New Mexico Back Country Discovery Route
Day 4

 

Todays route will take us from Alpine, Arizona to Grants, New Mexico

 

 

We have breakfast in Alpine at the neatest little cafe--------which allows no cellphones.
If Grandma catches you she will grab it out of your hand and throw it out the door.
There's a sign----better read it----and heed it. You've been warned.
She got tired of people annoying the hell out of everybody else in her cafe I was told from the waitress.

Looks like Bob Bob is admiring the blue sky.
We burn the pavement about 12 miles East back to the dirt route North.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theres a lot of miles from here to there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Might have been country road CR-B007

 

 

 

 

 

My wife watches UFO shows constantly----and sees UFO's in our yard occasionally---so you know what she thought here.
No wonder Bob Bob came up missing for a bit.

 

 

 

It was all dirt for I bet 50 miles or more----no rocks--no gravel---no ashphalt---just dirt.

 

 

 

 

 

Road Dad got this pic---------I never saw it--------I guess I better slow down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can run really fast on this stuff if you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 18 miles North of paved route 80 there was a salt mine waypoint in my gps.
Road Dad got this shot as I didn't even see it and just blew by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But around the bend I slowed and from another vantage point got this picture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Population-------5 or 6 ?????
No services

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Fence Lake

This is worth a read

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When in Baja with Road Dad earlier in this year----he made a snide KTM comment (with a grin)-----and promptly his WR broke down
as the fuel pump just laid down on him and he had to go home.
So after another little Koolaid comment he had a flat tire------Of course us 2 KTM riders were all over him---but he'd get me back.
All in good fun !!!!

 

 

 

 

Ok pay attention you NMBDR riders.
Candy Kitchen, New Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They have everything here---------I mean everything-------except gas---but it's just down the road.
All on the Indian reservation and owned and operated by the Indians.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out back is a hardware store.

 

 

 

 

 

With anything you could possible need-----except a WR250R fuel pump or a 690 rocker arm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And they had lodging.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A ceiling fan and in the back a zippered window for flow thru ventilation.
No AC needed here.

 

 

 

 

 

For $75 bucks ----2 could stay here and get breakfast in the morning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I never saw a woodstove like this----the shiny thing with the spout is a humdifier and is full of water.

 

 

 

 

While we were here we talked to the owner a bit and he welcomes all BDR riders. He was so nice to us.
And a full blooded Indian woman without a tooth in her head cooked us a huge hamburger that we couldn't finish---and made sure to come back to us
and make sure it was OK.
Everybody was so nice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This dirt road went on for miles and it was full of mudholes and I made a game of picking good lines to go around them
just like I did when racing hare scrambles years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I had more pictures of this little 2 track----------it was so fun.
Just dirt and very narrow in spots with some hillclimbs to boot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And on that trail we found this.
On my Roads and Recreations mapping software it says this is "Lava Water Well".
Not sure that is right---but it's what I found on that software.

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like they just built all this steel to keep people from falling in it----------it is very deep.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you don't know what an impassable when wet road looks like when it's dry---you need to remember this---and take heed---and
pray it don't rain on you while on it.

 

 

 

 

You ride right thru Zuni Canyon right before getting into Grants, NM

 

 

 

A rough map of our ride today

 

 

 

 

 

New Mexico BDR ---Day 5

 

Todays ride would take us from Grants, NM to Cuba, NM
Oh no------can't be already ???? We've a long way North to go yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That was a brief scare.

 

 

 

 

Today the route pretty much is the same as the famous CDR---the "Continental Divide Ride"
This is Dado peak and stays in our view for a good 40 miles.

It's all dirt thru here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine this if it was even just a little wet out here---let alone a down pour------you wouldn't be going anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped and posed for a picture that Jerry took and cried like a baby-----big crocodile tears----BigDog Tears.
It was here that me and my son shut our engines off and had a dead engine race down this hill.
It was how far you went -----not how fast. One of the funnest memories of me riding with my son.
But why so sad ??? It was the last time he rode with me as he got other interests and never rode again.
I only have the memories----------and a funny video I still have of us racing down this laughing in our helmets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is something that is not on the NMBDR route.
I had the waypoint in my gps and it's just 7/10ths of a mile off the BDR route.
It's an artesian well----natural water pressure from undergound and no pump is needed---there is no electricity out here.

