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Cloudcroft 25 May - 3 Jun

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F-Ride

F-Ride

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Oct 31, 2015
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Location
San Antonio
First Name
Fred
Am strongly considering Cloudcroft initial exploration adventure. Nothing is firm, but want to spend a least 3 to 4 days there to explore. Will trailer WR250R and possibly "Disperse" camp in the NF. Then ride, ride, ride. :rider:

I hear Sunspot Rd is great and make time to check out the observatory, but appreciate any intell on the area to include dirty-day loops with difficulty ratings.
 
Interested in replies you may get.

We have a small group of 3 planning to ride the Cloudcroft area or the BDR Starting May 12 and are also looking for information/recommendation for the area. My son and I visited with a man and his son at Uncles Around the Bend this year at the last night banquet. They had ridden and stayed in the area south of Cloudcroft extensively and had recommendations on a place to stay and the trails. Can't remember their names or the place they recommended to stay. Would like to get in touch with these men to pick their brain some more. Also welcome information from anyone out there. Do bikes need to be plated to ride forest trails / or the BDR? We also consider picking a spot on the BDR, leave the Pickup ride 2 days south, turn around and ride 4 days north and then 2 days south again to arrive back at the hauler. All 3 of us are pretty competent riders that can ride technical or cruise along a speed. The glitch is none of us are real keen on camping so there fore would rather central base ride or ride destination to the next hotel/motel. Camping not a deal breaker, just not preferred. Your input appreciated.
 
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Cabins and hotel/motel in town so a 15min drive to the start of the only single track trail (rim trail) or a 35/40min to Wille White trail head good camping in that area. No hard trails but some rock ;) I'd pm ToeJam
 
Sunspot Hwy is a great ride with glassy smooth pavement all the way to the little town of Timberon. Beyond are tiny, squiggly little paved roads. Keep working south and you'll eventually hit County 506, a nicely packed dirt dual sport road. Follow it back north and it eventually becomes paved and leads you back to either Mayhill or Cloudcroft.

There are lots of unpaved roads to explore off of the Sunspot Hwy. Rio Penasco Road goes east, Karr Canyon Road to the west, which comes out just west of Cloudcroft in the little town of High Rolls. It's pretty rocky at the southern end - proved too much for my VStrom a few years ago - but I'm told it smooths out a lot as you make your way north.

For paved curvies, every road is good. From Cloudcroft, take 82 west and down the mountain to Alamogordo - 20 miles of smiles - then turn around and come right back up. Also from Cloudcroft, follow 244 north over to Ruidoso. Beautiful scenery, great pavement, nice sweeping curves.

Oh, and the observatory is indeed fun and interesting. And free.

Basically, it's all good. Have fun.
 
Thanks for the info. I think we've decided on the BDR. Just need to find a place to park the PU.
 
Thanks for the replies! LNF website has a lot of info. Now I need to learn Garmin Basecamp to get some of these routes set-up.
 
Never really dual sport rode the area around Cloud Croft, but the trail riding is
awesome. Ride rim trail and others in the area, you wont be disappointed. Hopefully i can get back out there soon.
 
I will be up there this weekend. I will have my big Adv bike, and I ride it about anywhere except on the trails West of Sunspot Hwy. I also stay away from the quad infested areas like Willie White. Still not healed up enough to ride my little bikes.

Holler.
 
Cloudcroft Update

Got out and put 50 miles around CC on the 950. Up Lucas Canyon, down and around all the Benson Ridge stuff, up Water Canyon to Old Cloudcroft Road, and then rode the upper loop of Willie White off of 64. Then down Sacramento Canyon towards Sunspot. These are all two track, rocky high quad traffic areas, but suitable for me anyways to ride my big bike. Everything is very dry and dusty right now, but fun. Weather was perfect.

The upper Lucas canyon trail head has "50 inches or less" signs up. The big almost jeep-sized UTV's have been using that trail and it was ruining a fun spot. Maybe that will help, but most ignore the signs.

Law enforcement was out pretty heavy in the Bluff Springs area, which is a circus on holidays anyway, and were writing tickets, mostly it looked like to the UTV/ATV crowd. If you go, make sure you have a legal spark arrestor and a Texas off road sticker (or another that NM honors).

Alamo Peak Road is closed and will be until at least July 1. Forest Service has decided to "thin" the trees. I have heard they are concentrating on clearing pines and leaving aspens. Also heard that is has to do with that side of the mountain being a watershed for Alamogordo. Either way, a very popular spot for camping and riding has no official access for now. The Rim Trail around that area is closed as well, from my understanding.

Sometime in July, I will swing a leg back over my real dirt bike for the first time in almost a year. Hopefully the whole forest will be open by that time.
 
Sunspot Hwy is a great ride with glassy smooth pavement all the way to the little town of Timberon. Beyond are tiny, squiggly little paved roads. Keep working south and you'll eventually hit County 506, a nicely packed dirt dual sport road. Follow it back north and it eventually becomes paved and leads you back to either Mayhill or Cloudcroft.



Better hurry. The chip sealing starts any day now. They have already put down several large patches with loose gravel (usually in the middle of a turn) from the north end to Sunspot.
 
Just got back from doing a short section of the BDR between here and Ruidoso on the 1190. Good time.:rider:
 
TOE JAM said:
Sunspot Hwy is a great ride with glassy smooth pavement all the way to the little town of Timberon. Beyond are tiny, squiggly little paved roads. Keep working south and you'll eventually hit County 506, a nicely packed dirt dual sport road. Follow it back north and it eventually becomes paved and leads you back to either Mayhill or Cloudcroft.



Better hurry. The chip sealing starts any day now. They have already put down several large patches with loose gravel (usually in the middle of a turn) from the north end to Sunspot.
Click to expand...

Yes I forgot to mention the gravel on Sunspot Highway. Been down the county road you speak of many times. I take another dirt road from there and come out near Hope. You can head the other way and go all the way to Dell City.
 
TOE JAM said:
Better hurry. The chip sealing starts any day now. They have already put down several large patches with loose gravel (usually in the middle of a turn) from the north end to Sunspot.
Click to expand...

That is an absolute tragedy!! The SSH is such a great road and had such wonderful pavement. I guess this is one way to get people to slow down though :shrug:
 
TOE JAM said:
Better hurry. The chip sealing starts any day now. They have already put down several large patches with loose gravel (usually in the middle of a turn) from the north end to Sunspot.
Click to expand...

Chip Sealing? :doh:
 
Trip complete,

6 days camping, 530 miles mostly the FS dirt roads. Weather and campsite were great. Maybe will venture out on ATV or MC trail next trip. :sun:
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