas, enjoying our superb Sea of Cortez and the mountains that surround us. As well we enjoy bounties of the area in fresh foods and will be sharing some of my love to create a kick ass meal that will make your mouths water just to keep it real. Don't look to see any political nor religious over or under tones here as I don't keep up with current affairs nor care too, just keeping it positive and hopefully fun to read.

Captain
Kirk Russell