Mascota, Jalisco — Mountain Bike & Adventure Photography

A memory scrapbook with Julia, Daniel and Alvin

When Julia Hofmann and her husband Daniel Schaeffer said they were heading to Mexico, we knew it wouldn't be a standard vacation. Coming all the way from Germany, they had two main items on their checklist:

Ride bikes on good raw terrain, and find a classic Mexican pick-up truck to restore and take home.

Being master mechanics with a soft spot for old-school automotive metal, this wasn't just a side project—it was a full-blown mission.

Julia and Daniel arrived a few days early to scout around. Meanwhile, my good buddy Alvin picked me up at the Puerto Vallarta airport, and we drove straight up into the mountains to meet them in Mascota, Jalisco.

Mascota and its surrounding towns like Juanacatlan, Navidad and San Sebastian del Oeste to name a few have become a popular destination for mountain biking. Its relative closeness to Puerto Vallarta and its international airport make this a great destination away from the tourist venues and into a more authentic Mexico. It's a two-and-a-half-hour drive from busy Puerto Vallarta to get to Mascota, and normally the road access to this town is in good shape, but from time to time the old paved road suffers from heavy rains and can get a bit complicated but for most of the year it's fine.

There is plenty of accommodation, and good little restaurants and coffee shops, to make the trip worthwhile. Don't expect five-star hotels, but the hotels in Mascota are quite nice!

Trails are mostly long natural trails with few man-made features. Most of these paths were once used for mining purposes or for communicating between towns, so they carry a lot of history, there are new trails too built specifically for mountain biking. There is a great variety of trails going from fast flowy singletrack to steep, tight and rowdy switchbacks that will make your arms pump and brakes scream! Rest assured, these trails are fun!

Mascota Bike A.K.A. Peter Bocaccio is a one-of-a-kind fun character who takes care of these ancient paths, and has done a great job maintaining and promoting these trails. He is always scouting for new ones and will always let you in on his latest trail discovery.

Trailforks can be used to find several of the trails here and that can give you a glimpse of what the trails are like and where to find them but be sure to contact Mascota bike to pay your trail fee, and they'll surely be glad to help you out with any details.

There are a few guiding companies that can get you sorted out if you are planning on coming here, for sure give Mascota Bike or Mascota Ride a call and they can sort you out with anything you might need.

Mascota always delivers, but staying tucked away in a cozy mountain cabaña made the trip extra special. Our daily rhythm quickly took shape: Mornings: Fresh coffee, gear checks, and rolling out into the golden pine forest trails, mid-day: Blasting through loose dirt, catching backlit dust trails, and soaking up Jalisco's mountain views, evenings: Gathering around the cabin, sharing stories, tuning bikes, and living that unhurried mountain bike lifestyle.

Time stands still here, it almost seems it has done so for some decades. From time to time reality settles in, but I can imagine clearly what old Mexico would have looked like. This lost town in the middle of the western Sierra Madre has its own magic, cobblestone streets, old pickup trucks running through town, some working in perfect conditions, and some clearly have been parked there for no less than eternity accumulating rust and nursing weeds growing inside them, the typical “Ranchero” with his “sombrero” riding his horse to get to his home or field are unique images from this old town. Life moves at a different pace in "this part of town".

Between trail sessions, the search was officially on. Scouting town edges, quiet side streets, and rusty driveway finds, Daniel and Julia were in their element, spotting original patina, inspecting chassis, and admiring old Ford and Chevy workhorses that have survived decades of Mexican mountain life.

There's something unbeatable about squeezing the crew into the front bench of a classic truck, windows rolled down, dust flying, and high vibes all around.

Suddenly everything goes fast again, time flies, and our steeds look futuristic, we embrace the moment and enjoy what these paths line up for us. These ancient trails, maybe once used by miners or locals traveling from one town to another become our playground. But what matters is right now, this moment, the never-ending perfect trail that flows through these mountains like rivers, and lets us come along for the ride.

Let go and enjoy the ride...

Every great journey comes to an end, and it must so we can start writing the next one. But the memory scrapbook will always be there projecting images and experiences to feed our minds with great memories. Let's keep filling it up!

Looking back through these photos, it wasn’t just about whether we found the ultimate project truck or logged the most elevation. It was about spontaneous trips, great friends, golden light, and the shared love for bikes and old engines.

Mascota, you were a core memory.

Category: Editorial & Adventure Photography

Location: Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico

Featured: Julia Hofmann, Daniel Schaeffer 

Photos & Story: Nicolas Switalski

Originally published by Nicolas Switalski on [Pinkbike].