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Cloudcroft vs. Colorado

NWS is predicting heavy rains for AZ for the next ten days so southern CO might be facing similar conditions or that High may protect you.

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Well, isn't that a kick in the .........

Thursday's a travel day so no big deal. Friday however isn't looking too good. I hope it's like Florida where you get rain every day but just for an hour or two in the afternoons.



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Well, isn't that a kick in the .........

Thursday's a travel day so no big deal. Friday however isn't looking too good. I hope it's like Florida where you get rain every day but just for an hour or two in the afternoons.



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I've only been to Cloudcroft once before and not really for riding, but I've been to Raton a BUNCH and that is just how you describe. Almost every afternoon somewhere around you is getting dumped on, but half a mile away it could be completely dry. Now I have no idea if what I was experiencing was a 4 corners high or just normal summer weather.
 
NWS is predicting heavy rains for AZ for the next ten days so southern CO might be facing similar conditions or that High may protect you.

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Good to know for sure! As of right now it looks like standard Colorado Summer weather with rain called for every afternoon. We shall see how it plays out!
 
Afternoon showers were common in Cabristo canyon in northern NM in august and September , I had a 20 x 30 canopy setup over our camp area so it was great , all our tents , cooking area dinner table were covered . We would hang out and watch the grass get watered . We even had carpet on the ground so no dirt or mud .
 
Well, I can't have NUTHIN Nice!!!

Felt bad yesterday so tested for Covid this morning. Yep, I have the cooties and have to quarantine through Saturday. Feel mostly terrible for my friend who changed his plans so we could meet there. Not to mention I've spent 3 days getting the bikes and camping gear all ready and organized.

Really bummed.
 
Show Low, AZ
It's not heavy rain but it's steady. It didn't hit until 5 pm but there was rain all around us since noon. Temps are in the 60s. This is why I leave the Phoenix valley in the summer and come up to 6500' elevation. There's also tons of dual sport riding available up here if that floats your boat.

I like show low area, love the canyons coming up to it, but some years back I got a automated camera traffic ticket at 5:00 a.m. for the most ridiculous posted speed and zero traffic. I ignored it as was from CO. Apparently the town's good people were up in arms over it all, and disposed of the cameras and a few happy enforcers if I had the news right, and its back to being a nice town again.
 
I like show low area, love the canyons coming up to it, but some years back I got a automated camera traffic ticket at 5:00 a.m. for the most ridiculous posted speed and zero traffic. I ignored it as was from CO. Apparently the town's good people were up in arms over it all, and disposed of the cameras and a few happy enforcers if I had the news right, and its back to being a nice town again.
Yes, the cameras are disabled but the cops still enforce the 35-45 limits in town pretty tightly.
 
That is fine by me. I was still a mile outside of town it seemed like, with a crazy low speed limit, very wide road, and 5 a.m. Camera flashed and startled me; really set me off so I ignored the ticket. I was delighted to see the people protest the injustice of those cameras. Now in town, hey, I'm happy to drive whatever they wish. I'm a safety conscious generally law abiding guy... AZ has pretty low speed limits out in the country too, so I find it best to not be in any hurry.
 
Well, we are back from our vacation and I can tell you that the trails in Couldcroft were well.... we have no idea. :) We also have no idea how the trails are up near Divide CO either. :ponder:

What we can tell you is that camping in the parking lot of a Ford dealership for 3 days while waiting on a failed coil to arrive is not very fun. 10 out of 10 we wouldn't recommend it if you were planning on trying it out. The dealership was super nice, they gave us a spot right by power so we were able to run our trailer just fine. But all things considered, it was a pretty sad little trip this time out. Ah well, I'm off to order spare coils and a full set of replacement spark plug wires for this thing to try and never have this happen again.

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Well, we are back from our vacation and I can tell you that the trails in Couldcroft were well.... we have no idea. :) We also have no idea how the trails are up near Divide CO either. :ponder:

What we can tell you is that camping in the parking lot of a Ford dealership for 3 days while waiting on a failed coil to arrive is not very fun. 10 out of 10 we wouldn't recommend it if you were planning on trying it out. The dealership was super nice, they gave us a spot right by power so we were able to run our trailer just fine. But all things considered, it was a pretty sad little trip this time out. Ah well, I'm off to order spare coils and a full set of replacement spark plug wires for this thing to try and never have this happen again.