N35° 34.402'
W107° 12.256'

 

 

 

 

Yes---there was water coming out of this when I opened it------lot's of pressure it seemed.

 

 

 

 

Ride just a bit farther down the road--------not far and you'll find this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The road turned to this---------a dirt road mostly traveled by cattle and one pick up truck.
There were no other tracks and this made us think we were the first to ride the NMBDR tracks since it's been posted to the public.
Don't know if that is true---------but it had been awhile since we saw bike tracks----------and we would never see any more the rest of the ride.
If a mouse had skittered across this road you would have seen his tracks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was dumb for not changing my oil in my bike before I left.
Also dumb for not putting on a new rear tire--------I was getting nervous.
Nothing wears a tire out like a 690.

 

 

 

 

 

We ended up at this motel in Cuba, NM
It was OK and was cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So pay attention BDR riders about this place.
I needed an oil change and went across the street to the NAPA store and went in the "Old School" NAPA store.
Old School---------that's where people are friendly----glad to help you out in anyway they can---the place is kind of dirty---stuff
everywhere---your trippin' over stuff-----but
they got whatever you need---and don't have to log on to a computer to tell you if they have it----and they know exactly where stuff is---------that's 'Old School".

Here's "New School"
Parts guy----"you got a RP300 oil filter??"
"stares at the computer----NOPE"
Me----"how bout if I take that one right behind you on the shelf"

 

Rant over----this guy gets me some full synthetic motorsickle oil-----and a pan to drain my old oil in and tells me to bring the old
oil back to him and he'd get ride of it-----properly.
So I get the job done and the motel lady hollers at me and says I left something at the NAPA store.
I go back there and the same nice guy gives me back my expensive multi-tool.
And I hand him 5 bucks---------he won't take it------and I make him take it and told him "the only reason I gave you 5
bucks is because I didn't have a 10"
And I left------feeling so good about the good people in the world..

 

 

A map of our ride today

 

 

 

 

 

Day 6

 

Cuba, NM to the Finish

 

 

I don't think I said it yet---don't take this lightly.
There are daily GPS tracks of this ride-----we combined the 2 really short ones into one day--and it was fine.

However---all 3 of us agreed-------------if it's raining---there is not one days track that can be completed--not one.
The impassable when wet mud will get you.
There were probably a hundred short stints of this.
One that was a good 50 miles long----another almost that long.
Don't matter how short or long-----you ain't going nowhere.
Set up your tent and wait for it to dry.

 

 

 

I thought winter was over ?????

 

 

 

 

You just can't take enough pictures of Tea Kettle Rock---right along side of the road on NF-103.
N36° 02.854'
W106° 41.315'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is gas food and lodging in Abiquiu-------------very expensive lodging---we turned it down and rode on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albiquiu Reservoir came into view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As we went over the dam on the pavement I saw switch backs heading down into a canyon and thought it sure would be neat to ride down there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well sure enough the BDR route goes right down them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This view of the switchbacks we came down is really neat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then to my amazement this dirt road went for miles and miles along the Rio Chama.
Awesome !!!

 

 

 

 

Pretty muddy---but we made it thru as we got close to the end of the ride.

 

 

 

 

Road Dads tire was shot---or at least I thought it was.
He said he'd could make it to the 100,000 mile mark on his WR with this tire----I don't think so.

 

 

 

 

My rear tire was shot----a Tractionator HT-----140-18 I think.

 

 

 

After ride pic------------we then went to a car wash to clean them up for the ride in the back of our vans home.
Me and Jerry both have identical Ford Transit vans.
He went his way---to visit his son in Denver--and I went mine.
We were so lucky to have such a good ride and I didn't have one tipover.
Jerry had one---he wasn't going to tell me---but I noticed some suspicious looking salt imbedded in his handguars on a dirt road
that had salt protruding from it---------Jerry never saw salt in dirt before---but I had and knew it was slick as ice and crept thru it
like the old man that I am :)

After we headed home----watching the weather radar---those high mountains North of Albiqui got hammered
with snow again---big time.
That would be trouble for riders that were pushing the weather envelope like we did.

 

 

 

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