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Smokey Bear 🐻 Cloudcroft NM Ride, Annual Ride Reports

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A friend sent this to me today.
Spruce cabins in Cloudcroft NM. 2 to 3 inch of wet snow. Road is closed to Alamogordo. I bet the ski 🎿 operations are loving this.
 
Yes, on, for now.

No host, no sign up, no commitments, no routes.
Just show up, ride when you want to, where you want to.
As with the Adventure Rider Breakfast Series, just an excuse for like minded individuals to meet up, this time to enjoy cool riding weather in the mountains.
Normally riders group up based on bike size, expected pace and technical desire.

I will be happy to provide onsite advice for ride/route planning.
Such as in StromXTc's picture.
1590769103876.png


1590504620612.png

12th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride
Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Lincoln National Forest
July 27 - 31, 2020
Groups normally depart from the https://www.sprucecabins.com/ around 9a each day.

Unofficial, no host, Gatherings
Pre-ride dinner Sunday, July 26 @ 630p - Cloudcroft Brewing Company

Tuesday, July 28 @ 630p - Western Bar & Cafe for Taco Tuesday *note cash only

Thursday, July 30 @ 1p - Mayhill Cafe

Post-ride banquet Friday, July 31 at 630p - Ski Cloudcroft

For more ride information and videos click HERE

www.youtube.com

Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
www.youtube.com www.youtube.com

 
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Sander looks like y'all have had to do some serious trail work lately...what put all that wood on the ground?
 
RG, they had some extreme straight-line winds, I think late spring 2019. Lots of trails still blocked throughout the summer.

The forest service needs help, saw some fences cut at parking areas along the rim trail. Can only speculate who and why...when there are gates that accommodate legal users.

Historical views of the same part of the Rim Trail at about 3:45 in the video from yesterday.


 
For anyone interested, last fall we made it all the way down T104 (Alamo Canyon) into Alamogordo. It is a pretty extreme trail depending on what bypasses you can find. It is expert only pretty much and there is no way I would take any group down it unless I personally knew their skill level. There is also no way I would do this ride until probably October due to high temperatures on the lower half of the trail.

Once in Alamogordo we high tailed it through town (on un-plated race bikes), hit the highway up the mountain to the shooting range, and then got back on the dirt at Dry Canyon, which depending on the conditions can be tough too (it was). Man I had a few dirty looks from the crew when we got back to the cabin. Ha.

This fall I am going to attempt going back up to West Side Road from T104 via T103. May not be possible. We tried going up T107 from Alamo Canyon (far west end) and out of a group of eight strong riders, only four of us were left after trying to get up the first switchbacks--45 minutes to go 1/2 mile. It is extreme! Like not very possible extreme, and if you know me I am not too prone to overstate, ha.

It rained all last night in most of the forest. Needs it bad!
 
Mountain bikes, not the same but some of the same ground. I've heard the bottom area is trials bike territory, if that...


 
sanderjavant said:
I've heard the bottom area is trials bike territory, if that...
Click to expand...

It is impressive to see. There is a dry waterfall drop with a rock as big as a two story house. There is no way down that although we gave it a look. I was on my 350, one of the first rides I had it on. The cool thing is that it is a huge dry wash with gigantic rocks so there really is no established trail. and you have to pick your way through. A lot of the rocks are big enough for the whole bike to fit on the top of, and one line had me hopping from one rock to another, which put within three feet of the side of the wash, except it was also about a five foot drop. I think I sat there three minutes or so until I got the nerve to clutch it off the top of the rock and make it to the side, which I did, barely. That would have sucked to come up short.

I would love to meet up with you sometime, but I am a long weekend type. It is really hard for me to get off work during the regular work week M-F. I also have some really fun dual sport routes, although I know you have done all of them too.
 
John you mentioned two trails that I've wanted to try for years...103 & 104. I've also heard from folks to stay the heck away from them unless conditions are Cinderella Goldilocks three bears -and we all agree- perfect...and bring along a bike fishing rope because motorcycles cost a whole lot and fishing ropes don't. October you say?
 
_RG_ said:
John you mentioned two trails that I've wanted to try for years...103 & 104. I've also heard from folks to stay the heck away from them unless conditions are Cinderella Goldilocks three bears -and we all agree- perfect...and bring along a bike fishing rope because motorcycles cost a whole lot and fishing ropes don't. October you say?
Click to expand...

Yes sir. You will love it. I will holler. You can stay at my place if you want so you don't have to drag your camper. Aspens turn the last part of October too, usually. Nothing like Colorado but still nice. There are also some old mines I want to find in the same general area. Been looking at some old topo maps. Lead, copper and silver mines that operated in the 40-50s. They look like they are under the first ridge below west side road.
 
John, you took a group of us down some trails around there. I remember eating lunch and hearing bullets fly above us.
 
Got to your phone app store, Apple or 'droid, and load Avenza Maps. the free version allows you to load unlimited free maps from the Avenza website including all of the Natioanal Forest MVUMs. Once the map is on the phone, you do not need cell signal to use the phones gps chip to see if you are on a legal forest service trail or not.
 
