Sunday Ride: Getting the right directions.

DavidFL

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It started off as an innocent Sunday ride with my son Jason on his Honda 125 EFI Wave. Just a cruise out to Chiang Dao & back, to confirm some hill tribe villages waypoints & names for the new GT Rider Golden Triangle map.
These villages are east of Chiang Dao & already crack a mention in the old GT Rider Golden Triangle guide book on P20-21. I've been going out here for 20 yrs & have even been to a few weddings in the Lisu & Palong villages so know them pretty well.
They are all great little villages & worth a look or two if you're cruising by, or even just want an easy day / overnight trip from Chiang Mai. You can stay in most of the villages or with Mon & Kurt in Chiang Dao.

Anyway, back to the story, sort of….
It was in the Karen village of Tachilek that I asked about a possible exit to Lahu Huay Pong, instead of backtracking. Yeah, just go straight ahead was the reply. The road's easy all the way. But sometimes the hardest part is finding the right way out of the village onto the easy road ..............800 metres later we’d probably missed the right way & came across a small obstacle on the trail.

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Jason thought this was fun, a perfect day out on the road with his dad. I wasn’t so sure with the temp hovering on 40 celsius, but perhaps it’s something to do with the age.

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I also don’t think the happy go lucky girlfriend singer would have been terribly impressed with what I was doing with her bike.

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Having successfully negotiated the log, it was on on & up up into the fields
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not much of a trail & I was really wondering if this was the right way

Jason didn’t always pick the right line
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We crested a small hill, came out of this
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& crashed into this, the right road.
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We'd obviously missed the turn! It was easy sailing after this
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A drink stop was called for in Lahu Huay Pong
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and we went cruising the fields & orchards
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Eventually you end up in Mae Or Nai & the asphalt to run back onto R107, 7.7 kms south of Chiang Dao.

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If you’re looking for some nice & easy trail riding with lots of hill tribe villages, then go to Chiang Dao & ride the dirt roads of the east of town.

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Take your time & over night in Chiang Dao if you like.

Or if you want steeper tougher trails, then ride the south side of Doi Chiang Dao. Start from P26 “Hmong Pakhia” in the GT Rider Golden Triangle book & you can keep yourself amused for several days in the Chiang Dao area. Right Happy Feet & Honda Honkey?
 
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DavidFL

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Fast forward 9 years & that dirt trail is now Route # 3047 - 4047

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R3047 starts south of Chiang Dao at the Sop Khap turn off
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Heading north, you turn right here, as soon as you come out of the twisties alongside the Ping river.
Follow the winding concrete road for 4.8 kms & then turn left & head north again.
It's a sweet undulating concrete road...through rubber plantations, lynchee orchards & vege gardens.
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as relaxing & enjoyable as it gets for a Sunday cruise.
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not all the concrete is yet in place
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but it won't be far off

Huay Pong village
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the Lahu village.

How it looked in 2008
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& in the same shop in 2017
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The concrete temporarily ended in Huay Pong
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but it started again 1.5 kms later & continued to wind it's way through the orchards
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in the middle of nowhere a reminder
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No Happiness Surpasses Peace of MMA.......?
Food for thought for those who don't know what MMA is - me included.
Please enlighten me someone!

Eventually the road links up with the Chiang Dao - Pha Daeng road & its time for a bit of a short run east
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You could be in the American wild west out here you might think
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with scenery like that.

The end of the road is not far & its time to turn around & head back west to Chiang Dao
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Back by the Ping & the vege gardens
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Humping garlic
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All in a day's work
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but how do you see where you're going?

The total loop in here, east of Chiang Dao is 39 kms & makes a very pleasant Sunday afternoon cruise.

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A bit more to come with some Golden Oldies pics of the hilltribe villages on this loop from 20+ years ago.
 
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