Albuquerque - the End - August

Albuquerque is a huge city with lots of everything. Including lots to do! The airport served us well. Many different airlines fly in & out here - but we used only Southwest and Northwest to get people into and out of here. Before driving home I had the car fully serviced, including my brakes changed as the experience in the Gila National Forest sort of did them in! I drove almost exactly 14,000 miles RT over the 3 months I was gone from home. Beth was done a few days ahead of her flight out of Albuquerque, so we did several things in the area - including bike the nice trail along the Rio Grande River, visited the nature center adjacent to the river trail, went to the Aquarium, Reptile Museum and Botanical Gardens, hiked through the Petroglyph National Monument - all very worthwhile!!

Even with the price of gas, this was definitely an adventure of a lifetime that I highly recommend. It is certainly nice for the support vehicle to have 2 drivers and for the rider to have a biking companion. Unfortunately we couldn't always have that, but we did OK. I can't imagine a biker doing this trip without a 4-wheel drive support vehicle, but I know its done.

We learned many things from this adventure.
#1 - We live in an amazingly beautiful country and we saw sights that most people will never experience.
#2 - We survived "roughing it" without refrigeration and did just fine. Although if I never eat another MRE, that will be OK!
We lived without a daily shower often and wore clothes more than once (or 3 or 5 times)and it was just fine!! Its OK to be dirty in the wilds!
#3 - Montana and New Mexico virtually tied for our favorite State - although we had an extraordinary amount of unexpected rain in both. Luckily we were never rerouted by fire - it came to areas after we were through them.
#4 - Be flexible and keep a sense of humor!!
#5 - Have a method other than a phone for communicating with one another. Notes on Stop signs worked well for us.
#6 - Although the ride is divided into over 70 days by Adventure Cycling, Beth actually rode only 52 days of the 67 days she spent along the trail. She averaged 48 miles a day and pulled a 70 lb, BOB most of the time. Days off really need to be figured into the equation for both mental and physical health!! So much to see & do along the way!!
#7 - Be well educated on the trip before you go. We planned & planned for over a year, and brought along a lot of gear, but I can't think of anything we didn't use! Some of the things that people may not bring that we used a lot - a hammer with tines (for tent stakes and good for mud clearing), a garden trowel (for all those primative free camping sites), 2 extra bikes, laptop computer and car charger for it - the charger also charged our batteries for the cameras, lots of dry foods (fruits, jerky, nuts, etc.), laundry soap, a plastic dish pan, & a clothesline, the State Gazetteers that were invaluable, lots & lots of plastic bags (we collected rocks, bones, used them for wet gear, etc.) of all sizes!
#8 - You will eat more than you usually do and still lose weight! Outside and active burns a lot of calories.

Antelope Wells, NM -The Mexican Border

Antelope Wells has absolutely no services - only the border patrol building and a few houses the men live in. Be sure you have enough gas to come & go from here and don't count on getting any in Hachita!
BETH writes - Last night was anything but full of sleep. Between the border patrol sneaking up on us to check out that we were Americans, the illegals or drug smugglers that went across the road just down from our tent with their flash lights at 1 am, the full moon, the coyotes, and the wind I got very little sleep. I think I was also excited and axious for today. 35 miles to the border! The ride was rolling and very easy and there was three adventures to the day. The habitat was still Yucca desert and then just before the border the land became more grassy and pasture like. The first excitement was I finally got to see my Rattle Snake!!! He was a about 3 ft long and a little thick in the middle like he had just eaten. The snake was crossing the road and easy to see against the pavement, so no one was in danger. The second excitement or pain for the day was I have ridden almost 2500 miles without a flat tire so don't you know today would be the day. They had just mowed the sides of the road sending Mosquite thorns into the road. I did not get a flat, but did have a slow leak so I had to stop every 8-10 miles to put more air in my soft tire. With six miles left my Mom rode with me to the border. Around 12:15 I crossed the border of the US into Mexico. I had done it!! I had ridden 52 days and almost 2500 miles from Canada to Mexico. I am not sure how I feel. I am definitely proud to say that I have accomplished such a feat, but the end was kind of anti-climatic. Here I have seen a lot of the west by bike, met wonderful people, eaten lots of food, had many good and bad adventures and it feels like maybe I should just keep riding. Instead I packed up my stuff and we drove 4 hours to Carlsbad Caverns. The border is just a line and a sign, but now I know the adventures will have to continue!! I loved the trip in so many ways that riding the Divide will not be the end of the adventure!!! Thank you to everyone who rode with me, to all the people I met along the way, to my Dad for holding down the fort at home and supporting me throughout the trip and to my Mom -- Mom I never in a million years pictured us doing this together and I am soooooo lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive and willing to do anything Mother! Thank you for all your help, carrying all the "good" food, dealing with my grumpy days, and taking 3 months out of your life to come with me for this adventure of a life time!!
JAN writes - None of us slept much last night due to terrible wind and lightening (but it never rained), the border patrol lights shinning on our tent, and flashlights we could see moving through the desert in the distance. We aren't sure who was sneaking through the cactus in the night! We got going in good time in the morning to try to avoid the heat. I rode the last 6 miles with Beth, while Fran drove the Jeep, and we crossed the border at 12:15PM. Amazing! The only other vehicle we have seen all morning was a border patrol. You could lie down on this highway and take a nap and never get hit!!! Now we return Beth to the insane asylum from where she must have come to ride a mountain bike 2,500 miles! Since she has finished way ahead of schedule, we decided to go to Carlsbad Caverns in southeastern NM. We drove over 6 hours and arrived after dark. We set up the tent by headlight and after going to bed the wind started to howl and it poured. We are in the desert!

Hachita, New Mexico

Hachita is an intersection on the way to the border. There is a small cafe next to the rodeo arena. The published camp grounds is not for tenters - no water, no facilities, gravel yard that is totally out in the open in town. The biting flies were terrible. There is a small general store with a gas pump that was not open. We were told the owner opens it when he is in the mood!
BETH writes - Today was an easy 60 miles through the desert. The first part of the day was spent on the last of the dirt roads I would see in this grand adventure. I saw a Rood Runner, huge Millipedes, cool enormous wasps, three Pronghorns and several Black Hawks today. The desert goes from Mesquite bushes to grassy/ Yucca areas over the course of a few miles and then back again. It was fascinating to watch. At mile 43, I came across the last Continental Divide crossing at 4500 ft. and it was flat as can be! I stood there on the line not sure if I should turn around, just stay there or keep going. I was excited to finish my journey a few days ago, but now the bitter sweetness of the end makes me want to slow down and make last forever. Of course the pain in my rear sends my mind back to the idea of finishing the 2500 miles I have come. I arrived around 2:30 in Hachita to where I thought we would camp for the night to find Mom and Fran ready to keep going. The "RV Park" we were supposed to stay at had no working bathroom, no bushes to hide to pee in, and had horrible flies. The town, which is not much of a town, had a small cafe which we stopped and had hamburgers. As we left town a Border Patrol officer stopped my Mom and Fran and told them to camp further down the road because there had been a huge drug bust in Hachita this morning. Oh, Boy!! I rode 11 miles down the road to find Mom and Fran pulled off the highway on a side road and we set up camp. The scarey part is that my map says to camp carefully on this highway because it is used by drug trafficers and illegals at night. We could be in for an interesting night. The road we were along had several cars go down it while we were lounging this evening. I get the biggest kick out of the fact that in NH the idea of people pulled off the road camping would be weird, but here people just wave like you are normal and not out of place. One day left to the border at 35 miles, I just hope for a quite safe night so I can finish my grand adventure.
JAN writes - It was over 80 degrees at 9AM when we set out. Luckily the clouds moved in and it never got above 86 degrees. Fran and I drove ahead of Beth and would wait for her. We explored the desert along the sandy road. We saw lots of quail, road runners, interesting insects, and lots of cactus. We got to the tiny town of Hachita and found that the advertised campground didn't exist. The teenager working at the cafe said we could pitch a tent next to the cafe, but it was also next to the rodeo arena. There was no water or bathroom (or bushes) and the flies were terrible. Then the customs men arrived and we learned there had been a big drug bust and we were warned not to pitch a tent near town as the guys were on foot in the area. Beth got back on her bike and rode another 11 miles to a dirt road where I could pull off and not be driving on cactus. We are now camped next to the road leading to the border. The customs men told us it is patrolled all night and we'll be safer here then further off the road where the illegals sneak through. Not much comfort there and no cell service, so we are armed with 2 canisters of bear spray and a hammer in the tent. Small rattlesnake in pic was warming himself on the road.

South of Silver City, NM

BETH writes - Rode 5 miles to Silver City to the bike shop, where they repaired my bike. With a shifting bike and a good breakfast at a local cafe inside me, I was off to the desert, the Chocoen Desert, one of the largest in the country. To my surprise and pleasure this desert was drastically different than Wyoming's Great Basin. After 15 miles on the highway I entered a Yucca forest with small prickly pears and Rabbit bush (like sage brush, but soft with green color and yellow flowers - its an invasive which indicated over grazing) I rolled on a low grade up and down along the Continental Divide for thirty miles. I found a nice flat spot in which to camp and Mom and Fran were along shortly. We played cards, read, and enjoyed the cool breeze and clouds as the sun set behind us in the clouds.

JAN writes - Beth took her bike to a bike shop and was able to get it working properly. She headed out of Silver City in the late morning, but Fran and I did some museum hopping and hit a few shops. We met up with Beth in the middle of the desert. She found a place where we could pull off the road and set up the tent without being on a cactus. The scenery has taken a drastic change. We are still over 1 mile high and right on the continental divide itself. It was still hot when we made camp and there was no shade, and no facilities or buildings in sight, but we set up a dry tent with no threat of rain. We played cards and watched the sunset before getting a good night's sleep. Picture is of cactus with bird next near camp site.

Silver City, New Mexico

Silver City is a very cool place. It is a very artsy and colorful town. There is a bike shop, several motels and restaurants, grocery store, and gas stations. The KOA is outside of town and is by far the nicest KOA we've ever seen, anywhere!!! William Bonney (Billy the Kid) hails from Silver City. He sure gained a lot of fame for the short 4 years he lived as a criminal in the 1800's! There are a couple of small museums here, too.
BETH writes - Today was a new day and that is how you have to look at things after a day like yesterday. I proved to myself today that I could fix my bike better than I thought. After somewhat rinsing my bike off in the nearby stream, I was able to fix my deraileur (of course the hanger was bent so I had to replace that too) and my bike was rideable, but still would not shift. It is definitely the cable and housing clogged with mud, but on the trail with a dirty bike is not the place to change them. My biking buddies have been trying to convince me to try to ride a single speed bike, but after 54 miles with two gears and tons of hills I will keep my shifting 27 geared bike. Thankfully, the sun came out today and the roads were drier because I spent the day climbing and descending steeply. I spent most of the day in the Ponderosa Forest and then dropped to a semi arid country where there were many cool cacti and huge Yucca plants. I still can not believe how diverse New Mexico is. I enjoyed my last day in the forest because tomorrow, and the last three days to Mexico, will be spent in the desert. At the end of the day I passed a huge pit mine called the Santa Rose Mine. This is the longest continually mined area in the world. People have been mining for copper here since late B.C. and this mine was started as a pit mine in 1842. This mine is three or four times the size of the one in Butte, MT. I rode along it for over 8 miles. It is mind boggling and disturbing the amount of earth we are capable of moving. Tonight we are staying in the Silver City KOA and have showers and are able to do laundry, which is a treat at this point in this adventure.
JAN writes - Luckily Beth was able to get her bike going in the morning. She washed it off in the stream below our tent. She only had two gears out of 27 that worked, but at least she could ride. The road was absolutely terrible - so slippery I couldn't go over 10MPH and the mud was over 1 inch thick sticking to my tires. I had no traction at all. About noon we came to a paved road. Fran and I decided to go to the Gila Cliff Dwellers National Monument and Beth set off toward Silver City. We'd had enough of slippery mud roads! Fran and I stopped for lunch Grey Feathers Cafe and were treated to at least 100 hummingbirds - 7 different species- at over a dozen hummingbird feeders. We'd never seen anything so amazing before! I was able to get lots of pics through the window. We met Beth at the Silver City KOA where she'd gotten a cabin. Of course with a roof over our heads, it didn't rain a drop!!!

