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Hi all! Back from NM today. I'll be brief on this report as I don't have any pics (not a pic guy when I do solo runs). For those who like pics please review this post from tshelfer, who did a great reivew of the area.
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73006&highlight=cloud+country
Left Dallas on Thursday night and stayed over in Synder, TX. Picked up some rain but no issues as the bags have covers. Took off again early Friday morning and after a few hours made it to Ruidoso, NM, just as it started raining pretty solid. Parked at the hotel and unloaded the bike. Decided I wasn't going to sit around just because of the rain and jumped on and headed towards Alamogordo and then on to Whitesands. It stopped raining shortly after I left and tried up quickly. Ride down was good and this area of NM has some amazingly good roads.
Whitesands was, well covered in whitesand... and very hot and windy. So after a bit of roaming around in the area I turned around and headed back up with the intent of going up to the Cloudcroft area. Side note: I saw a ton of police thanking motorists for using their highway so keep that in mind if you go.
From Alamogordo I took the 82 to Cloudcroft which has been deemed a "Saftey Corridor" and all speeding fines are double. The road is good and as you climb it cools off significantly.
Cloudcroft is a busy little tourist town and I passed it over on this first run as it was getting late. I took the 244 back to the 70 and on to Ruidoso. The 244 is a great, curvy road that you can really have some fun on. Some of the cow fences are down so watch for them and the presents they leave for you on the road.
Next day was all Cloudcroft area. I ran back up the 244 then down State Hwy 65 to Sunspot and the observatory. This is very good, very curvy road and worth doing once (or twice as I did). After the Observatory I kept heading south but once you reach Timberon the main road turns to gravel. Not a road for a VFR. Still, I highly recommend going all the way down. Virtually no traffic and twisty all the way down.
Once back in Cloudcroft again, I gassed up the bike and headed down the 130. This was probably the second best road there. The 65 to sunspot is smoother but this has a faster and tighter feel. Each corner is usually followed up by another right after it and you really can get in to it. I then ventured on to the 24 S towards Weed and Pinon. This, to me, was the best road of the trip. I know the 65 should be but the first part of the 24 is tight and has great elevation changes. Traffic is almost nill and as you get over the mountain it speeds up and then speeds up again. At somepoint you realize the fun is over and if you keep going you end up in Pinon which is where I turned around and ran the 24 again. Loved it. From there back to the 130 and on to the 82 as I decided to stay the night in Carlsbad, NM as a jump off point for the ride home on the last day. This was also the road where I came face to face with a cop just as I was finishing a double pass (plenty of road and he came around the corner as I was just passing the second car). I finished the pass, and slowed down shaking my head preparing myself for my fate. I was lucky and he just flashed his lights and let me go on. I guess he knew I was just passing so he left me alone.
The road to Carlsbad required me to take the 82 through Artesia. Holy cow, this has to be the most desloate place on Earth. The road goes on forever and it's hot once you come out of the mountians.
Left Carlsbad around 7:30am CST and took the 180 to the 176 towards Big Springs. Once you get into TX the speed limit ups to 75. The 176 starts as a bit rough but turns into great road with no cars. Connected onto the 20 and made it home in just at 7 hours. It was hot coming back and once I hit Weatherford it got much hotter but traffic flowed so no problems.
In all, a great trip. I would certainly endure the ride through Texas again for those roads around Cloudcroft. They are amazing. Point to point 1,549 miles. The VFR has earned a very good bath... and steel break lines, she earned them
A few notes:
This area is great for all types. If you like riding curves, you'll love it. If you like dirt, I saw a ton of dual sport and dirt bikes near the 130 and 65 junction. If you just want to ride easy and take in the view, it's amazing. Lots of fellow bikers out there too, of all types. I miss it already.
The temp changes a lot on these roads and rain can come and go so dress for cool weather and possible rain but if you plan to drop down out of the mountain on the same ride it gets hot. As this was July I had a longsleeve and shorts under my mesh gear and was cold at times. If you go in the winter there will be snow. The road to Sunspot and beyond has no gas stations but the VFR had well over half a tank after filling up in Ruidoso so it's not a hugh problem. Pinon doesn't have any gas either that I noticed so again plan for that.
If you go I highly recommend riding (in no order) 244, 65, 130 and 24. The 82 to Alamogordo is nice (and has a tunnel) but there were a lot of cars and the safety corridor speed trap thing is a downer.
