Penetrating Chiang Rai's back doors

[KTMphil]

3 days off exploring some of the most fun trails out the back of Chiang Rai


P1160025_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Jim, Bob & myself, we were lucky as the temperature had dropped off and was nice a cool on the trails with tree shade


0900am and all on time ready to go


RIMG4215 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Some interesting Buddha statues on the way into the trails


RIMG4217 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Into the tea plantations, a little steep, wait for the rider ahead to clear the trail


RIMG4219 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Then cooler in some tree shade


RIMG4220 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4221_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4222 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




A few choices at this fork, deciding which will be more fun


RIMG4223_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





RIMG4225 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

So many choices, a conference was needed at every fork


RIMG4230 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4231_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Slipping into a nasty ol' rut, was ready with the camera for a lay down, but there wasn't one


RIMG4232_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Off like a tractor


RIMG4233_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Into a cool, remote village we found a few weeks back


RIMG4235 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



The hoarding of firewood made us think that this village gets isolated in rainy season with the steep, muddy trails impassable. There's plenty of wood there to cook through the SW Monsoon.


RIMG4236 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Hoping these cows will move before we need to get going


RIMG4237 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Barbie enjoying here dirty, rough ride out the back doors of Chaing Rai


RIMG4238 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Back out onto the trails an onward towards the next village


RIMG4242 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


Chinese graves pop up in the most unusual places



RIMG4245 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4244 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Not the Kok, another beautiful river to the south


RIMG4247_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



What a view


RIMG4249_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



No rain for a long time, we're now in the height of dustiness

RIMG4250 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Makes for fun cornering with the throttle on


RIMG4253 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4254 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4256 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Great views all around



RIMG4257 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




At a corner/ switch back, normally worth a stop, to take in the view from the elevation


RIMG4259 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4260 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Jim racing off down the dusty hill


RIMG4263_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Back towards town on the Kok & a traffic jam at the motorcycle suspension bridge


RIMG4265 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4266_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Hot 'n sweaty, time for some cool drinks at the end of a great days ride


RIMG4267 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Out towards Doi Chiang, a real beauty even on a road bike


P1160027_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160028_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160029_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Exploring some new stuff between R 3037 & R 109, trying to link them up


P1160031_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160032_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160033_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



P1160034_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160035 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Looks well used


P1160036_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Turned into a farm dead end unfortunately


3037 track by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Back out onto the mapped trail that goes through





P1160037_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160038_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Then the nasty steep single track south of R 109 that links to Mae Suai. This wouldnt be do-able in rainy season



P1160039_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





P1160040_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Up over the top and a more gradual decent to the south side



P1160041_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





P1160043 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






P1160044 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Ban Phaya Kong Di in the distance


P1160045_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






P1160046 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



From Ban Phaya Kong Di, there is a bailout onto R 118 to the east



r 118 out by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

The single track south of R 109 to Mae Suai is fun and remote, about 30km of being completely alone. With such steep inclines, no villages along the way


P1160047 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Ban Mae Tam Noi Bon appears as you approach the Huay Mae Tam Luang River


P1160048_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



P1160049 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The trails become farm access by pickup and much easier


P1160050_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

The trail of R 3063 is quickly vanishing with more concrete and clearing every day


P1160051 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160053 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The next day, some exploring north of the Kok River


P1160056 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Easy to lock-up down the steep inclines in the deep bulldust


P1160057_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160058 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Concrete to keep the dust down in the remote villages



P1160062_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160060_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






P1160064 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


Drink stop



P1160065_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




3 in


P1160067_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Off-road 4-up out of the village



RIMG4284 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



RIMG4285 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





Buffalo's seemed at home in the house



P1160068_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160069_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Refreshed and back out onto the trails


P1160070_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Alum. framed WR 250 F is performing well


P1160071_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Cows, horses & buffalo's resting in the terraced rice fields


P1160072_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Some fun low altitude hill trails


P1160073_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160074_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




A fun hill climb scramble


P1160075 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Its quite a fun climb

Up we go


RIMG4298_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

View from the top

P1160076_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160077_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160078_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160079 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Bamboo leaves in the ruts make riding fast on downhill trails dangerous as it hides the depth of the ruts


P1160080_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Nice and cool in the trees


P1160081_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




The abandoned Nazarene Church


P1160082_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

P1160083_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4305_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Lots of expensive teal still there



RIMG4304_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4303_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4306_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr


P1160084_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4308_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

This might be the best loop ive ridden north of the Kok River, buffalo hanging out


RIMG4290_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Lady chasing her horse


RIMG4291 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



Lots of interesting scenery and great trails


RIMG4293_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4294_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4296_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4297_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

Back down towards the Kok


RIMG4300 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Not much burning around, this was the worst we saw


RIMG4301_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




RIMG4302_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




With a lot of the vegetation cleared, you can see trails not visible in November


P1160085_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160086_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




P1160087_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Some new stuff


RIMG4278 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Some old stuff


RIMG4280 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





RIMG4281 by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr



3 great days all over the Chiang Rai region, highly recommended

 

[KTMphil]

75km mark on the graph below shows the steep elevation south of R 109 south to Mae Suai


elev cr by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr

 

[KTMphil]

A bunch of waypointing we've done around the Chiang Rai area


Chiang Rai waypoints by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr