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.