From the West Side Road
DSC08465.JPG


www.fs.usda.gov

Lincoln National Forest - Caballero Canyon Trail (T103)

Lincoln National Forest - Caballero Canyon Trail (T103)
www.fs.usda.gov
Trail #103: The Caballero Canyon trail is 4.3 miles long. It begins at the Alamo Canyon trail (T104) and ends at Forest Road 90. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Motorcycle Trail Riding
Difficulty Level:Difficult

www.fs.usda.gov

Lincoln National Forest - Alamo Canyon Trail (T104)

Lincoln National Forest - Alamo Canyon Trail (T104)
www.fs.usda.gov
Trail #104: The Alamo Canyon trail is 7.3 miles long. It begins Forest Road 90 and ends at the mouth of Alamo Canyon in Alamogordo. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Motorcycle Trail Riding.
Difficulty Level:Difficult

www.fs.usda.gov

Lincoln National Forest - Roundup Ground Trail (T107)

Lincoln National Forest - Roundup Ground Trail (T107)
www.fs.usda.gov
Trail #107: The Roundup Ground Trail is 2.8 miles long. It begins and ends at the Alamo Peak trail (T109). The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Motorcycle Trail Riding
Difficulty Level:Difficult

www.fs.usda.gov

Lincoln National Forest - Alamo Peak Trail (T109)

Lincoln National Forest - Alamo Peak Trail (T109)
www.fs.usda.gov
Trail #109: The Alamo Peak trail is 3.0 miles long. It begins at Forest Road 64D and ends at Forest Road 90. The trail is open for the following uses: Hiking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Motorcycle Trail Riding
Difficulty Level:Moderate



 
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Vinny said:
John, you took a group of us down some trails around there. I remember eating lunch and hearing bullets fly above us.
Click to expand...

Yes. That was a fun ride that day. That trail goes through what is called Dry Canyon. When I rode it last fall, a flash flood had gone through there and there was almost no sand left in the wash. It was all rocks and a bit harder than usual. Dry Canyon is one of those I take people on that think the higher mountain trails are rocky. Dry Canyon will reset your perspective on what rock riding is. Ha.

The bullets flying, which Vinny is not making up, were from the shooting range which is at the end of Dry Canyon. The range is on National Forest land and it is basically a free for all and bullets ricochet everywhere when it is busy. We were hunkered down eating lunch at the end of Dry Canyon and it sounded like a Western movie.
 
Nice videos!
Are people still riding last week of this month?
A buddy and I are planning on coming up to Cloudcroft for a long weekend around that time, would love to ride with y'all.
 
Is the Smokey Bear Ride Still happening on 7/27-7/31/20. Are the roads clear from San Marcos TX there and back ? Dumb Covid.....
 
I stopped by the High Altitude mountain bike store while riding through New Mexico a few weeks ago. The gal who runs the store told of a fun rocky trail that goes from Cloudcroft to Alamogordo. It is best done early in the morning to avoid the heat in the lower elevation. This route is called the "A Trail" fondly by the locals. The trail has about a 5,000 foot drop over almost 14 miles.


...it might be worth trying something new.

RB
 
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FCBH said:
I stopped by the High Altitude mountain bike store while riding through New Mexico a few weeks ago. The gal who runs the store told of a fun rocky trail that goes from Cloudcroft to Alamogordo. It is best done early in the morning to avoid the heat in the lower elevation. This route is called the "A Trail" fondly by the locals. The trail has about a 5,000 foot drop over almost 14 miles.


...it might be worth trying something new.

RB
Click to expand...

The A trail is now fenced off where it crosses private property near Alamogordo. The property owner does not allow motorcycles through. So, the A trail is no longer a through trail to Alamogordo. There is no longer an official lower trail head at all.The trail ends east of the private property where it turns into national forest. Also, the trail is no where close to 14 miles. It is five miles one way and it is a down and back. It is a steep climb back up through loose rocky sections, and it will be hot. Strong riders only. The top part from west side road is pretty and scenic. My advice is to ride it down a mile or two to check out the scenery and then turn around and ride it back up.

I think the MTB guys climb the fence and cross the property but that is a no go for motorcycles. That has been made clear by the landowner.

The "High" in High Altitude is well earned, by the way, if you know what I mean.

Also right now very close to that area is an active forest fire, although small it is still growing. It is in Cherry Canyon which is a mile or so South of the upper A trail start. There were 50 or so firefighters and associated people out working the site this past Saturday.
 
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Johnf3 said:
The A trail is now fenced off where it crosses private property near Alamogordo. The property owner does not allow motorcycles through. So, the A trail is no longer a through trail to Alamogordo. There is no longer an official lower trail head at all.The trail ends east of the private property where it turns into national forest. Also, the trail is no where close to 14 miles.

Also right now very close to that area is an active forest fire, although small it is still growing. It is in Cherry Canyon which is a mile or so South of the upper A trail start. There were 50 or so firefighters and associated people out working the site this past Saturday.
Click to expand...

I wonder if there is a legal reroute for that specific private fence section? It seems most of the Lincoln National Forest "property line" goes right up to the City of Almogordo city boundaries.

trail-5-mystery.JPG


In this other video version you see where the riders spill out in the residential streets of Alamogordo. This rider claims most of the route is about 13 miles. At the very least doing to top portion looks like fun on a light 250-450 cc dirt bike.

Red Brown

 
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