Good night!

Good night Mt Taylor! Good night GDMBR! Sorry, its that obsession.

Vayan Con Dios

Some Books on New Mexico and Some Tips on Thriving in the High Desert

Before I take these books back to the public library let me jot down the titles and tell you a little bit about them:

The Place Names of New Mexico (revised edition) by Robert Julyan; University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque 1998.

Although it sounds like about as much fun as reading the Manhattan telephone directory this book is actually loaded with tons of interesting information. In many cases the name reveals some of the history. You get to find out what the Spanish words mean, which might help you know where to expect to find things like springs.

Traveling New Mexico – A Guide to the Historical and State Park Markers by Phil Archuletta and Sharyl Holden; Sunstone Press, Santa Fe 2004.

I know what you are probably thinking, but come on, give it a chance. Certainly it will never make the New York Times Bestseller list in any category, but just think of all the time you will save from pulling off the road to read these signs. Besides, they even cover signs that have mysteriously disappeared. Think about what you would have missed if you had not read this book. That would be tragic.

Touring New Mexico by Polly Arango, Kathy Chilton, Lance Chilton, James Dudley, and Patricia McEnearney Stelzner; University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque 1995.

Finally, something that may sound like it is at least half-way interesting. This one is divided into eighteen different automobile tours within the state with plenty of background and historical information to keep you busy for several lifetimes. Although none of the tours directly relate to the GDMBR, you will glean a lot of practical and historical information about the areas that you will pass through or near.

Off the Beaten Path New Mexico – Insider’s Guide 8th Edition by Richard Harris; The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford Connecticut 2007.

This is a self-admitted selective guide that focuses more on unusual and out of the way places that the average tourist is likely to miss. It does not pretend to be complete, just factual and interesting. Again, it does not relate directly to the GDMBR, but fascinating just the same.

Camping in New Mexico – A Falcon Guide by Melinda Crow; Falcon, Helena, Montana 2000.

A good basic information book that needs a little updating. For example Wall Lake (between Mimbres and the Beaverhead Work Center on the North Star Road that runs in between the Aldo Leopold and the Gila wilderness areas) is now privately owned. Some GDMBR blogs have warned that the owners (or caretakers?) apparently put a fair amount of effort into harassing anyone who even looks at their lake. What a shame that they feel that way, but I am sure they have their reasons. So, do not be too surprised if you are harassed by some very cranky people if you even think about stopping on the road at Wall Lake. By the way, they do not own the road, even if they think they do.

Unfortunately, they are not the only cranky people out there. On my El Malpais shakedown while riding on CR 42, I was forewarned by a rancher, Keith Halls, about some similarly cranky people in the area. Fortunately they were not around when I passed by their property. I met Mr. Halls while I was northbound (nobo) on the main route around El Malpais. We crossed paths about 8-9 miles south of NM 53. He was riding slowly sobo on an ATV (aka: Texas wheelchair). Just in front of him, strapped on his ATV, he had a well-worn leather scabbard containing a well-used rife. Naturally I stopped and we talked for a while. I carry business cards with my personal information. I gave him one. I told him who I was and what I was doing. I also explained that I was trying to avoid accidently camping on private land. He told me what to look for and what to avoid up ahead. He said that he tried to get along with people and not harass them. I suspect the rife could do a lot of the talking for him. Actually, he was very nice and helpful.

Even today ranchers have trouble with rustlers and poachers. These problems from the Wild West days have not gone away. Expect them to be initially stern and testy. After a few minutes of polite conversation, most of them will extend their hand, give you a firm handshake, and tell you their name. However, don’t be surprised if they tell you that you are trespassing even when you are standing in the middle of a County, Forest Service, or BLM road. Calmly ask them to show you on the map where you got off the GDMBR.

One cowboy, John W--- (I could not make out his last name because the wind was blowing so hard), I met on the super-wide haul road on the Lee Ranch told me that the map was wrong. I showed him the GPS and a printed list of waypoints that said that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. Eventually he decided I was the genuine article and let me pass. However, he did tell me about a better way that I eventually tried, and I do agree that it is a slightly better route even though it did not look that way at the intersection with the super-wide haul road. I called Adventure Cycling (ACA) and told them about it, but I think they have to stick with what they have already published because people have made donations for each mile on the map.