Gila National Forest

BETH writes - I have ridden 2300 miles with little bike trouble and had hoped the last five days would remain that way. I learned today that in all great adventures there are always tests and today I had another test! The first 30 miles were easy today even though it started to rain about 2 hours into the ride. I wish I could say the same about the last 17. At mile 30 wet and muddy, my bike stopped shifting in the rear so I had 2 of my 27 gears that were useable. The rain continued and I began to climb for the first time in many days. The roads went from hard pack to .5 inch of sticky clay mud that stuck and clogged in every thing. The rain continued and the going got worse. I was climbing the mountains in the Gila National Forest which climb and descend between 7,000 and 8,000 ft many times over. My Mom and Fran had gone ahead to set up camp and it was beginning to get late. About 10 minutes after Mom and Fran had left me, I rode through a huge mud hole and my deraileur got so clogged that it got shot into my spokes. UGGGGH! Since dark was setting in, it was pouring and my bike and myself were covered in mud, I was not going to repair my bike on the spot. I removed my deraileur tucked it around my seat post and I was walking. As dark set in I saw four Elk and three Deer and began to get worried I was never going to reach the campground. My mom had taken my BOB trailer for the day to give me a break, so I could not set up camp early or get warm clothes. I just had to keep walking. Fortunately, mother's tuition set in and my Mother had gotten worried so she came back with the warm car and we put my bike on the back and went down the mountain 4 miles to the campground. After a late dinner and a wet tent I was warm and in my sleeping bag.
JAN writes - After breakfast we drove about 1 1/2 hours to where Beth quit riding yesterday. On the way we stopped at a very strange site we spotted yesterday. In the middle of nowhere were huge satellite dishes - we learned there were 29. Each was 83 feet in diameter. It is called VLA (stands for very large array). Theses dishes are sending signals into outer space. Amazing what our government spends money on! Fran lives in Florida and was very impressed with the Gila National Forest. She found it hard to believe she was in New Mexico. It looked like we were in Virginia Mountains! Over the course of the day we saw a road runner, pronghorns, elk, a black bear, numerous hummingbirds, and deer. Beth got a late start to riding today and unfortunately the rains began about 2PM and didn't stop until after dark. The dirt roads turned to a slimmy mixture (like a mixture of Elmer's Glue and peanut butter) and the glop stuck to the tires and made for very slow going. Beth's bike and her body were coated with mud! Fran and I went ahead to set up the tent about 7:30PM in a primitive camping spot and when Beth didn't show up by dark, I went to look for her. Her bike had broken about 5 miles from us. The heavy mud made it so her wheels wouldn't even turn. I found her by headlights, walking her bike in the pouring rain. She was very cold, to say the least! Not fun for her! We ate a late, wet MRE meal and crawled into our soggy tent. Luckily it stopped raining shortly after going to bed and the tent was almost dry by morning!

Into the Gila National Forest

BETH writes - Today was once again a great day. The habitats that I traveled through were amazingly diverse from grasslands plains to dense Ponderosa pine forest and even rolling hills that resemble Vermont with different vegetation. The forty mile ride was fairly easy with one Continental Divide crossing. Mom took my trailer for the last 20 miles today so that I could make better time and go with her to pick up my Aunt Fran, who was flying into Albuquergue this evening. I entered the Gila National Forest half way through the day where I would ride for the following two days. I have heard great things about the Gila and I now know why. I rode through a beautiful canyon and into Collins Park which is a huge grassy area with mountains on all sides. I once again managed to out ride the thunderstorms and was glad I was not in a tent because it rained for most of the afternoon and evening. 40 miles of riding and 4+ hours in the car to get my Aunt made for a long day, but we were dry and in a soft bed and had a hot shower for the first time in four days.
JAN writes - This morning we were literally floating on our air matresses in a wet tent when we awoke. It had stopped raining, but it had rained so hard and so long that our old tent was soaked from above and below. We put up a clothes line and spent a couple of hours attempting to dry things before we packed up and headed out. The day was cool and partly cloudy. About 1/2 way through today's ride Beth decided she would come to Albuquerque later with me to pick up her aunt, who would finish the ride with us. She rode 40 miles - thru high plains, a lovely canyon and into the Gila National Forest. We headed to Albuquerque, but stopped in Magdalena, NH and got a motel room. We didn't want to meet Fran after 4 days without a shower! Her plane was right on time, but the 1 1/2 hour drive to and from Magdelina in an electrical storm made for a very late night. I was glad I wasn't leaving Beth out in the electrical storms alone all night!

