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Turtling thru New Mexico w/no plan

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Location
Kerrville
Late in the week, my boss asked me if I’d like the following week off. Immediately I began thinking of a road trip on the bike. Scott (M38A1) is game, so without much planning, we settled on New Mexico and started packing.


Day 1: 13oct mon
We get a late start out of Kerrville as I wanted to start the trip with a fresh rear tire and Monday morning was the earliest it could be done. That and more last minute packing, arranging and rearranging and finally, at 2:00 in the afternoon we were off like the proverbial herd of turtles.

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15 minutes out of Ozona, and it suddenly looked like we had been dropped into a western movie. Mesas and plateaus filled the horizon.

An hour more and we pass wind farms. Those gigantic spinning arms fascinate me. (Maybe it is as simple as a baby who is spell bound by a ceiling fan.) I spy a ranch gate with a sign on it, three prickly pear leaves in the shape of a windmill. Very apropos.

The mesas and plateaus become molded, soft, round shapes that look as comfortable as an old pair of Levi’s, except for the sparse covering of uncomfortable spiny, prickly vegetation.

Scott and I have no reservations and no set itinerary; we are free to roam as the wind blows us. The forecast is promising. From Alamogordo to Cloudcroft for the next 4 days calls for abundant sunshine, highs in the mid to upper 70’s, lows in the high 40’s.

Hard data for the geeks: Day 1, KV to Pecos, TX 319mi. Accommodations: Motel 6.

Day 2: 14oct tue
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Frustration! It’s 39 degrees out! I should have brought warmer gear. Never mind that it will warm to 80 in just a few hours, I am cold now and I hate being cold. First stop: Wally World, long johns for me. Scott waits with the bikes while I scavenge breakfast from the store as well. The best I can do is fried cherry pies, which we eat in front of the Wal-mart. Humm, can’t say much for the ambiance…

It is noon and again, we are off like a herd of turtles. Pressing for Carlsbad, then Artesia…except I take the wrong highway and head us back toward Texas. Grrrr…. Scott corrects our course and we turtle on.

We camp this night for free in a tiny state park near Pinon NM. It is a beautiful, clear, cold night. Scott soon has a fire going and is busy with night time photography.

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I determine that we will get a decent start in the am. And I don’t care how cold it is. With my new fleece long johns, I can handle it.

Not that we’ve followed any plan yet devised, but here is what I plan for tomorrow:
Breakfast in Cloudcroft, (which is only 15 miles away)
Ride Hwy 244 thru the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation to Ruidoso , possibly visit Nogal, then 380 to Carrizozo, north on 54, then 349 thru the Jicarilla Mtns.

Right. We turn in early. And the cold settles in. The temp begins a steady drop. Even in a 25 degree bag plus fleece liner, wearing the new long johns, sweats, winter cap, thick socks and gloves, I am too cold to sleep. It is a very long night…

Hard data: Day 2, Pecos, TX to Pinon, NM (near Cloudcroft): 283 mi. accomos: Kit Carson SP


To Be Continued...


:rider:
 
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Right. We turn in early. And the cold settles in. The temp begins a steady drop. Even in a 25 degree bag plus fleece liner, wearing the new long johns, sweats, winter cap, thick socks and gloves, I am too cold to sleep. It is a very long night…
:rider:

I determined a long time ago that the temp rating on a sleeping bag is temp at which you can survive not be comfortable.:lol2:

:coffee:
 
You clearly didn't consume enough anti-freeze...

I woke up to frozen boots in August outside Cloudcroft many years ago.
 
Day 3: 15oct wed
We wake to a frosty morning. I am not pleased.
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We wake to a Beemmer that doesn’t want to start. (Well, that is not news with this bike. But he seems especially determined to not be disturbed today.)
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The plan for the day is trashed as we realize that Scott’s bike will require professional intervention. After a couple of hours’ basking in the morning sun, the Beemer begrudgingly starts and we head to Alamogordo, hoping to find a mc shop that can replace the battery on Scott’s scoot.

