New Mexico OffRoad Runner Recap
In July of 2020, @lamurphy333 and myself (@erik.of.earth) embarked on a bikepacking route: New Mexico Off-Road Runner is a 500(ish) mile route stretching from Santa Fe, NM to Las Cruces, NM. Bikepacking.com has a great write up by Cass Gilbert providing detailed logistics and an active comments section concerning the route. The following is a brief recap of that adventure.
July 4, 2020, Independence Day, we embarked on Laura’s first bikepacking adventure. We rode out of Santa Fe via the Rail Trail and up to Rowe Mesa which ends with a mind boggling steep climb.
We opted to skip camping opportunities on Rowe Mesa in favor of pushing towards Moriarty. Surfing across the expansive mesa, plateaus and plains, we rode into a storm which we would experience the only precipitation of the whole trip.
After spending the night in Moriarty, we hit the road early. Day 2 entailed a lot of road riding as we approached Cibola National Forest. Our southern trajectory was apparent as temperatures began to soar nearly to 100° F. Thirst and the need for water quickly became a theme of the trip as we set up camp parched with no water source.
We had many cow friends that night.
Given the struggle with heat and water, we decided to set out before sunrise. We enjoyed a massive descent, mostly on paved roads to a Kiwa where we were able to purchase food and replenish our water supplies.
Feeling restored we peddled out towards Magdelena in what would be one of the hottest, and most exposed days of the trip. The blazing temps and relentless sun made what should have been smooth sailing miles a practice of perseverance. The dirt roads between the Kiwa and Magdelena were some of my favorite and most beautiful of the trip despite the hardships of heat. Temperatures reached well over 100° F as we set up camp early, around 3pm. We took what little refuge we could get under the sparse shade of a juniper tree. With no water resources, we carefully rationed our water on what may be the thirstiest night I have ever experienced.
The next day, we decided to hit the dirt roads as early as we could. We broke down camp and we were traveling by 4am. Passing through the arid desert scapes in the darkness of the early morning was a surreal, ethereal experience. Unfortunately, it made seeing Riley, the ghost town, impossible.
Early morning starts means great sunrises.
We rolled into Magdelena early, restored our supplies and had to rethink how much water we were carrying as the weather forecast called for even higher temperatures for the rest of our journey. Our six liter water capacity had to be modified. Creatively, we found ways to strap water bottles to our bikes (always bring Viole Straps!) and maxed out the capacity of our backpacks. We now carried 10L of water each. We felt heavy.
Leaving Magdelena, we traversed more desert-scapes and then entered mountainous terrain as we summited Mount Whittington. We camped atop the mountain near a fire look-out with 360° views of the beautiful New Mexico landscapes. Temperatures that night dropped down to 38° - the dramatic changes in temperature are as surprising as they are difficult to manage.
Camping on Mount Whittington, elevation 10,095ft
The next day, we again started well before dawn. Descending the back side of the mountain into Bear Trap Canyon in 40° weather with sandals proved to be a frigid experience. As soon as we exited the canyon, temperatures quickly rose to adversarial degrees. We moved on and made our way into the Gila where we camped.
Whilst pumping up my tires the next morning, I discovered the o-ring on my pump failed. This left me riding with exceptionally low tire pressures as we rode the single track section of the CDT and the chunky descent through Chloride Canyon. I crawled at a cautious pace through these areas. Luckily, when we arrived at Winston, we stopped at a food truck and the owner happened to have a spare o-ring that fit my pump! We got my tires pumped up and cruised to Truth or Consequences where we stayed the night.
Hiking a bike out of Truth or Consequences
The intensity of the heat on the last two days of the trip cannot be overstated. My bicycle computer read surface temps of 128° F! Actual temperatures were around 108° F. We made the hot and laborious ride to Hatch. Exhausted and overheated, we opted to splurge for a stay in the Historic St Frances de Sales Inn - a historic mission with beautiful architecture and rustic charm converted to an inn.
Historic St Frances de Sales Inn - an amazing accommodation
Tortured by the heat, the following morning we decided to embark earlier than ever at 3am. The final leg of the trip to Las Cruces via the Organ Mountain Desert Peaks National Monument. It was another scorcher of a day; incredibly scenic, but hot. We were relieved to finally make it to Las Cruces and get out of the heat and recover. We then rented a car and headed home to Santa Fe.
The New Mexico Off-Road Runner is an excellent route, very accessible even for beginner bikepackers, but best not attempted in July as the heat can be oppressive.
This write up has been a good exercise. I was just starting to get into photography at the time of this trip. It is humbling to look back at these photos. However, I also feel encouraged to see how far my photography has come and I am excited to see where photography has yet to take me.