Sidetracked: My Brother's Keeper, A "Lost" Art

Getting lost in the backcountry is no joke. Whose job is it to keep the group together when the ride leaves the pavement? What responsibility does the individual have?

"Where's Rick?" asks Ken, our ride leader. Our group of 11 men is on the way to Copper Canyon, Mexico. It's springtime and it's hot this far south. We stop at a village for a break before setting off on the next leg.

Paul pipes up, "I dunno. He was right behind me. I thought he backed off to stay clear of the dust."

"Dave's missing too," someone else volunteers. Our leader seems oblivious to his error. We were never instructed about how we would stay together. The support vehicle rolls up on our motley crew and the driver frowns as he takes a head count. Nine bikes; two guys from Canada are missing, in Mexico, and it's growing late.