Capt Steve
US Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2008
- Messages
- 1,678
- Reaction score
- 3,014
WOW, what a ride...
Up at 0345 to take my bride to the airport {80 miles round trip} and then left Tucson at 0615. Great roads with virtually no traffic, made it to Show Low by 9. Headed east out through Springerville and the north at Quemado up to and through the Malpais Refuge on 117. Thunderstorms chased me all morning but managed to stay ahead of them all the way to Albuquerque. Man oh man do folks haul butt on I-40, set the cruise control at 80 and hid out in the right lane venturing over just to pass the occasional truck that wasn't also going 80.
Multiple storms were passing through and I got rained on several times but not enough to slow me down {much}. Tried to find a hotel north of Albuquerque but everything was ridiculously expensive and or a dump so I kept riding hoping to find someplace better. By the time I got to Espanola it was after 5 local time. Gassed up for the 4th time {I like to ride on the top half of the tank} and was consistently getting 45 mpg. Pulled out and saw a sign that said Taos 36 miles. Now it stays light a lot later this far north and east and it looked like I had a couple more hours of daylight so I said *** and kept riding through the Rio Grande Gorge reaching Taos at 5:30.
Heavy rain all around but I kept dodging it until I headed up over the pass on 64 bound for Angel Fire. Wet roads and dropping temperatures only got worse and the rain picked up. Not a road to haul *** on but by slowing down and no traffic allowed me to press on.
As I finally rolled into Angel fire the temp was down to 42 degrees and the rain turned to hail, small but enough to sting. It was nearly dark and the last 5 miles were not much fun. The last mile and half into my buddies place is dirt road that twist and climbs but agin slowing way down got me to his door at 6:30 just as it began to get seriously dark.
Logged 708 miles in 13+ hours but made lots of stops for gas, food, and to take a couple of pics. Here a a couple of shots of the Malpais Refuge and the Salt River Canyon:
Got up this morning a little sore but no complaints, not too bad of a ride for an old guy (66 nearly 67}. We had 2 dozen Elk grazing in my buddies driveway this morning. A quiet day sitting around d the fire today and time to start planning my return trip for Saturday. Woo hoo!
Up at 0345 to take my bride to the airport {80 miles round trip} and then left Tucson at 0615. Great roads with virtually no traffic, made it to Show Low by 9. Headed east out through Springerville and the north at Quemado up to and through the Malpais Refuge on 117. Thunderstorms chased me all morning but managed to stay ahead of them all the way to Albuquerque. Man oh man do folks haul butt on I-40, set the cruise control at 80 and hid out in the right lane venturing over just to pass the occasional truck that wasn't also going 80.
Multiple storms were passing through and I got rained on several times but not enough to slow me down {much}. Tried to find a hotel north of Albuquerque but everything was ridiculously expensive and or a dump so I kept riding hoping to find someplace better. By the time I got to Espanola it was after 5 local time. Gassed up for the 4th time {I like to ride on the top half of the tank} and was consistently getting 45 mpg. Pulled out and saw a sign that said Taos 36 miles. Now it stays light a lot later this far north and east and it looked like I had a couple more hours of daylight so I said *** and kept riding through the Rio Grande Gorge reaching Taos at 5:30.
Heavy rain all around but I kept dodging it until I headed up over the pass on 64 bound for Angel Fire. Wet roads and dropping temperatures only got worse and the rain picked up. Not a road to haul *** on but by slowing down and no traffic allowed me to press on.
As I finally rolled into Angel fire the temp was down to 42 degrees and the rain turned to hail, small but enough to sting. It was nearly dark and the last 5 miles were not much fun. The last mile and half into my buddies place is dirt road that twist and climbs but agin slowing way down got me to his door at 6:30 just as it began to get seriously dark.
Logged 708 miles in 13+ hours but made lots of stops for gas, food, and to take a couple of pics. Here a a couple of shots of the Malpais Refuge and the Salt River Canyon:
Got up this morning a little sore but no complaints, not too bad of a ride for an old guy (66 nearly 67}. We had 2 dozen Elk grazing in my buddies driveway this morning. A quiet day sitting around d the fire today and time to start planning my return trip for Saturday. Woo hoo!
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