The final leg of the TransMexico Norte bikepacking route took us across high ridges in the Sierra Madre del Sur. Daily thunderstorms ensured that we started our days early, and sought shelter in the afternoons. We traveled through the cradle of the Mixtec civilization, whose people have inhabited the high mountain valleys for thousands of years - and whose descendants remain to this day. On the final day of cycling, we dropped down into the Valley of Oaxaca for an extended layover, where we celebrated Mexico’s Independence Day.