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Farewell to Enchantment

:-P My husband and I would love to move to Chama. We loved northern NM when we drove through it.
 
I know of a nice cabin for sale near Tres Ritos between Las Vegas and Taos.
 
:giveup: Times have been really busy lately. Work, house guests, traveling to Texas to catch up on yard/garden work there. Traveling back to NM for the job, house guests, and getting ready to start the packing for the big move. On yer mark! Ready...Set...(not quite).

:doh: I haven't had time to catch up on posting in our last NM ride report! Well, today, I'm gonna try.

From a couple weeks ago???

Oh yeah...we found this really, rocky, loose and climbing jeep trail. Did I say rocky and loose?
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Up or down, didn't seem to matter...it was just as rocky.
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We stopped for a rest, since wrestling the KLR on all that loose stuff was wearing out my hands...and found even worse conditions to come. I declined to ride the incline in the next set of photos, but I want to point out the post over my husband's left shoulder as he descends the rocky hill. You can kind of use it for size reference, since I'm a poor photographer and didn't really capture the length or steepness of this trail. :lol2:
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We soon found some more relaxing and fun stuff to ride, where all we had to dogde was the occasional fallen tree.
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What a picturesque valley, I could follow these roads happily for years to come.
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Marveling in places like this...
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Look! Elk!
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Finding what's at the end of little used roads like these...
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Oh yeah...:rider: Smooooooth sailing!
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Last week???

Now, I know we've posted almost this exact same photo before...but that has got to be one of the most fun canyons to ride. :sun:
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Look! A cheesy pouf tree! :lol2:
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More downed trees to get around...puddles and more fun roads.
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Another steep incline, but not so loose this time. See me at the top? :zen:
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Roads like this one encourage me to play harder..test the limits of traction.:twisted:
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I do really love being here.
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We stopped to get some vista shots..
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and this little guy nearly got stepped on. :eek2:
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This weekend...I can remember yesterday OK. :lol2:
We found a canyon we hadn't yet been in, so off we go to explore. It's been burned fairly recently, which makes visibility much better, as far as seeing what's ahead on the road or road side.
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Sunny skies...beautiful views....we'll be back right after lunch in the little town of Weed.
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After lunch...the skies aren't looking quite so sunny...so we suit up for rain, which is a common afternoon event in these parts.
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On with the ride!
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Yeah..it's starting to look a bit stormy.
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Looks like that STOP sign has been there a good while...it's made of plywood. :lol2:
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hmmm...the trees have fallen in a circle...odd, don't you think?
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Sure is nice to look at here...smells nice too. Frangrances of pine and fir trees and occasionally sweet grass scents the air.

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Well, the skies are looking pretty threatening, so we best head home.

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Wet streets and trails I expect...
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But snow? In late July?
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Wasn't expecting that...but we made it home safe anyway! :lol2:

Hopefully, we'll ride again today and post a few more pics.:zen:
 
Awesome roads and photos!!! Thanks for sharing all that.

Makes me have an itch I can't scratch :(

(aka I want my Sherpa........ )

I hope we can meet when you return to Texas.
 
Makes me have an itch I can't scratch :( (aka I want my Sherpa........ ) QUOTE]

TS, Your "Super Sherpa" has a TALL order to fill,:rider: when you finally get your hands on it.

Looks to me like you need to go ahead and be saving up those nickles & dimes for the bigger brother 650 KLR!
 
TS, Your "Super Sherpa" has a TALL order to fill,:rider: when you finally get your hands on it.

Looks to me like you need to go ahead and be saving up those nickles & dimes for the bigger brother 650 KLR!
But I'm short :mrgreen:
I think the 250 will work well for me, mostly because I am vertically challenged :) And I've heard some folks say the the Sherpa will go places even the 650's can't go.
I guess I'll have to find that out, won't I? :trust:
 
But I'm short :mrgreen:
I think the 250 will work well for me, mostly because I am vertically challenged :) And I've heard some folks say the the Sherpa will go places even the 650's can't go.
I guess I'll have to find that out, won't I? :trust:


Thanks TS.