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Man that stinks to high heaven. Hope you plan on trying again.........Sounds like the kinda luck I am having lately.
 
Man that stinks to high heaven. Hope you plan on trying again.........Sounds like the kinda luck I am having lately.
For sure! Actually, as we drove through Couldcroft on the way home Rachel's first comment was.... "hmmmm, I could totally live here." :lol2:
 
Did you stop anywhere in Cloudcroft? I want to try the Mad Jacks BBQ.
Nope! We were through there at about 7:00am yesterday morning with our toy hauler in tow and a on a mission to just put an end to this vacation as soon as possible. We passed through, looked at things as we went, and headed for the house. Next time though!
 
Nope! We were through there at about 7:00am yesterday morning with our toy hauler in tow and a on a mission to just put an end to this vacation as soon as possible. We passed through, looked at things as we went, and headed for the house. Next time though!
I will cross my fingers for you. 5.4 motor in the Ford?
 
I will cross my fingers for you. 5.4 motor in the Ford?
7.3L Spark plug wires are a known issue in the earlier models which mine is but they have never done a recall on them. There is a TSB on the plug wires on the RV chassis but not the regular truck chassis.
 
Actually, as we drove through Couldcroft on the way home Rachel's first comment was.... "hmmmm, I could totally live here." :lol2:
My friend that lives in Alamogordo was looking at a fixer-upper cabin sitting near the top of a ridge so that he and the wife could get out of the heat of the valley in the summer and be closer to the good riding, but he's pushing 80 now and just didn't want to take on another big project, but there's plenty of opportunity for you to do just that.
:trust:
 
Well, that does suck. It seems Cloudcroft was jinxed this year. At least my trip got canceled before I left but after I loaded everything up.

I guess there's next year to look forward to. Now that it dawned on me that it's the same distance as Big Bend I think I'll be heading there more often.
 
7.3L Spark plug wires are a known issue in the earlier models which mine is but they have never done a recall on them. There is a TSB on the plug wires on the RV chassis but not the regular truck chassis.
Thats wierd. The 7.3 is one of the best motors Ford ever made.
 
Thats wierd. The 7.3 is one of the best motors Ford ever made.
That's the rumor... So far I've had front and rear main seals both go out, it does a weird long cranking thing sometimes, and now the known issue of the spark plug wires that they won't recall. But the main seal is a known thing, and so are the plug wires. The long cranking is something that no one can seem to figure out so we shall see how that plays out.
 
That's the rumor... So far I've had front and rear main seals both go out, it does a weird long cranking thing sometimes, and now the known issue of the spark plug wires that they won't recall. But the main seal is a known thing, and so are the plug wires. The long cranking is something that no one can seem to figure out so we shall see how that plays out
I used one at work for a good while. A dually. Never had one problem with it. Think it was a 1989 and a stick shift.
 
I used one at work for a good while. A dually. Never had one problem with it. Think it was a 1989 and a stick shift.
Ahhhh, you are thinking of a different 7.3L. This is the one I have in my truck.

And don't get me wrong, other than the new model quirks that have come with this, I LOVE this motor. It pulled my 11k pound trailer up the hill from Alamogordo to Couldcroft and maintained the speed limit the entire way. It is something like 18 miles of a constant slog uphill and that thing just motored right up it.
 
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Ahhhh, you are thinking of a different 7.3L. This is the one I have in my truck.

And don't get me wrong, other than the new model quirks that have come with this, I LOVE this motor. It pulled my 11k pound trailer up the hill from Alamogordo to Couldcroft and maintained the speed limit the entire way. It is something like 18 miles of a constant slog uphill and that thing just motored right up it.
It was diesel.
 
7.3L Spark plug wires are a known issue in the earlier models which mine is but they have never done a recall on them. There is a TSB on the plug wires on the RV chassis but not the regular truck chassis.

I thought they had the coil and wire issue fixed on the Godzilla?
 
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