Sweet relief in Las Cruces

January 30, 2023 to January 31, 2023

The air is crisp and quiet Monday morning at Ute Lake State Park, 18 degrees and not going to warm up anytime soon. In Las Cruces where we're headed it'll be in the 60s today so we should be able to get all the plumbing thawed out in the RV. I guess we better get going.

We have the place to ourselves at Ute Lake. Too cold for a ride though.

The high desert landscape feels familiar approaching Tucumcari, but I'm appalled by the rumble strip near the middle of the shoulder. Why is that necessary? We have better memories of cycling conditions on New Mexico highways.

Thoughtless or intentional bike-unfriendliness? Seems aggressive.

Five years ago in the springtime we rode north towards Santa Fe on Route 66, just 80 miles or so west of where we're driving today. The shoulder, while not pristine, was smooth enough that we could just enjoy the scene approaching the Sangre de Cristo foothills. It was one of many beautiful New Mexico roads we cycled on that trip.

Riding Route 66 towards Santa Fe in April 2018, near Dilia and the Pecos River. The shoulder was smooth and stress-free on this stretch with the Sangre de Cristo foothills in the distance.

Cycling nirvana daydreams entertain us on the drive south as the skies clear and the temperature gets up into the 50s near Alamagordo. By the time we park it in Las Cruces it's 60 and we have a good thaw going.

The Coachlight Inn and RV Park is not as scenic as Ute Valley, but its cheap and close to the historic Mesilla district.

Good news on the plumbing - the water is now flowing again through both taps and the shower. A trickle is running out from under the cabinets but it eventually dries out. What a relief! There may be a leak in there but it doesn't seem urgent. Whatever it is can wait until Tucson. So the freeze that brought us to Las Cruces instead of Socorro won't get in the way of a ride tomorrow. I guess we're supposed to be here.

On Tuesday morning, Catherine Sheets and Bob Beaury swing by to take us out on a bike ride around Las Cruces. We met in St. Louis where they used to live; they've been down here for a few years since Catherine took the wheel at the family business. We're excited to go along on what she's describes as their "city ride."

It's warming up nicely as we ride out of the old Mesilla town and north along the Rio Grande past Picacho Peak. There's not much traffic on the way and the few motorists out here are patient, making full lane changes on most passes. It's a great day out on the roads.

At the marker for the Shalem Colony Trail, declared in 1851 to be on the southern boundary of New Mexico, according to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

We ride by groves of pecan trees, the biggest crop around here. Bob says they were harvested with big shaking machines months ago, but quite a few pecans still hang on the trees in the neat rows of trees that surround the city.

The pecan tree rows are arrow-straight in every direction, even across the tops where they've been trimmed.

Around mile 20 we turn east on the Outlet Channel bike trail and start climbing up toward the Organ mountains. I've been struggling to keep my speed up today and am falling farther behind now, I guess more de-trained that I hoped. The crew waits patiently but I imagine they wonder what's up. I'm still glad to be here and keep pedalling, enjoying the art on the bike path around the New Mexico State University campus.

Curious to see what's on the other side of that tunnel, but we're going the other way.

Some elaborate brickwork on the wall that separates us from I-25

The art gets more colorful near the University

With five miles to go we stop in Tortugas to admire the beautiful Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. My legs are weary and I have an impulse to check the wheels just to be sure there's nothing impeding them. When I lift up the bike the 700c wheel in back spins freely, but the 20 inch wheel in front stops right away with the brake pressing firmly on it. No wonder! I feel completely vindicated by this discovery.

While Bob and Barry employ various tactics to adjust my brake, I'm remembering the first century ride Barry got me to sign up for, the 1991 Natalie Kekesien Memorial Flat-as-a-Pancake Century in Valmeyer Illinois. I recall it was a great day until mile 94 or 95 when I was struggling to keep moving the pedals around. Then a spectator cheering from the sidelines called out "Your tire is flat!" No wonder!

