On Oct. 4 a group of 24 determined dirt bikers and their 20-person strong support crew will embark on what, for many of them, will be the adventure of a lifetime. Over the course of eight grueling days they’ll zigzag across the Baja California peninsula in an attempt to ride from the U.S.-Mexican border all the way to Land’s End in Cabo San Lucas.

Along the way they’ll cover nearly 1,500 miles of the nastiest, most desolate motocross trails in the Northern Hemisphere. They’ll wear through three sets of fresh tires, tear their skin on razor sharp cactus needles, and get their bikes stuck in swamp-like mud and quicksand-like dunes. They’ll sweat, bleed, swear, spit, swerve, shiver, and experience some of the highest, and potentially lowest, emotions they’ve ever felt.

And they’ll love every minute of it.

This group of adventure-seekers comes from all walks of life. Some have done previous incarnations of this ride for nearly a decade running. Others have waited years for their first invitation to join the “fun.” They’re teachers, CFOs, firefighters, professional off-road racers, and motocross legends.

But they have one thing in common–they love to ride dirt bikes in The Baja.

Ultimately, The Baja is the star of the show and the riders are really just the supporting cast. Baja’s desert landscapes are wild and untamed, but far from barren wastelands. From snow-capped mountain tops to arid coastal dunes to fields of cactus as far as the eye can see, Baja’s wilderness is raw and unspoiled, beautiful and dangerous at the same time.

This year’s ride will showcase the drastic climate and geographic differences along the region’s Pacific coast, where the isolated fishing villages of Baja Norte contrast with the lonely canyon-country of Baja Sur. Riders start their bikes early every morning and ride until sunset almost every day, sometimes covering 200 miles over the course of a 10-hour day.

Then they’ll get up and do it all over again the next day.

Follow along for the next 10 days as we’ll be posting regular blog updates from the trail (if there’s access to the Interwebs, we’ll be posting) with stories, photos, and short video re-caps.

This year’s Rip to Cabo ride is dedicated to FMX and Motocross legend Jeff “OX” Kargola. Kargola tragically passed in May of 2011 while participating in another Baja adventure ride. Here’s a link to a tribute video posted in honor of OX if you wish to learn more about his epic life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQI7NAYv_tg&feature=related