Our primary destination for the journey into the Tarahumara country was the small village of
Guadalupe Coronado. Guadalupe Coronado is situated in the valley of the Urique River at the base of the deepest portion of the Copper Canyons. It is among the most remote and isolated villages in the canyon complex.
Our van dropped us off in the small town of
Urique, located about 3 hours by foot from Guadalupe. We made arrangements for a local resident to transport the majority of our gear to Guadalupe in the back of his pickup truck and eagerly struck out for Guadalupe on foot.
We had marveled at the beauty of the canyons during our slow descent the previous day in a van as we drove from the rim of the canyon down steep and winding dirt roads; but nothing can compare to seeing the canyons by foot as we hiked along the Urique River.
Filled with adrenaline, our hearts were pumping briskly before we even embarked on
The Road to Guadalupe.
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The images below depict the natural beauty and immenseness of the mountains before us as we made our way to Guadalupe Coronado. Along the cactus-lined jeep trail we encountered the clear cool waters of the Urique River; the towering mountains and cliffs rising to the north and south of our trail; only a couple of small isolated adobe homes; wisened Tarahumara grandfathers passing us with grandchildren on their way walking to Urique; wild burros, oxen, and cattle wandering aimless along the trail;.......
After climbing one final hill the trail made a sharp hairpin curve to the right and the mission church of Guadalupe came into distant view.