Giving thanks to Our Lady of Guadalupe for inspiring me to stop and spin my wheels

Eventually the guys have my brake working and we're on the downhill slide of the ride. My bike is definitely rolling easier now. I'm wishing for a do-over now without the brake dragging my wheel.

We pull into the Spotted Dog Brewery for lunch and then a little tour around the old Mesilla town. It would be fun to come back here and explore more of Las Cruces. Thanks to Bob and Catherine for a fabulous day!

There's just 300 or so miles to get to Tucson tomorrow; we'll pick it up when we're back on the bikes.

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Today's ride: 33 miles (53 km)
Total: 56 miles (90 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	8
Comment on this entry	Comment	16

Rachael AndersonI’m glad to hear your pipes thawed out and you had a good ride in Las Cruces. Have a great time in Tucson!
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1 year ago

Scott AndersonI was puzzled by your reference to Picacho Peak, which we passed west of Tucson today on our drive to Boulder City. I thought you must have gotten the name wrong until I studied your map. The surprise is that there are two Picacho Peaks in Arizona.
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1 year ago

Kelly IniguezSay hello to Hank and Bridgett for me! I've just arrived in Tucson myself, about a half hour ago. Tomorrow morning is a recumbent club ride. IDK if that was on your radar at all? 10 AM at Curtis Park on the loop. 20 mile ride with lunch after. All on the path.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Kelly IniguezGlad to know you're back Kelly, we'll be watching for you. We have a date with Hank to ride the trails in Tucson Mountain Park today but are definitely interested in the recumbent club, and meeting up with you sometime. How long are you here?
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Scott AndersonI see that the Picacho Peak in Las Cruces is higher than the one on the way to Boulder City but the one near Tucson has quite a distinctive profile. Glad we got to meet earlier this month since we're ships passing at the end. Safe travels back north.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Rachael AndersonWe will Rachael, have been studying up on all the cool places you've been this month. Will look forward to meeting again down the road.
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1 year ago

Keith AdamsTwo things:

1- your map is blank to me. Or was that a photo of a very dense fog bank?

2- Valmeyer IL! Right on the floodplain of the Mighty Mississippi. When I was in grad school at SIU-Carbondale many, many years ago some of the other students were doing field work in that area. Flat as a pancake on the floodplain, but a gawdawful climb back up the bluff.
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1 year ago

Keith AdamsLooking at Google Maps I see Valmeyer is half off, half on the floodplain.

My surviving memory neuron fired so I checked and sure enough: the town was moved up onto the bluff after being basically wiped out by major flooding in 1993. That was a few years after I left the area, so it would've been smack dab in the middle of the floodplain at the time I visited in the mid-1980s.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Keith AdamsYep, we rode it before the flood wiped out the old town.
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Keith AdamsI see what you mean about the blank map Keith. It's odd because I can see the embedded map when I'm editing the page but not when I'm viewing out of edit mode. I put up a picture of the map for now, will try to figure this out.
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1 year ago

Keith AdamsTo Janice BranhamMaybe check that it's set to Public on the source? I forget whether you are Ride With GPS or Strava but if the ride doesn't have the right permissions at the source it won't show here.
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1 year ago

Keith AdamsTo Janice BranhamI followed the link and saw the map so it's not a permission issue on RWGPS.

You embedded it here as a map, right, and not as a picture or external link?
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1 year ago

Kelly IniguezTo Janice BranhamI'm here for ten days this trip. We have another club ride this Saturday. Meeting at Roy Schoonover Trailhead at 11 AM. Riding 10 miles to lunch at a BBQ place and back. All on the path. Maybe that works for you?
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamKelly, I'm in. Looking forward to it!
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Keith AdamsKeith, yes, I clicked the globe thing and pasted in the embed code. I just redid it and it seems to be working now. Maybe a RidewithGPS hiccup?
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1 year ago

Keith AdamsTo Janice BranhamMust've been. Glad you got it resolved, whatever the reason.
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1 year ago