Update 12/18/07: I just received an email from Carla Majernik at ACA because someone directed her to this post. She let me know that the donations do not effect the route, and that they would investigate my suggested slight route change.

My suggested route change is easy to find southbound (sobo), but a little tough nobo. I promised Carla that I would try to get out there an take some pictures as the weather permits. I am pretty sure I have GPS tracking data from when I drove that shortcut on July 4, 2007. If you are interested, then email me. I can also be quite specific about the suggested route change on Google Earth.

Unfortunately there are a lot of roads that do not exist out there that show up on various maps; even though they do not exist anymore. Maybe worse than that is the fact that there are a lot more roads in that area that exist, but are not on the maps. I am not sure which is worse when you are trying to braille your way through that country for the first time.

Nevertheless, the key difference between what I am suggesting and what shows on the ACA map is that the road I am suggesting passes just east of Laguna Polvadera, whereas on the ACA map the road passes to the west. There is a cow path that runs west of Laguna Polvadera, but the real road stays east of it. Also, I hope you realize by now that Laguna Polvadera may or may not have any water in it. It might just be a big grassy hole when you go past it.

One of the reasons I was sceptical of cowboy John's information, was because on an old topographical map on TopoFusion it showed that road to be on private land. However, many of the topographical maps are way out of date in terms of roads and windmills. Apparently, things have change radically since that map was printed.

One last point. Eventually I will figure out how to post GPS tracks superimposed on maps on this blog. When I do, then you will see that the tracks do not necessarily follow the road on the map in this area. Although it is true my GPS can be as much as 30 feet off, it probably is not that far off once it is stabilized. The technology they used to make the maps may not have been as precise as being tracked by several satellites, or the roads have been moved due to erosion problems. [end of update 1]

This other way is easy to find if you are sobo. Instead of taking the left at the super-wide haul road at mile 81.2 on the main route of the GDMBR Map 5B, stay straight. Even though it does not look very promising it is good road and it is a shorter distance to the paved road. However, for nobos it is difficult to find, because several roads come together near there. Unfortunately it is not just poorly marked; it is not marked at all. So, unless you are traveling nobo with someone who is familiar with the area, you had better stick to the way the map shows. I’ll take some pictures and get some GPS coordinates the next time I am out there.

John also told me about another route that goes over the mountains instead of running through the valleys from the Hunters Camping Area near Cerro Del Ojo Frio (mesa of the cold spring) to about a mile from San Mateo Spring near Mt Taylor. I drove that route later in the year and it took me 5 hours to drive about 50 miles. It was rough and covered with a lot of what he called “slick- rock,” which I found out translates to lava. Vehicles are restricted on it a lot of the year, but the BLM and Forest Service claim they patrol it. I have a lot of pictures from up there. It was pretty enough, but the route that Adventure Cycling mapped out is geologically more interesting and probably safer in a lightening storm. I would prefer to take my chances at a lower elevation.

However, speaking of lower elevations, stay out of the arroyos when water is flowing. Even if it is dry you want to be listening for water coming fast. This is one reason I do not listen to music when I ride. It could be sunny where you are, but 10-20 miles away there was a downpour. The water may be coming your way, and you don’t want to be in the bottom of some arroyo when it gets there. Flash floods wash down all kinds of critters and varmints, including snakes. Set up camp somewhere out of the arroyos, but not on the highest point around either. Then just sit and wait. The parched ground will slake itself and the ground will firm back up overnight or usually within a day. Be patient and enjoy the show.

I do not want to sound like doomsday is here, but both cowboy John W(?) and the folks at the district BLM office in Albuquerque told me stories about rescuing GDMBR riders between the super-wide haul road near San Mateo and the Hunters Camping area, who had gotten lost, broken down, or otherwise been in some desperate condition.