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73006&highlight=cloud+country
Left Dallas on Thursday night and stayed over in Synder, TX. Picked up some rain but no issues as the bags have covers. Took off again early Friday morning and after a few hours made it to Ruidoso, NM, just as it started raining pretty solid. Parked at the hotel and unloaded the bike. Decided I wasn't going to sit around just because of the rain and jumped on and headed towards Alamogordo and then on to Whitesands. It stopped raining shortly after I left and tried up quickly. Ride down was good and this area of NM has some amazingly good roads.
Whitesands was, well covered in whitesand... and very hot and windy. So after a bit of roaming around in the area I turned around and headed back up with the intent of going up to the Cloudcroft area. Side note: I saw a ton of police thanking motorists for using their highway so keep that in mind if you go.
From Alamogordo I took the 82 to Cloudcroft which has been deemed a "Saftey Corridor" and all speeding fines are double. The road is good and as you climb it cools off significantly.
Cloudcroft is a busy little tourist town and I passed it over on this first run as it was getting late. I took the 244 back to the 70 and on to Ruidoso. The 244 is a great, curvy road that you can really have some fun on. Some of the cow fences are down so watch for them and the presents they leave for you on the road.
Next day was all Cloudcroft area. I ran back up the 244 then down State Hwy 65 to Sunspot and the observatory. This is very good, very curvy road and worth doing once (or twice as I did). After the Observatory I kept heading south but once you reach Timberon the main road turns to gravel. Not a road for a VFR. Still, I highly recommend going all the way down. Virtually no traffic and twisty all the way down.
Once back in Cloudcroft again, I gassed up the bike and headed down the 130. This was probably the second best road there. The 65 to sunspot is smoother but this has a faster and tighter feel. Each corner is usually followed up by another right after it and you really can get in to it. I then ventured on to the 24 S towards Weed and Pinon. This, to me, was the best road of the trip. I know the 65 should be but the first part of the 24 is tight and has great elevation changes. Traffic is almost nill and as you get over the mountain it speeds up and then speeds up again. At somepoint you realize the fun is over and if you keep going you end up in Pinon which is where I turned around and ran the 24 again. Loved it. From there back to the 130 and on to the 82 as I decided to stay the night in Carlsbad, NM as a jump off point for the ride home on the last day. This was also the road where I came face to face with a cop just as I was finishing a double pass (plenty of road and he came around the corner as I was just passing the second car). I finished the pass, and slowed down shaking my head preparing myself for my fate. I was lucky and he just flashed his lights and let me go on. I guess he knew I was just passing so he left me alone.
The road to Carlsbad required me to take the 82 through Artesia. Holy cow, this has to be the most desloate place on Earth. The road goes on forever and it's hot once you come out of the mountians.
Left Carlsbad around 7:30am CST and took the 180 to the 176 towards Big Springs. Once you get into TX the speed limit ups to 75. The 176 starts as a bit rough but turns into great road with no cars. Connected onto the 20 and made it home in just at 7 hours. It was hot coming back and once I hit Weatherford it got much hotter but traffic flowed so no problems.
In all, a great trip. I would certainly endure the ride through Texas again for those roads around Cloudcroft. They are amazing. Point to point 1,549 miles. The VFR has earned a very good bath... and steel break lines, she earned them
A few notes:
This area is great for all types. If you like riding curves, you'll love it. If you like dirt, I saw a ton of dual sport and dirt bikes near the 130 and 65 junction. If you just want to ride easy and take in the view, it's amazing. Lots of fellow bikers out there too, of all types. I miss it already.
The temp changes a lot on these roads and rain can come and go so dress for cool weather and possible rain but if you plan to drop down out of the mountain on the same ride it gets hot. As this was July I had a longsleeve and shorts under my mesh gear and was cold at times. If you go in the winter there will be snow. The road to Sunspot and beyond has no gas stations but the VFR had well over half a tank after filling up in Ruidoso so it's not a hugh problem. Pinon doesn't have any gas either that I noticed so again plan for that.
If you go I highly recommend riding (in no order) 244, 65, 130 and 24. The 82 to Alamogordo is nice (and has a tunnel) but there were a lot of cars and the safety corridor speed trap thing is a downer.
I would do the trip again in a heartbeat. 