To Valle Vences Campground

BETH writes - Ok, so Mom had every right to be worried in the Pie Town campground, but it was not people who cost either Mom nor I our sleep. Between the thunderstorms, the donkey calling, the coyotes, the owl above our tent, the highway traffic and the best of all - around 4:30 am Mom got up for a minute and when she laid back down she rolled on the car keys setting off the car alarm which took forever (or though it seemed) to turn off, we did not sleep much. After a great breakfast and two pieces of pie to go. Mom and I were off for the 30 miles to Valle Vences Campground. Early in the morning it had poured, but when I started to ride the sky looked like it was clearing. Wrong!! Once again I spent the day dodging lightning and thunderstorms. I am sensing a pattern. I spent the ride flirting with the Divide - crossing it three times through Pinion Pine and then into a Ponderosa forest. Since it had rained so late this morning the roads were still sticky with mud. The mud is not like New Hampshire mud - it sticks to the tires and creates a huge drag, especially when you have three tires. I had to stop a few times to clear the mud and a rock from between my trailer wheel and the fender. After arriving early in the campground, making cell calls, because amazingly we have cell coverage from the fire tower above us, we set up our wet tent. The we drove to Mangas Mountain Lookout just above us - at 9500 ft. Thousands of miles from home the lookout was the same, with a view that was different from NH, but not what I expected for New Mexico. There were tree-covered mountains in every direction. The only clues we had that we were indeed in NM was that many of them had the characteristic round shape and flap top of extinct volcanos. The sky had cleared just enough for us to have a view and then the clouds rolled in again. We may spend another very wet night in New Mexico, at least the rain keeps temperatures cool!
JAN writes - We had a rough and noisy night. The donkey at a nearby site was braying, an owl sat above the tent and hooted for about 1/2 hour, the coyotes were active and we heard them howling several times, and somewhere toward morning I rolled on the car keys and set the car alarm off. It took me awhile to realize I'd done it and find the keys and shut off the alarm. At about 6AM it poured. We went to the Pie Town Cafe for a breakfast burrito (and pie to go) in hopes that the tent would dry, but we ended up packing up a soggy tent and were on the road by 9:30AM. Cool and threatening rain all day. As usual, I went about 5 miles ahead and waited for Beth to catch me. We drove through beautiful countryside - 3 continental divide crossings. Beth peddled only 30 miles today so we ended up in the Apache National Forest at an area set up for camping with your horse. No water for people, but stock pens and water tanks. We were below the peak of Mangas Mountain with a fire tower and a cell tower, so we had amazing coverage in the middle of nowhere. We had not passed or seen a sole all day and had the campground all to ourselves. We set up the tent and almost immediately had a brief electrical storm. As soon as it cleared we drove to the top of Mangas Mountain and climbed the fire tower and were treated to an incredible view. At the top of the 9,500 ft. high mt. we also saw zillions of lady bugs, horned lizards and moose scat. It looked like we were in the Smokey Mountains, not New Mexico! While eating supper at the site, a herd of elk began to walk past - we counted at least 30 of them, but there were more to come. We decided to walk toward them to get pictures and realized that they were making a noise - like playing "Marco, Polo". Really funny, little grunts and squeaks. The thunder drove us back to the campsite and it started to pour and it didn't stop for hours & hours. By morning we were floating on our air mattresses!

Pie Town, New Mexico

Pie Town has a cafe -The Daily Pie - and a free campground - Jackson Park. Most "campers" live in the park - aren't temporary visitors. Facilities are lacking for tenters! No gas, no motels in town.
BETH writes - Today was the day I had been waiting for since we reached New Mexico. At the day's end, after 31 miles of riding, we would be in the ever famous Pie Town. Guess what they are famous for - my favorite!!! The ride was fairly easy on dirt roads through Pinion Pine and grasslands. I had one divide crossing which, compared to all the others, was cake, or should I say pie. Mom and reached Pie Town early to a open cafe, lunch and PIE!!! I had apple, of course, and it was worth every bit of the 2200 miles to get here, for it. Although, the pie was not the most interesting part of the day. Pie Town has a free campground which is the home to many very interesting people, for at least parts of the year. As we rode in there was a wagon and donkey to the left, a man in his car to the right and various campers scattered around. The "Mule Man" was a hoot and a half. He is a Nez-Pirece Native who has traveled by donkey and wagon for the last 41 years teaching people about the use of many wild plants found in the southwest. He is now 85 years old with his bladder bag hanging on the outside and spends the summer in Pie Town awaiting their annual Pie Festival in September. The next character we met was Edith, an elderly women from Wisconsin. She was beautiful and the people in town call her the pink lady because she has a pink hat, nails and shirt. This poor women lost her husband in 1968 and all of her three kids by 1997 and spends her life traveling by RV and staying in free campgrounds. She was also here awaiting the Pie Festival. Finally, there was John and his dog Alice. John is in "limbo" and lives out of his car. He is an interesting fellow how has two sons and is good with computers. So the story goes on with warnings about others who "live" in the camp ground. Needless to say, Mom was worried and so we went to bed with our Bear Spray and Hammer!
JAN writes - Today seemed long, but we only went 31 miles. The dirt road was rough and it seemed very uninteresting. We were in high desert, with mountain ranges off in the distance. The last 10 miles were on paved roads. We arrived in Pie Town, NM in time for a late lunch and pie at the Town Cafe. It was a busy place!!! We were able to camp at the free town campground, Jackson Park. We soon realized that we were the only temporary campers in the place. Everyone else was living there. An interesting cast of characters, including a Nez Pierce Indian with his donkey. We sat in the car during the normal afternoon shower. We are both getting a lot of reading in!