Up here, altitude is the problem. Think about a three percent loss in power per thousand foot in altitude. Most of these shots were taken about nine or ten thousand foot. A thirty percent loss in power of a 250 doesn't leave much. I can really feel the loss on my 650.

There are tricks for us shorties. Shaved seat, lowering links, high heeled riding boots.:lol2:
 
Up here, altitude is the problem. Think about a three percent loss in power per thousand foot in altitude. Most of these shots were taken about nine or ten thousand foot. A thirty percent loss in power of a 250 doesn't leave much. I can really feel the loss on my 650.
Re-jetting the carbs? I remember a few KLR riders mentioning doing this for riding at high altitude (with attitude -sorry, couldn't resist) Colorado.

There are tricks for us shorties. Shaved seat, lowering links, high heeled riding boots.:lol2:
Well, I already did that to the Whee, but no high heeled anything :mrgreen:
I don't think I'm willing to forsake the road-worthy Whee-strom for a KLR650. At least, not yet. Although that '08 I saw yesterday could tempt me :trust:
 
Hi,

Those are all excellent pictures.

I too went DS'ing earlier this summer in New Mexico. A lovely route is taking the next road (Van Bremmer) going south on 64 (south of Raton). That road has lots of "sub-roads" and at one point ended up on Ted Turner's land. Apparently he has purchased large tracts of land near Cimarron. I also ended up on a really off the beaten track on CR 21.1. It was a very rugged surprise.

I even tried to ride up the desolate ski mountain called Cuchara near the New Mexico and Colorado border. With the V-Strom I could not quite make it to the top, even with TKC-80 tires....just a little too heavy!

Do you have a GPS file or CR names in which you traveled in New Mexico?

RB
 
Headed to somewhere in the vicinity of Red River to camp for a week next saturday , Cant wait . I used to ride my 250 2 smoke there , never had any problums , just a little less power but still plenty . I didn't rejet and no issues there either . SEYA
 
Hi,

Those are all excellent pictures.

I too went DS'ing earlier this summer in New Mexico. A lovely route is taking the next road (Van Bremmer) going south on 64 (south of Raton). That road has lots of "sub-roads" and at one point ended up on Ted Turner's land. Apparently he has purchased large tracts of land near Cimarron. I also ended up on a really off the beaten track on CR 21.1. It was a very rugged surprise.

I even tried to ride up the desolate ski mountain called Cuchara near the New Mexico and Colorado border. With the V-Strom I could not quite make it to the top, even with TKC-80 tires....just a little too heavy!

Do you have a GPS file or CR names in which you traveled in New Mexico?

RB

Thanks...sorry, no GPS files and way too many CR names to list. You could safely say that our exploration has been west, east and south of Cloudcroft, north of Timberon and west of Alamogordo. Very little riding to the north of Cloudcroft, as it just started putting us too far away from the house, since we have those hounds to care for.
 
Sunday's ride...it was quite a bit wetter today than yesterday. In fact, we didn't even get all the way out of the canyon where our rental house sits before we had to stop and don gear to keep us dry. Here's a shot or two of the canyon that almost always begins our rides.

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We played on numerous, little used roads...

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Had to do a turn around now and then, when we found a dead end...

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Or, just stop and rest a while, wait out some more rain...goof off. You can see our bikes are pretty wet here.

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Nice place to come to an end though.
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The rain caused us to dodge some puddles and ride careful on wet rock.
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Fully deployed outriggers here.
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As usual, the views do not disappoint....rain or not.
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You guys are so lucky to be able to rode together in such a great place to explore! I really miss the days when Beth and I could just hop on the bikes and go... It is not that the kids aren't worth it, they are, I just miss it... Awesome pics... Like Elzi, they make me itch in a bad way :doh:
 
Didn't think there was anything west of there except the White Sands Missile Range... ;-)

:doh: I meant east...did I say west? :doh:

