Yesterday's Ride

Yesterday's ride started out as short exploratory ride to see if I could connect roads, cattle paths, and dirt bike tracks to increase the length of a loop I do to 14.5 miles. Based on a search on Google Earth I saw a cattle path that would be the connector I needed. The view I was looking at showed but 6 the cattle path meeting a dirt bike track I rode twice earlier this year but I didn't recall seeing the cattle path.

So I reversed the trip and thought I would just do about 6 to 7 miles. About 2.25 miles into the trip I found the track I was looking for but about .5 miles later I met up with a tangle of vegetation, the result of the rain we had in July, that totally blocked the trail.

In the process of trying to go around I got my wheel turned by a clump of grass. Usually those slow speed falls are not a problem. As I was going down, though, I caught the butt end of the bar on the inside of my upper thigh.

I got back up and finished the ride in some discomfort. When I got home I had swelling the size of a softball. Bruising has taken over the entire left side of my groin. Hope I am healed enough to ride in the Flagstaff and Sedona areas in a couple of weeks.

Mapping My Rides

I have ridden Elena Gallegos and the Southern Foothills outside of Albuquerque and some of the trails near Tijeras and while I enjoy riding in those areas I also enjoy a network of trails on the Northern end of the West Mesa.

Yeah they are not "official trails" and they can be rough and sometimes unforgiving but I find myself alone 95% of the time and enjoying my rides more. The other 5% of the time, if that, I'll see some dirt bikers whose trails I use.

Some of the trails are flat with an elevation change of only 150' or less and one or two have a differential that is closer to 450 to 500'.

Though some of the trips utilize dirt roads and and four-wheel tracks the vast majority of the trails are single track created by either dirt bikers or cattle and in a very minor cases laying down my own way around arroyos and making connections.

I have begun recording my rides with mileage at major junctures and features. I am also including coordinates according to Google Earth.

The first one I am going to publish is "Cholla Groves".

Flooding, Mud and Rolling Adobe

Tried to get to my regular trails today but Northern Blvd and Rainbow Blvd were closed due to flooding from the recent rains so went down to the northern end (Corrales Rd.) of the Corrales Bosque. As I suspected the really sandy sections were firm because of the moisture but as I closer to Alameda (about .2 mile) at the southern end the trail got muddier and eventually it clogged up the tires and literally put the brakes on.

I got the bike to the top of dike and headed back. Started shedding mud and stayed there until I found a way back to the trail where it wasn't so muddy. Got some cleaning to do tonight.

Restart, Changes & New Rides

When I moved to New Mexico three years ago I started riding my mountain bike again after a three to four year layoff because of arthritis in my lower spine which caused leg cramps and nerve pain in my legs.

After riding the dirt roads around my house I began searching for other places to ride. After discovering cattle paths and dirt bike tracks during some hiking on the West Mesa I began riding them and found other tracks and how they were connected. 

I have ridden the trails in Elena Gallegos and the Southern Foothills and Coyote - Chamisoso and some of Poker Chip, Mahogany and their connecting trails in the Manzanitas and most recently Dale Ball in Santa Fe but the unofficial trails at the northern end of the West Mesa I also find inviting.

Most of the time I find myself alone with great views of the Rio Puerco and Rio Grande valleys as well views of the Jemez and Santa Fe mountains. Most of the trails are not technically challenging but some of the climbs and descents on loose tread can be a bit scary. Of course there is sand particularly where the trails cross arroyos and washes.

Weather can be a huge factor on the trails I have listed below. There is almost no protection from the wind and the sun. During the summer I try to get out as early in the morning as possible to escape the heat of the day and the afternoon winds. Winter riding can be nice because the soft sand will set up and be firmer but if the wind is blowing it can be bone chilling. 

When I first started this blog I wrote a description of a couple of trails and one of them was 2 Wash. Due to being chased by dogs and finally PNM construction which destroyed a track I have changed the 2 Wash route. Soon I will have a new description up.

TRAILS

2 Wash

Length: 11.7 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with short, soft sandy sections.

Arroyo

Length: 11.4 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with some arroyo crossings.

Bluff

Length: 9.6 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

Cholla Groves

Length: ? Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

Dead Cattle

Length: 10.3 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike) except for a .1 mile ride on Encino Rd. at the end and beginning.

Tread: Firm with a few loose or soft sections.

Double Bluff

Length: 12.7 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

North End

Length: 9.6 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

Power Station

Length: 14 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

North End

Length: ? Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections particularly where the trail crosses arroyos.

Rainbow

Length: 10.5 Miles

Track: (Loop) Single (dirt bike and cattle path) and double (four wheel track)

Tread: Firm with soft sandy sections.

Catching up on Past Rides

Last week Sunday (8/11) did the Short Eight Loop up on the West Mesa as a warm up to doing one of the trails in the Tijeras area on Monday which would have been my first time but woke up Monday to see the Manzano Mts blanketed in clouds and rain showing up on radar. So I opted for an 18 mile ride on the West Mesa.

I had a great time while I was riding but after I finished I started to feel not so good. It wasn't until this past weekend that I felt better. I bagged the Sunday ride to make sure I was well rested for a ride on the Coyote | Chamisoso Loop outside of Tijeras.

On Monday morning I got up a little later than I wanted to but got to the trailhead before 10. I started grinding my way up the dirt road to Coyote Trail and after a bridge crossing (scary) I got tensed up and then I started to hit the loose rocks and ledges and struggled. Delbert's Trail was harder than I thought it would be as well. Complicating matters was an ill behaving seat post that would go down at some of the most inconvenient times as well as on some innocuous bumps. Then when I should have been enjoying Chamisoso Trail my rear tire went soft and then with about a mile to go almost flat but rode it out. It turns out I tore off two of the knobbies on the trail.

My actual ride time was about 2 hours and 11 minutes but in real time I was on the trail for closer to 3 hours. Despite the troubles it is a pretty ride and will do it again - maybe next week.

Yesterday I got seat post resolved and replaced the rear tire.

8/6/13

Rode Dead Cattle today. The rain we had Friday night and then Sunday night eroded parts of the trail so badly hat I had to hike the bike a bit. The first and second big climbs were bad. The section of trail that comes out of the arroyo just before Rattlesnake Hill was the worst though. The water had taken out huge chunks of the bank leaving holes 1 to 2 feet deep in the trail.

I had thought to do Nessie's Humps as well but didn't feel up to challenge today so just did the basic loop.

Mud, Mud & More Mud

Decided to go down to the Corrales bosque along the Rio Grande. I was hoping that the sandy areas that everyone tries to avoid would be firmer and they were but there was so much mud and veggie matter mixed-in that for long portions my tires were rolling adobe bricks. The tires could not shed mud fast enough. Bike got a good wash afterward.