Cebolla Wilderness - South from Grants, NM

BETH writes - Today was exhausting, but extremely fun. I was again on pavement for most of the 47 miles I rode today because of flood warnings on the other roads. By taking the alternate route Mom and I were able to further explore more of the El Malpais National Monument. I would ride a few miles and then we would stop at various pull offs and go exploring. The first stop was a overlook on sandstone bluffs looking down on the lava flows from the various volcanos - miles and miles of lava! The sandstone was worn away in many places and held pools of water, which had a great amount of life including tadpoles, blood worms, and a interesting type of bivalve (small clam like creature). Most of the day I rode along these huge and beautiful sandstone cliffs. I even spotted a cliff that looked like a Bull Dog head - very cool! The second stop was at the La Ventanna Natural Arch - "the window" is the largest natural arch in New Mexico formed from wind and rain wearing away the rock. (see pics) Stop number three was the best. We hiked on the lava flows for over a mile looking at the 15 foot deep cracks, lava tubes, sink holes, lava flows and huge walls of lava. We definitely felt like we were walking on the moon except for the small junipers and cacti that littered the lava where their seeds could take root. We had to rush our exploration because of the lightning that was moving in all around us. I had 4 miles to where we were going to camp and those miles were adreniline filled!! The lightning was impressive, but way too close for comfort(still several miles away) and the thunder was enough to blow your socks off. I quickly reached Mom, the Jeep and our camping spot to sit safely in the car and watch a better light show than the Forth of July! WoW!!!!!
JAN writes - Today was really fun. We were driving along the El Malpais (which means Badlands in Spanish) National Monument and Wilderness. We made several stops and hiked or explored. The ranger station had interpretive information and exhibits, including binders of wildflower samples put together by a volunteer. That helped us identify several of the flowers we'd been seeing. We climbed to the top of sandstone cliffs overlooking the lava flow that filled the entire valley. We hiked to the 125 ft high natural arch - La Ventenna. That means, "The window". We also hiked over 1 mile on the lava flow. It was amazing to see how small plants and trees were spouting and growing in the lava! There were crevasses that were at least 15 feet deep in the lava. The flow went on for miles and miles and miles, so one can't even imagine how much was spewed out of the volcanoes. The thunderheads were threatening, so we stopped to camp in the (see pic) Cebolla Wilderness area, not a formal camp ground, but a primitive site area. Challenging road to get into & out of that area! We sat in the car, with it pointed at the storms and had an amazing light show for hours. You could see for miles, so we saw storms coming in the distance. Incredibly, we only got occasional sprinkles.

Grants, New Mexico & El Malpais National Monument

Grants has just about anything you need. There are several motels, gas stations and restaurants. A laundromat. A large Walmart & a Pizza Hut is out near the expressway. We stayed at the Sands Motel, just off Santa Fe Ave. - inexpensive & included a continental breakfast. There is an internet cafe just up the road from it. An easy worthwhile side trip is to the Ice Cave & El Malpais National Monument from here.
BETH writes - Today we woke to a beautiful sunrise reflecting off the banded sandstone. After packing up the campsite we took a much better road out of Chaco Canyon and I started back on the paved road, around 10am, for my 54 miles of riding to Grants, New Mexico. The day remained cool and I managed to finish before the thunderstorms hammered through. The road crossed the Continental Divide four times today, so even though the elevation gain was small I felt like I climbed for the first 30 miles of the day. The scenery today was monotonous and there was very little human presence or wildlife. I spent most of the day traveling through th Navajo Reservation. It make me sad to realize the extent of the poor quality land that was given to the Native Americans by our forefathers. The last 18 miles today was a gradual downhill where I powered through at a speed of 17 miles per hour - It was wonderful!! Shower and a real dinner were a great reward for the day.
JAN writes - we packed up and headed back to where Beth left off riding on Saturday. Again the day was partly overcast with rain threatening on and off. We were again on the Navajo reservation and in spite of the fact we were on a paved road, we seldom saw a sole! We wnded in Grants, NM today - in a motel. We are learning that after 3 days we really crave a shower and real food! Picture is of a collared lizard who was just hanging out.




BETH writes of Aug. 9th - Grants is the largest "city" we will be in for the next 6 days, so we took the day off to do laundry and food shopping. While we were here we decided to be tourists as well. Grants sits in the middle of a field of 21 volcanos whose eruptions ceased as early as 1000 years ago. We spent the morning and early afternoon exploring the Bandera Cider Cone and the ice cave near by. Very COOL!! The Bandera Volcano is known for its 23 mile long lava tube, where lava flowed and the outside hardened before the middle, part of which has caved in and is an ice cave. The ice cave has ice that is 20 feet thick and remains at a constant temperature of 31 degrees year round. The ciders, lava that cooled in chunks before reaching the ground, are a variety of colors depending on the minerals found in them. Some of the most common minerals found in the ciders are Calcium (white), Iron (red), Sulfur (yellow), and Sodium (orange). We also spent some time in El Malpais National Monument (the badlands in spanish) looking at sink holes and Java Cave which is a lava tube 3,000ft long and over 100 ft deep where if you had the proper equipment you can go into. I see a very fun trip in the future with high school students!!
JAN writes - As I type the rain is threatening and we are sitting in the laundromat washing our dirty clothes in a machine, for a change. We had a nice day exploring El Malpais National Monument. A large park encompassing over 20 volcanoes-cinder cones, lava tubes and lava flows, sink holes and an ice cave. The picture is of Bandera Volcano. It erupted only 1,000 years ago and is now filling in with debris that has fallen from its sides and blown in. Amazingly, trees and plants are growing in the cinder. We explored an ice cave in the park. 31 degrees inside year around! We were helped by two lovely ladies at the park visitor center. They showed us pictures of flash floods and cars stuck on roads that we are supposed to drive on tomorrow, so we may alter our plans. We will stop at the BLM office tomorrow for the final word on road conditions. It is not hot today as they are having their "monsoon" weather. It stays partially overcast and then the thunderheads build and let loose. After laundry is pizza - amazing what you miss when camping!