You guys are so lucky to be able to rode together in such a great place to explore! I really miss the days when Beth and I could just hop on the bikes and go... It is not that the kids aren't worth it, they are, I just miss it... Awesome pics... Like Elzi, they make me itch in a bad way :doh:
;-) :-P
That's because we already did the kid raising thing...and sometimes, he comes along for the exploration on his own KLR. :clap:
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That's because we already did the kid raising thing...and sometimes, he comes along for the exploration on his own KLR. :clap:
Hah! Now *that's* the ticket! I suspect that if my daughter ever decides to move close by, she'd be tempted to do the same! And she can fit on one; she's six inches taller than I :mrgreen:
And she's a bike mechanic, too. Hmm.... I think we need to tempt her here and ride with us. Then we'd have a mechanic on the trail, too :trust:
 
Hah! Now *that's* the ticket! I suspect that if my daughter ever decides to move close by, she'd be tempted to do the same! And she can fit on one; she's six inches taller than I :mrgreen:
And she's a bike mechanic, too. Hmm.... I think we need to tempt her here and ride with us. Then we'd have a mechanic on the trail, too :trust:

Yep, there are two good things to bring along on a trail ride. A good mechanic and a good medic. Helps if they are good company too.

A question for Sandy. When are you going to be moved back to Texas? I think I'm going to meet a couple of my brother-in-laws in Cloudcroft in Sept. Will you still be there? If not, can I PM you to pick your brain on some places to ride? Can you give me an idea of what will the weather be like? All I've found is that the average daily high between Sept and Oct drops 15 degrees, so I'm guessing that Sept is when it starts cooling down.
 
Dang, seeing these pictures all over again make me miss NM all the more...

Someone mentioned re-jetting for altitude. If anything you need to go LEANER. Lower air pressure at altitude causes breathing problems not only for people, but for normally aspirated engines. There's the thing called: VE: Volumetric Efficiency, or how "full" the jugs can get on the intake stroke. Less outside air pressure pushes less mixture into the chambers therefore you get less power on each power stroke. I laboured across some tall passes in Colorado in a 40hp VW Bus once... I made the mistake of pulling off road on a steep incline upward at above 12,000 feet... I had to race the engine to red line to make the bus move again... I calculated it later as being down to about 27 or 28 horsepower... In general ELECTRONICLY FUEL INJECTED engines don't need mixture adjustment. Carb engines do better if re-jetted one or two jet sizes LEANER if operated constantly above about 5000 feet...

JR
 
Sandy & Scott,we're going to have another Tech Day out here at my shop sometime after August. Hope you and Scott can make this one. I think we are going to concentrate on swing arm maintenance this next time. I know I'll be installing grease zerks on mine. We'll do the doo for those that need it but I'd like to work on suspensions this next go round.

I lived in Roswell New Mexico when I was younger and miss the camping trips my Dad would take us on. I go back there every 10 years or so and see the old house and Elementary school I attended and am amazed at how small it is. It was so big when I was ten. :rofl:

Your pictures make me want to go on my ride tomorrow instead of this August. I am planning to get on Hwy 380 up here in Decatur and ride it west till it ends. Then see where the GPS takes me.

Melissa had fun Saturday with all the folks out for the Tech Day, and she wants us to plan on cooking up a lunch for the next one. So do plan on coming out. Still hoping to get her on a bike so she can see what she's missing. She loves to camp and hike, but her knees hurt real bad after a long walk, so I think a little trail riding would be the ticket. If I could find a trail bike with an automatic transmission she'd be set. (We almost divorced after teaching her to drive her 5 speed Miata.:giveup:)

Anyway, back on topic. Glad to have you guys coming back near us again, but am also sorry to see you come back. I had high hopes of coming out that way and riding the area with you guys. But the Summer Storms have kept me busy. I still have 5 weeks of vacation I haven't touched yet this year. Better get busy and take some time off.

Great pictures! I can smell the smoke in the pine trees just looking at the photos.

I can't sleep this morning, so that's why I'm rambling. I stop typing now and go read something else.

See ya'll soon.