There is essentially no cell phone service between the Hunters Camping area and Grants. You might find a couple square feet where you pick up a weak signal on the mesa a few miles south of the Hunters Camping area, but that is about all that I have found. If you can see the Jemez Mountains to the northeast, then you might get a weak signal. For sobos, as you drop down towards Cerro Parido (past Bear Mouth and looks like a giant crab claw), you quickly lose any cell phone signals. Otherwise, you are pretty much on your own. There does not seem to be any signal on the back side of Mt Taylor.

The Sandoval Ranch is about half way between San Mateo (no services, but homes) and the Hunters Camping area. Unfortunately unless someone comes along to direct you, you won’t know which side road to turn to find them. Nothing is marked and they really like it that way.

These conditions and some horror stories are probably why a lot of GDMBR riders use the alternate route between Cuba and Grants. However, if you are up to the challenge, the main route is far more interesting and worthy of the effort. Just be prepared to spend more time there than you planned. Carry extra food. Water is not quite as big a problem out there as you might think, but I will blog more about that at another time.

The last book that I want to recommend for planning your New Mexico GDMBR trip is:

New Mexico’s Continental Divide Trail text written by Bob Julyan, photography by Tom Till and William Stone, Westcliffe Publishers, Englewood, Colorado, 2001.

The GDMBR and the CDT cross and overlap in a few places in New Mexico, but the pictures, maps, route descriptions, and resource lists (in the appendices) are well worth some serious perusal.

There is also a companion book called Along New Mexico’s Continental Divide Trail that also features photographs by Tom Till and William Stone and includes a journal account of trail experiences by David Patterson. I am going to try to borrow that from the public library too.

Update 12/18/07: I could not find Along New Mexico's Continental Divide Trail at the library. On Amazon there was one used copy for more than $40. I emailed Westcliffe Publishers and they emailed back today. They told me that it is out of stock and that they do not have plans to reprint it. Of well, such is life.

On a positive note, I was talking to one of my riding partners and fellow GDMBR aspirant, Rick. Rick mentioned in our conversation that Bob Julyan was on a New Mexico Touring Society (NMTS) ride a couple of weeks ago. Bob Julyan is the author of The Place Names of New Mexico, mentioned above; as well as New Mexico's Continental Divide: The Official Trail Guide (also mentioned above). He is also the author of The Mountains of New Mexico, which I just checked out of the library. Not to mention another book by Bob Julyan: New Mexico's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide (Wilderness Guidebooks), which Rick owns and loves. It truly is a small world! [End of Update 2]

I hope this post has been informative. New Mexico is quite beautiful, but it is not country that tolerates the unprepared.

Ride to eat. Eat to ride. Ride the Great Divide.

GDMBR on my mind

In the background is Mt Taylor near Grants, New Mexico. I took this picture this morning, because I wanted you to see the view that I have first thing in the morning. I stepped out through the sliding door in my bedroom onto the deck. It was 19 degrees F. According to my GPS readings the summit of Mt Taylor (11,316 ft) is 60.4 miles, as the crow flies, from where I am standing here in Albuquerque. This shot is from the east looking west as the sun was rising. The main route of the GDMBR climbs part way up and then passes around Mt Taylor on the west side. This daily dose of Mt Taylor fuels my obsession with the GDMBR.

Louis L'Amour in New Mexico

I recently expressed some excitement to a fellow math teacher about some Louis L'Amour books I just read. Seven of L'Amour's many novels were based on events that occurred right here in New Mexico. My teacher friend's response to my excitement was something like: "Wasn't L'Amour the author where all the heroes were six foot six in their stocking feet and at the end of the story always ended up with the prettiest women?" (Smirk, smirk.)

My wife had already prepared me for this type of response. When she saw me hauling home stacks of L'Amour books from the library she read a couple. She thought they were "superficial." Certainly you can read them at a multiple levels, including superficial. However, having been out in the back country I have met cowboys and ranchers who could have walked right off the pages of these stories. I have hiked across El Malpais and explored some of the lava caves there. I have ridden my bike around it too. I have also ridden south of Pie Town, which is Conagher country. I have trained in Radigan country in the Jemez Mountains. Killoe came up through Mimbres and the Gila region to the Plains of Agustin. In my pictures I make reference to all these L'Amour characters. For me it brings the country I am riding through to life.