Detoured to Chaco Canyon

Chaco Canyon is in the middle of nowhere. No services at all!! Camping is the only option for a sleep over. The bath house has flush toilets. In spite of the dry & desolate land, we saw lots of wildlife. It is well worth the visit, even if you have to bike here!! There are many things that go through your head when you are in a place like Chaco Canyon but the one thing that I kept thinking was how amazing the people before us were and what worthless lazy people we have become. Chaco is a canyon full of these "Great Houses" built and lived in between 800-1400AD. The houses where built of rock, had up to 600 rooms and four stories. But, this is not the most amazing part. The houses had support beams made from Ponderosa Pine which was found over 80 miles away. Now keep in mind these people did not have horses, cows or wheels so they had to carry the huge poles 80 miles to build their houses. These people are called Anasasi, a pueblo people and are the ancestors of many of the Native Americans in this area including the Navajos. These people did not have a written language, but heavily relied on their social structure. As far as we know, they all lived together in these "Great Houses" which had rooms, plazas and kivas. A Kiva is this huge round room that was entered from the top and had benches on all the sides with a fire pit in the middle. There are two types of Kivas - Clan kivas where family groups gathered and great kivas which could hold up to 400 people and where the entire community would gather for rituals, meetings and celebrations. These people where both hunter-gatherers and farmers. Because of their lifestyle they were also sun watchers. Many of their buildings and petroglyphs are aligned to track the movement of the sunrise and the timing of the winter and summer solstice. This is how they kept time. The sun was crucial to their existence. These people were also known for their pottery, jewelry and trading. There is evidence in the artifacts found that there was a trade network throughout the southwest and Mexico. You can hike through many of the "Great Houses" and observe the architecture and unique qualities like the corner doors, the doors that are all 5 feet high and a foot and a half above the ground, and the rooms with incredibly thick walls, no windows and the beautiful brick workthat was once covered in adobe. You can also see many of the unique petroglyphs found in the area.
BETH writes - Heavy Monsoonal rains have driven me to take an alternative route that is on all paved roads for the next two days of riding. The benefit is Mom and I will take a day off and go to Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Today's 54 mile were a small taste of what the next and last 10 days of New Mexico might hold. The road was almost perfectly straight with rolling hills. At the top of every hill you could see the next many hills on the road ahead. Thankfully, the weather was cool and cloudy because today was all about pounding the pavement. The excitement today was the many beeps and thumbs up I got, the car that past three times with a pair of jeans flying out of the sun roof, the two Navajo boys in lawn chairs in the back of a truck and the drive to Chaco Canyon. I finished riding around 3pm, loaded my BOB and bike in the car and off we went for the 33 mile drive to Chaco. What a drive it was! Between the road with ruts, the 1000ft washout that made Mom and me turn around, the 8 inches of water flowing over the road and the 10 miles of washboard, we reached Chaco around 5pm with a brown Jeep and mud covered bikes. After the thunderstorms came hammering through, we set up our tent against the beautiful rock cliffs and made dinner.
JAN writes - Due to the rains that are now coming every afternoon and the warnings that Beth shouldn't go on the dirt roads when we're in a rainy period, Beth is doing some paved road riding. This has made it easier for me and has actually speeded up her riding. She is now ahead of schedule. We left Cuba and struck out on a deserted paved road through the Navajo Indian Reservation. What absolutely desolate country! I can't imagine how anyone survives, let alone makes a living out here! Since rain was threatening, the skies were partly overcast, so the day was cooler. I would drive ahead 5 or so miles ahead and wait until she'd catch me. I've gotten a lot of novels read this way this summer. After Beth rode over 50 miles, to a spot with about 3 houses, called Pueblo Pintado, I loaded the bike and BOB in the Jeep and we we headed to Chaco Canyon National Historical Site. The sad thing is I asked the clerk at the gas station/store in Pueblo Pintado (a Navajo) and he'd never heard of the place - its 33 miles from there and on the same reservation! Anyways, despite poor road signage and a totally washed out road where we had to backtrack, we made it. The car was a muddy mess from what the rains did to the road conditions the day before. As soon as we arrived it started to rain and didn't quit for a couple of hours. We were able to set up the tent against a lovely outcropping of red sandstone and cook a late one pot meal before dark. We went to the evening astronomy program at the visitors center, but due to the sky conditions, their large telescope never came out and we were given an indoor slide presentation. Tomorrow Beth will take the day off.