Curtis
 
<snip>
A question for Sandy. When are you going to be moved back to Texas? I think I'm going to meet a couple of my brother-in-laws in Cloudcroft in Sept. Will you still be there? If not, can I PM you to pick your brain on some places to ride? Can you give me an idea of what will the weather be like? All I've found is that the average daily high between Sept and Oct drops 15 degrees, so I'm guessing that Sept is when it starts cooling down.

We'll be moved back to Texas by mid-August. As to riding places, what kind of riding are you going to want to do? My husband has done a small amount of single track riding here (I have too, but only lasted a few minutes before I squawked "this isn't any fun on a KLR.") We've done some ATV trails, but more often than not on ATVs rather than KLRs. Mostly, the KLRs are great fun for the fireroads, paved twisties and jeep trails.
I'm always following my husband around, so I really couldn't tell you much, other than what I told the other who asked the same...South of Cloudcroft, North of Timberon and East of Alamagordo.


HA! Got it right that time Chuck!

:lol2:

Oh yeah...weather in September? Having only been here for one September so far, I could only guess that there will be almost daily afternoon rain showers, possibly more, possibly less. You saw that it snowed up near Cloudcroft just this last weekend, not much...but that's in July. Come prepared for all kinds of weather, from warm to wintry...and expect to see all kinds.
 
HA! Got it right that time Chuck!

:lol2:

Even though ya'll will be relocated out near Aledo, you will have to visit the Tuesday night Tarrant County get togethers from time to time - just like you used to do...
 
:sun: Hi Curtis,

I saw several tech day reports from your place. Looks like all had a good time. Somebody should have brought y'all some pie!

Maybe you could get Melissa a small off road only motorcycle and let her practise around the home place til she gets comfortable, then slowly graduate her up in bikes, work on some street skills (in a parking lot), get her enrolled in the safety course, licensed and out there riding with the rest of us. ;-)
 
We'll be moved back to Texas by mid-August. As to riding places, what kind of riding are you going to want to do? My husband has done a small amount of single track riding here (I have too, but only lasted a few minutes before I squawked "this isn't any fun on a KLR.") We've done some ATV trails, but more often than not on ATVs rather than KLRs. Mostly, the KLRs are great fun for the fireroads, paved twisties and jeep trails.
I'm always following my husband around, so I really couldn't tell you much, other than what I told the other who asked the same...South of Cloudcroft, North of Timberon and East of Alamagordo.


HA! Got it right that time Chuck!

:lol2:

Oh yeah...weather in September? Having only been here for one September so far, I could only guess that there will be almost daily afternoon rain showers, possibly more, possibly less. You saw that it snowed up near Cloudcroft just this last weekend, not much...but that's in July. Come prepared for all kinds of weather, from warm to wintry...and expect to see all kinds.

Well, I was in Cloudcroft for Memorial day and it was afternoon showers then too. We did some single track (Rim Trail for one), but I didn't get much exploring done on the fire roads. We pretty much stayed in the area between Cloudcroft and Timberon. I'd like to explore the area over towards Pinion a little more next trip.
 
:sun: Hi Curtis,

I saw several tech day reports from your place. Looks like all had a good time. Somebody should have brought y'all some pie!

I agree, I would have liked some pie. German Chocolate Cake would have been even better! But, that's OK. Ron Criswell and I rode up to Muenster today for steaks and Struddel. Only got rained on the last five miles to Muenster and out of it. After that the sun came back out and dried out our clothes. A good day to play hooky from work.

Maybe you could get Melissa a small off road only motorcycle and let her practise around the home place til she gets comfortable, then slowly graduate her up in bikes, work on some street skills (in a parking lot), get her enrolled in the safety course, licensed and out there riding with the rest of us. ;-)

I'm in the market for a 50 to 80cc scooter for her, to get her used to riding on her own out here. Then maybe something bigger. I have my doubts that she'll ever get into riding a street legal street/ DS bike by herself. Now maybe a Burgman 400 or MP3 later but that would be pushing it. She's just not into 2 wheel adventure like we are. Clutches and her don't mix well.

Now if I could find a dirt bike with an automatic clutch or transmission she'd be set.

Curtis
 
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