I warm up in the bright sunshine with a sky of cloudless blue
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First we eat. We need food in our belly's
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Then we make our way to Alamogordo over the mountain at Cloudcroft and descend the other side.
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The views are beautiful
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After phoning a BMW dealership in ABQ, we dead head there, arriving around 4:30 and the Beemer finally gets the attention it felt it deserved. Sandia BMW ROCKS! We leave their place at 6:00pm when they normally closed at 5:30.
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We find a nice room at a Studio 6 nearby, have Jason’s Deli deliver dinner and watch tv in bed. (I used much more than my fair share of hot water taking a long, hot bath, followed by a long hot shower. Yes, really.) We plan the next day with cake and DosXX
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New plan: we will go thru the village of San Ysidro, ride thru national forests, hope to spy elk, stop at the Puye Cliff Dwellings, scoot thru Cundiyo, Cordova, Truchas, Las Trampas, ending the day in Taos.

Hard data: Day 3, Pinon/Cloudcroft, Alamogordo, Albuquerque: 269 mi. accomos: Studio6, ABQ

Day 4: 16oct thu
We follow the plan (!) and enjoy it very much. The weather is fine (as in couldn’t be better.) There are shimmering gold birch trees and towering cottonwoods. There is ever-changing and fascinating geology to gape at. There is the local architecture to appreciate. There are ropes of peppers hanging by front doors, drying in the sun… What’s to complain about?

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The spectacular changing colors
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What fantastic mountains
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The Cliff Dwellings
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Well, I will say that it seems anytime the road gets just a little bit interesting, the state of New Mexico slaps a 45 mph speed limit on it, puts up signs declaring it a “Safety Corridor” and doubles any speeding fines you might be so unlucky as to get.

Since my partner is a law-abiding citizen, this was a tad (seriously, just a tad, no more) frustrating for me. It would have, could have been more frustrating if the weather were not so perfect and the scenery so astounding. I was happy to trundle along and enjoy the sights. Seriously, I was.

We found a convenient RV park in Taos that allowed tent camping. We stayed there two nights and I heartily recommend that strategy; “base camping” for a couple of nights so that you can really explore an area. Plus saves setting up and breaking down camp each day, plus means you can scoot along relatively unencumbered. (No doubt most of you reading this already know this better than I.)

Home for the next two days
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Avoiding the loose, treacherous gravel (ask me how I know) of the RV park, we walked to dinner, eating at Casa de Valdez, aka Tequila’s, aka Pete’s place. Had a terrific meal. I had chile rellenos (best I’ve had in a long time.) Scott’s chicken enchiladas were excellent as well. The sopapillas were so good I didn’t even put honey on mine.

Though the park was very much in town, the coyotes ruled the night, keeping us awake with their yipping and yowling. The song dogs and a sudden increase in traffic noise around 2am kept us from a sound sleep. However, we were warm and comfortable in the tent.

Hard data: Day 4, ABQ to Taos, 198 mi. accomos: Taos Valley RV Park & CG


To Be Continued...

:rider:
 
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The temp begins a steady drop. Even in a 25 degree bag plus fleece liner, wearing the new long johns, sweats, winter cap, thick socks and gloves, I am too cold to sleep. It is a very long night…

I truly believe if a sleeping bag is labeled +25, -15, or -30 degrees, all that means is you will not die at that temperature. Not that you will be comfortable. Many of the sleeping bags I have purchased are now gone, but I still have 6..., or 7. :scratch:

Have a very expensive mummy bag that is something like -35 degrees? Froze on the last hunting trip in Colorado. Even tried adding a small liner, long johns, flannel shirt, and wool socks to no benefit.
 
BWDMAX and h2000fb, Ya'll are right of course.

when i bought this sleeping bag, i thought it would be more than adequate because i had never in my life camped out when it wasn't, at the least, in the 60's at night... Adventures with TWT folks have changed that!

RoadThing, I like your strategy; less worry about degrees and just get some 'proof'!

Frozen boots in AUGUST! Arghh!

PS: Scott (M38A1) is inserting the pix and some comments. the pix really make the story. Do check out the short video he made of the week. (See New Mexico-No Plans)

PPS: Thanks everyone for your interest!

:rider:
 
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Ah, I see you found the James Canyon Campground. And my campsite. I do love New Mexico. Well, except for the "safety corridors" which seem to be more about revenue generating than safety.
 
wait...did I read that right??..."law abiding"??...Scott???...surely the rules can be just a little bendy...;-)
 
Ah, I see you found the James Canyon Campground. And my campsite. I do love New Mexico. Well, except for the "safety corridors" which seem to be more about revenue generating than safety.

Yes, we did! Thanks for all your suggestions.