Cuba, NM

Cuba- has most services you might need. There are several gas stations. A grocery store & a hardware store. McDonald's & Subway for fast food. We ate at El Bruno's - good Mexican food! We stayed at the Frontier Motel - price included an in-room frig. & microwave. The town also has a visitor's center.
BETH writes - Today's 50 miles was one of my favorite days. I am not sure if it was the cool weather, the 30+ miles of downhill, riding without my trailer, watching my Mom become an extreme 4 wheel driver (sorry Dad) or the amazing forests we would travel through. We woke to 42 degrees and I rode the entire day with three layers of clothing and my leggings on. It is hard to believe this is August 5th in New Mexico!! The start of the day was rolling along nice roads which would soon turn to rocky 4x4 road with rocks that resembled the rocky trails of Moab, Utah. It was a blast to feel free from my trailer and bomb down the technical rocky slope. It was also fun to watch my Mom behind me drive the trail with a huge smile behind the wheel. I always knew she was a adventurer at heart! The rest of the day was spent on better roads. I totally enjoyed the speed I could take without my trailer. I also, for the first time all summer, realized how strong I have gotten. Today was the second day in 50 days of riding that I was free from the drag of a third wheel, but tomorrow that will change again. Storms chased me all day as I raced up and down through the mountains. Finally, with 4 miles to go the rain started. I was told August was Monsoon season, but I did not know what that meant until today. It poured! I managed to make it to the hotel only a little wet, but the rain continued for another hour and the temperature dropped again. Mom and I had good Mexican food and a little relaxing in the hotel room.
JAN writes - The 5AM wake up call was something moaning and tramping around on the cones outside the tent. It was pitch black out, Not really sure what it was, but there was elk and bear scat near the tent in the morning. It could have been there the night before. We had rain sprinkles in the night, but the strong breeze had dried the tent by morning. We went down in elevation and up and down again. Changes of habitat with changes in altitude. The day remained cool, with rain threatening. As the trees changed, so did the birds. We saw flickers, turkeys, hawks and lots of juncos. A cow elk jumped right in front of me on the road. Speaking of roads, most of today's roads were really decent. One 2 mile stretch was a doozy! I went slowly and got through with all four tires intact. It really was a rush when I was through it!! I can see the attraction to 4-wheeling! It started to pour just before we arrived in Cuba. NM. Luckily we could get a motel, as it continued to rain for quite awhile. They need the rain here, so we can't complain.

Abiquiu to the top of the world!

BETH writes - Mom and I said good bye to Mike really early at the Albuquerque airport and drove back to Abiquiu. Thanks Mike for a great week and half with lots of climbing!! For the next two days Mom was going to stick with me and carry my BOB trailer. Today was a 4400 ft climb over 28 miles. The weather and scenery were beautiful. With no trailer in tow the climb over rock and through sand was easy. I climbed out of a valley of Juniper and Cacti to a Mesa where Mom and I had lunch looking out over the countryside and up into the mountains. Once we were in the Santa Fe National Forest the habitats would begin to change as we climbed to higher and higher elevations. The climb was along the Polvadera Mesa over looking the volcano like Cerro Pelon peak. All along the ride today there was evidence of people cutting firewood. This is a legal practice in many of our National Forests in order for the forests to be thinned and cut back on fire. In this stretch I am not sure that the cutting would help prevent fire. People would cut and leave pieces everywhere. Mom and I could have had a great fire, except the fire danger is extreme because of the little rain New Mexico has had. The highlights today where the Blue Grouse, Great Horned Owl, and terrific storms and lightning we watched before going to bed. We camped at the top of the world - or so it seemed. We had a view on all sides at 10,300ft. After dinner we watched the clouds roll up over the hill we were on and collide with the clouds and storms over the Cerro Pelon. As the lightning struck through the sky the light reflected with the setting sun making the entire sky light with red, purple and orange colors. The sky was layers of clouds all moving in different directions and settling over the Pelon. It was wild to watch and we were happy we were not under the storms!!!
JAN writes - Today was truely one of the best I've had on this adventure! We said goodbye to Mike in Albuquerque and drove back to Abiquiu for Beth to resume riding where she left off. Since today was to be hot and also the hardest climb of her entire ride, I kept the BOB trailer in the car and was either a few miles ahead or behind her. Today made any previous off roading days look like a walk in the part! Thank goodness I was in a Jeep! My son would be saying, "Way to go Mom!" And my husband would have been horrified at what I drove over today. We had deep sand, gravel, Bandelier Tuff (compressed volcanic ash), volcanic rock, and everything in between. There were ruts big enough to lose a small child in, which I luckily could straddle. The warnings for this stretch were not to drive or bike if raining as the sand turns to quicksand and the tuff to slickrock. But since today was bright and sunny we went ahead and even went further than originally planned. We climbed and climbed and climbed - about 4,300 feet. We quit at the top of the world - on top of the Polvadera Mesa in the Santa Fe National Forest. We were on the northern rim of the Valle Grande Caldera. We quit at 10,350 feet high. We went from cactus, sage brush and scrub trees to blue spruce and fir. We climbed through areas that are being logged with pinon pine and junipur to logged areas of ponderosa pine and aspen into areas that had been logged several years ago. We saw birds galore. Blue Grouse, Owl, gorgeous Western Tanagers and lots of unidentified birds in the once forested and now open areas where grass is now growing. We have not seen a single sole today. It was slow going - it took us 5 1/2 hours to go 29 miles. I doubt I ever got up to 10MPH. There were times Beth was out riding my driving because of the terrain. I was ahead of her once and stopped to wait because of cows on the road. 4 young calves became very intereseted in my car and came closer and closer until they started licking the bug encrusted front of the Jeep - the Jeep had a "cow wash". What started out as hot, is now breezy and cold up high on the Mesa. We are both wearing several layers. I might just stay up here forever!