Countless other superficial thinkers like myself from all around the world have liked these stories too. Movies have been made that are based on them, and actors such as John Wayne, Anthony Quinn, Henry Fonda, Sophia Loren, Sean Connery, Brigitte Bardot, and Tom Selleck, among others, have starred in them.

Burt Murphy wrote a book called: Trailing Louis L'Amour in New Mexico. At the official Louis L'Amour web site (http://www.louislamour.com/) they state that if Louis L'Amour mentioned a landmark, then it was actually there. Mr. Murphy researched and found many of the actual places that L'Amour based the action in his novels on. Many of them are along the GDMBR in New Mexico.

In reading these seven novels and Burt Murphy's book I gained a greater understanding and appreciation of the state that I have lived in for 35 years. I think that it has also prepared me to have a greater appreciation of the route that I am going to ride next summer. As I ride I do not use an ipod or mp3 player. I listen to the bike. I study the land and I read the sky. I sniff the air for smells that are pleasant, and those that warn of possible danger. Now I will also be thinking about the characters in the L'Amour stories who also lived and rode in this same area long before me; even if it is just in my imagination.

The seven L'Amour novels that were based on events and places in New Mexico are:

• Shalako
• Killoe
• Conagher
• Flint
• Radigan
• Showdown at Yellow Butte
• The Daybreakers

There are many other books and sources of information on New Mexico that will bring the route to life for you too. The New Mexico Magazine is a great source of information.

It is true that the roads on the GDMBR in New Mexico are mostly lousy. It is also true that finding water is a major issue, and finding food is not much better. There are rattlesnakes, bears, hantavirus, plague, and so on. Nevertheless, these are things that will make it a real adventure and test your mettle. Prepare well, train hard, then enjoy the ride.

Vayan Con Dios

Prologue

About a year ago, probably after another hand-on-the-hood near catastrophe on my daily bike commute, I decided to try mountain biking again after a very long hiatus. Dealing with rush hour traffic on a bicycle is not always a lot of fun. It is not much fun in a car either, but I am a confessed endorphin junkie with a severe biking problem. Driving does not give me my "fix," but biking always works for me. My driving commute is about 8 miles each way, but in order to avoid as much traffic as possible and to ensure my endorphin "fix" I ride between 14.5 and 16.5 miles each way. Over half of it is on designated trails.

My students have asked me, somewhere between sincerely and sarcastically, whether I have a driver's license and a car. Since I am a high school math teacher as well as a bicycle commuter you probably already doubt my sanity. So it should not surprise you that I bicycle commute throughout the winter months too. To do this I have to get some CPR at 4:30 am (further evidence of my mental instability), and leave the house by 5:30. This gives me enough time to get to work while still having enough time to change out of my superman costume and put on my Clark Kent outfit before classes begin. Unfortunately, I am nowhere near as quick with my wardrobe changes as the real superman. Besides, where the heck are all the phone booths these days?

Even in the "Land of Enchantment" early in the morning it is regularly in the high teens to low twenties during the winter months. Besides the endorphin fix, a big reward for this apparently insane behavior is riding along the Bosque trail beside the Rio Grande. You say: "Hey fool, it is mostly dark with scattered light around dawn at that time of the day. What the heck are you hallucinating out there?"

How about flocks of geese, cranes, and ducks flying just overhead? They gather for the winter along the Bosque and sleep in the Rio Grande at night. Around dawn, at the time of "scattered light in the morning," they take flight. Sometimes there are just a few, and at other times there are many. I swear that you can feel the breeze from their wings just overhead. The first time the thunderous roar of many flapping wings penetrates your balaclava you might be frighten! Be prepared! Just hold onto your handlebars, keep breathing, and pedal.