Agreed on the safety corridor issue. I'm pretty sure I saw at least one 50mph rated (and signed) curve in a 45 mph zone. Kinda silly.
 
Great pics, Gina!

Now that I think about it, I recall putting on every article of clothing I had before riding out of Cloudcroft that frosty August morning. Then taking most of it off a very short while later when we descended to White Sands. The fact that summer temperatures could vary so dramatically was news to a couple of boys from the deep south of Louisiana!
 
Gina, what a magnificent adventure! I am so happy you took the chance to get outta town!

:clap:

And envious but we'll ignore that part...
 
What is it with Beemers, Rocky Mountains, and batteries? My GS didn't want to leave Clear Creek Campground so I had to install a new battery in Gunnison Colorado. Could it be the bike's way of asking to stay on the curvy mountain roads?

Enjoying the trip report!
 
Gina, what a magnificent adventure! I am so happy you took the chance to get outta town!

:clap:

And envious but we'll ignore that part...

Kat, you are right, just getting out of town felt joyful. The late start did not matter, as soon as we were out on the highway, it felt great!

:rider:
 
Day 5: 17oct fri
Rode “Enchanted Circle”. Really enjoyed the beautiful valley and community on the edge of Taos and another picturesque town, Shady Brook. Stopped in Red River for hot chocolate then over to Eagles Nest and pointed back to Taos. The day had clouded up.

Red River for Hot Chocolate
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We also made a brief stop at the Rio Grande gorge bridge. I did not linger on the bridge very long. Extreme heights like that bring out in me a crazy urge to jump. I’m not suicidal. I just feel (strongly) that I might be compelled to jump. So I chatted with the vendors that had their wares set up on the side of the road while Scott snapped pix from the bridge.
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On the way back to camp, we bought dinner “fixins” and Scott cooked up a wonderful steak dinner. Everything tastes so much better fireside and in the open, doesn’t it?
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Hard data: Day 5, Taos area, 110 mi. accomos: Taos Valley RV Park

Day 6: 18oct sat
Awakened by thunder and a light rain. Break camp in record speed and are on the road by 8 am. (Astoundingly early for us!)
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Riding in cold rain and fog, I discover that my waterproof boots are not. We stop in the tiny town of Mora at Teresa’s House of Tamales. I go straight to the bathroom to add yet another layer of clothing. And that’s where I discover my boots HOLD water just fine.

I love this pic of Teresa's. really captures the place.
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Scott had asked Teresa what her favorite dish is and low and behold, it is not tamales but instead a breakfast burrito the size of an adult guinea pig. It was very good. (The burrito was good. Not a guinea pig. No pigs were harmed in the making of this burrito. This burrito had lots of green chiles in it. I really enjoyed it. And ate a lot of it. (I will regret that later. And for a surprisingly long time.)
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Teresa’s is a local joint with a homey feel to it. Everyone who walked in knew everyone there. And we enjoyed listening to the conversation being carried on in the local language. (Not Spanish, Teiwa, maybe?)
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We rode til we reached the truck stop town of Vaughn. Ate at Penny’s Diner (not recommended, btw. Overpriced and a multitude of flies.)
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Pressed on to Capitan. Really, we pressed into a head wind that was gusting probably to 30. (When fueling in Carrizozo, I feared Suzi was going to be blown off her kickstand. Kept a foot on the kickstand plate or a hand on her just in case.)


In Capitan, stayed at the Smokey Bear Motel (recommended) and ate twice at the Smokey Bear Diner (also recommended) and visited the Smokey Bear Historical Park. (If you grew up with Smokey (the) Bear telling you that only YOU can prevent forest fires, then this park is also recommended.)
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Hard data: Day 6, Taos to Capitan: 279 mi. accomos: Smokey Bear Motel

To be continued.....

:rider:

.
 
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I'm taking notes here, Gina. I've probably passed through Mora 20 or more times, and never bothered to notice that they have a restaurant. Maybe next summer.....

PS - Is it just my sensitive bottom, or does the pass dropping down toward Red River have really lousy, rough pavement?
 
I'm taking notes here, Gina. I've probably passed through Mora 20 or more times, and never bothered to notice that they have a restaurant. Maybe next summer.....

Tim, can't miss it. Look for mile marker 33 and this view... :rofl: The key is mile marker 33 as referenced in the pic of us above.
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