Abiquiu, New Mexico

One can see why so many painters like Abuquiu. The colors of the rock outcroppings and the geological events that caused them are many. At one time the area was under a salt water sea and at other times saw volcanic action. We were told there was camping here, but not tent camping, as the campground has no toilets. The only Inn - the Abiquiu Inn is very expensive and it was full. There is a pizza joint and bar on the corner of Rts 554 & 84 and also a gas station & market further west on Rt. 84. No one could tell us anywhere close to camp, so we drove 22 miles from there toward Albuquerque to the town of Espanola to find a room. It was extremley hot and the AC was broken and since Mike was leaving in 2 days, the riders decided to take a break.
BETH writes - 57 miles today so that meant mostly downhill - Yippi!!! Today we went from 10,000ft and a Spruce Aspen forest to almost 6000ft with Junipers and tree like Cactus. This is the lowest I have been since Montana! New Mexico finally looked like New Mexico! We went through many small villages today with their adobe homes and Pitbulls. Yes, we had a run-in with a Pitbull and I thought for sure I was going to lose my right calf. The dog was timing my pedal spins waiting for his chance. I moved left and Mike came in and used the panniers to deflect the attention of the dog until he decided he had enough. The next idea was the bear spray, but that would surely do damage to the dog and then we may have had a angry owner with a gun. I have never before in my life been afraid of a dog. The last 17 miles today was on a paved downhill to the town of Abiquiu. Unfortunately, it was not easy. We had a head wind and had to pedal hard going down hill. When we reached the town there was no where to stay - the very expensive Inn was full and no camping near by. We were hot, tired, dirty and I was definitely grumpy! We decided to take Tuesday and Wednesday to be tourists. Mike flies out on Thursday and Mom and I will return to Abiquiu for my last 15 days of riding. Only 15 day and 600 miles - wow does that seem close!
JAN writes - Today I drove about the first 22 miles on the same dirt road the bikers were on. It was really slow going, but we passed through some lovely high altitude meadows. I watched a flock of Red Crossbills - a species of bird I had never seen before. They were collecting gravel on the road for their digestion. Amazing they can eat at all with those funky bills! The frustrating part of the day was that in spite of what was advertised on Beth's route info, there was no place to stay in Abiguiu. I searched for motel, campground or B&B with no luck. When Beth and Mike arrived they had not only ridden 57+ miles, but had fought a headwind in the 95 degree weather. They were bushed and extremely crabby! We decided that since they were ahead of schedule, we would leave they area and go toward Albuquerque where Mike is flying out of in 2 days. We found a cheap motel in Espanola - the last room in the place, had wonderful showers, and learned that the AC didn't work in the room. It was a hot uncomfortable night!

Into New Mexico - To Hopewell Lake

Since the bikers encounter single track and places the support vehicle can't go in this area, they were on their own for 4 days.
The support vehicle went to Mesa Verde - Wow! That was well worth the detour! Too bad we didn't have more time so that the bikers could have gone along!
BETH writes of July 28th - after having a wonderful breakfast where the waitor thought I could never eat that much food, Mike and I were off to climb 4000+ft to the top of Indian Pass. 10 miles of rolling and 13 miles of steep to reach 11,940ft the highest both of us had been on a bike. The climb took us most of the day and some of it was incredibly hard, but I am proud to say I rode most of it. The view from the top was beautiful and ugly. In one direction you looked out across the 14,000ft Colorado mountains with their bare or grassy tops. In the other direction, the ugly-ness of human destruction the Summitville Superfund Site. Summitville was an old mining town that where iron ore, gold and silver were mined in the late 1800's. It is now a EPA Superfund site where you can not drink the water in any of the creeks for the next 30+ miles. From the top of Indian Pass we descended about 1,000 ft to Summitville, just to climb back out. By 6pm, 35 miles, and well over 5000ft of climbing Mike and I were beat, so we chose a nice primitive camping site with a wonderful view. After dinner, we watched a Owl hunt while the sun set and thunderstorms mover through to our east.
On July 29th Beth writes - Coyotes, Mule Deer and Elk woke early with us this morning. This was probably the most wildlife I had seen in one day. This morning we had a nice curvy downhill around these beautiful mountains whose rock was many different colors because of the Iron-oxide in the rock. The rivers and creeks in this area were naturally contaminated and are orange in color. After a 5 mile climb out of the valley we descended to Platoro. Platoro is a small town but has a huge lodge that offers vacationers fly fishing, hunting and horse pack trips. We stopped to have breakfast - YUM!!. The rest of the 38 miles today was spent descending through the valley, but the road was horrid! When we reached Elk Creek campground I felt like I had been beaten even with my full suspension bike. We met John today from Minnesota, who was traveling the divide by motorcycle. It was nice to discuss our travels and excitement over reaching the border. John had even met Mike Morse in Montana on Mike's last day of his Canada trip - small world. The campground had a great creek to bath and do laundry in. Since we had reached the campground early we got to relax - so I laid on rocks by the creek and read. I have such a rough life these days!
July 30th Beth writes - Today we would pay for all of our downhill. We started with a 8 mile climb over La Manga Pass at 10,800 ft - at least it was on pavement. After crossing the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, which takes tourists 82 miles one way curving back and forth between New Mexico and Colorado, we descended again into a valley. As we started to climb back out of the valley we noticed that we were being chased by a heard of cattle and their cowboys. The herd would take a short cut, but we would see them over the next 10 miles. Today was a big day! The last state border! Within 20 miles of today's ride, we entered Carson National Forest and New Mexico. Mike and I soon learned that New Mexico was not what we expected. For the last 11 miles of our 32 mile day was spent climbing steeply to the top of several grassy mesas. One section was very rocky and the map said un-rideable. Mike rode the whole thing! I walked - or pushed I should say. We also learned that New Mexico is the home of unforgiving roads. Finally reaching the campground we managed to get cold drinks off car campers and it was early to bed.

July 31st Beth writes - 35 miles to Hopewell Lake, Cold drinks and spagettii, because we would be meeting my Mom. We descended and climbed through similar grassy slopes and Aspen covered roads. Then we entered once again the high prairie of nothing except nasty roads. I have decided that my brain can not handle the ugly-ness of nothing but brown rolling hills. 10 miles later we were back to the trees thank goodness! After an endless climb we arrived at Hopewell Lake. We greeted my Mom and shared stories of our adventures over the last few days. After laundry and "showers" under the water pump, Mike showed Mom and I how to really play Cribbage - we took a beating! During the game we spotted 3 young male Elk in the field adjacent to our campsite. They did not really care about us, so it was fun to watch them for awhile.