There are also coyotes boldly hunting rabbits before dawn. They are especially out on the full moon. Sometimes they suddenly emerge out of the darkness into the beams of your lights in packs of two or three. One morning I saw five coyotes; first a pack of three, and then a pair. We passed closely by each other quietly, like ships passing in opposite directions in the night. One student told me that as long as they pass to my right, that is good luck. If they pass in front of you to the left, then watch out. There is bad luck coming. His abuela (grandmother) taught him that, and he was concerned enough about my safety to teach me too. Thanks David! I hope you are doing well.

On the way home in the afternoon there are often roadrunners usually with something hanging out of their deadly beaks - a delicious dinner no doubt.

In the winter you can see into areas that are restricted by the foliage at other times of the year. In the spring you inhale cottonwood (bosque)seeds as they float by so thickly that your poor brain might confuse the experience for a late snow flurry. You will undoubtedly have to pick them out from behind your glasses where they got stuck and started tickling your eyeballs. In the summer you often catch hatches of tiny bugs right in the face. How long can you ride with your eyes closed tightly while holding your breath? In the fall it is the colors. Some are brilliant, some are dull, some are on the ground, and some are in the sky, but everywhere you look you find a visual treatment to heal the wounds and battle scars that inevitably come from working with basically insane teenagers.

Sometimes you have to be a little crazier than them, but on the way home it is a time to restore some semblance of normalcy. The colors, the breeze in your face, the rapid heart rate as you pick up the pace, the other people on the trail (many of them you see everyday in passing), these are restorative to the mind, the body and the soul. "Yes, I have a driver's license, and several cars. The tires are going flat and the batteries keep going dead, but I have a compressor in the garage and a battery charger. So, what's it to you?"

Originally I started planning for riding the new Adventure Cycling Association's (ACA) Underground Railroad Route (UGRR), but events have conspired to persuade me to ride ACA's Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) first. As I mentioned in the sidebar, the GDMBR has become an obsession, which I do not fully understand yet. I have ridden short sections of it here in New Mexico and the obsession grows. Maybe it is because when I get up in the morning I look out at Mt Taylor, which is about 70-80 miles away. The GDMBR passes near there. In the evening when I am eating dinner I look out at Mt Taylor again; especially if we are eating out on the deck.

I love New Mexico. I have lived here since 1972. My wife and I raised two daughters here and now we are enjoying our granddaughters. I still plan to do the UGRR trip, but the GDMBR calls first and foremost. It is practically in my backyard. How can I resist?

I have never blogged before, so I have a steep learning curve. I look forward to sharing with you about my adventures and misadventures on and about the GDMBR. For now, it will mostly be about the New Mexico section, which is reputed to be one of the logistically more difficult parts of the route. It is almost 700 miles out of the 2700 miles total. That is a little more than one-fourth of the whole GDMBR.

Of the group of four others that are going with me, I have lived here the longest. There is another fellow who has lived in New Mexico for about a year and a half, but his heart is really still in Oregon. There are two ladies, one of them is a hydraulic engineer from Idaho and the other is a (non desperate) housewife from Missouri. The fifth fellow is from Arizona. The other two gentlemen, besides me, are retired from the Army. Four of us are in our fifties, and the youngster of the group is forty something.

I am actually much older than I act, but that is part of my act. Another part of my act is to make sure we have a great time in New Mexico. It truly saddens me when I read blogs of GDMBR riders who have had a miserable experience in New Mexico. I will be sharing with my group directly, and vicariously with you through this blog, some of the history, geography, and cultures of New Mexico as we sojourn through starting next May.

In the meantime I will try to figure out how to link my GDMBR photo gallery to this blog. So far everything has been fairly intuitive. However, just in case you cannot wait, the web site for my photo gallery is: http://picasaweb.google.com/08GDMBRBob Currently I have 8 albums of my training and shakedown rides here in New Mexico. Both shakedowns were overnights on the GDMBR. They are fully captioned and linked to maps which you can also view on Google Earth. As much as Google Earth detail would allow me, I tied each photo to the place where I took the shot. I did have to spread a few of the photos out a little, so do not rely on the GPS coordinates too much. The map in the gallery section shows the general location where each album was shot. The map in each album is far more detailed and worthy of Google Earth investigation. Enjoy!

Vayan Con Dios