Gardner Road 52 mile dirt road 10,500 feet up here at the top 3,500 feet down to the bottom of the road

My Mission

I wanted to ride all the way to Santa Fe from Colorado Springs on as many dirt roads as I could find. How did I make out? Not too bad actually, as far as solo adventure touring goes. I started out on the first dirt road south to Pueblo its called Meridian road here and when it gets to Pueblo it changes to Overton Road, same damn road two names. Its a 30 mile jaunt strait down to Pueblo from Fountain Colorado. I made short work of it cause it was hot. There is a 40 mph speed limit but I was the only one on it. In Pueblo I gassed up and headed into the Wet mountains over to Buela Colorado where the road goes up and over 19 miles to Lake Isabel, I turned right and headed over to Gardner road (above) this is a 52 mile dirt road that takes you up to the base of Green Horn mountain the highest mountain in the Wet Mountain range and down the other side, its a 3,500 foot decent and its fast and fun if you avoid the deep ditches on the sides and the ruts.

Pass Creek Pass off in the distance my next assignment

Once in Gardner Colorado I quickly made my way over to Pass Creek Pass, I had to turn around once cause I made a wrong turn but soon I was at the top, its a nice wide dirt road and easy to go fast on, at the top it connects to La Veta Pass hwy 160, I decided to take the Old La Veta Pass down to La Veta and have lunch there. I stopped and gassed up but my regular lunch stop was closed for a month? So I headed up Cucharas Pass and saw that there was a place in Cuchara that looked like a grill.

Dog Bar and Grille Wonderful food! Cuchara CO

Wow the Owner Kenny and his wife run the place, well OK he just serves and she cooks and actually manages the place. I came in and Kenny says "what can I get ya" I said "whats the special"? Another patron shows me his plate and its some kind of turkey meat on a bun with Guacamole and bacon, and homemade wild rice pea soup with carrots and barley. I say " OK I will try that" - OMG was it good!! If your ever in Southern Colorado near Cuchara stop here and eat its worth the trip! I am glad I found it, it is sort of tucked away in the village way back in the back.

I took off again and found a nice dirt road over to Stone Wall where I crossed the "Highway of Legend's" and headed south again on another dirt road, my GPS said it would take me all the way to Red River?

Stonewall Colorado

Torres Ditch Colorado L-R Purgatoire Peak, Vermajo Peak, Red Mountain, Culbrea Peak (14,047')

The Wall of Death

Once I got 20 miles south of Stonewall near Torres Ditch the road stops and its gated off with chains? Private Property it says, so I reroute the gps a bit east of there on another dirt road and take off on road 13 east, soon there is a sign that says "something and something ranch - stay out!" Crap not again! There were some folks fixing a fence there so I stopped and ask them what happened to the roads? The maps, they say they go through? On the map anyways. A woman says "oh about 8 years ago you could go through but its all private now you have to go around to Trinidad" Shit!!! 70 miles out of my way for this?? I kept seeing Halliburton trucks pull out onto the highway in front of me - there must be mining or drilling going on back there - thats why the state line is closed off for 40 miles? Well at least its putting some rural folks to work I hope?

I headed east to Trinidad and over to I-25 but decided to stop at the lake there and eat my orange and have a drink of water. I pulled up on an island peninsula and sit down to enjoy my orange but there is a couple of folks RV'ing on the road next to me, the woman sitting there looking like a typical idiot camper just stares out me the whole time. So I get up and move - mind you I am no where near them at least a good 300 yards away with the lake between us. She is still staring at me. So a shrug my shoulders and yell "WTF are you looking at"? She moves her chair around for a minute but as soon as I got up she was staring at me again? I could hear them talking too "whats he doing now" jebus nosy idiot campers. Mind your own bizatch! I got on the bike and did some slab over I-25 to Raton where I topped up again and filled up my water jugs. It was getting late in the afternoon and I thought about just getting a motel room but decided naw keep pushing on, that private property detour cost me 2 hours.

I headed up hwy 64 in New Mexico up Cimmaron Canyon and was having a bit of fun on the twisties there, the XR doesn't handle so great with toasted knobbies especially with they way I had it set so soft. There was smoke everywhere from a forest fire in Tres Piedres, seems this place is on fire every time I ride by it, Toas which is near by must be smothered in smoke right about now. Once I crested the mountain and saw the valley at Eagles nest the whole sky was a peach color it was incredible, I wish I had stopped for a pic?

Cimmaron Canyon NM at Palisades Sil

The Three hour short cut

I crossed the valley and headed up to Angel fire where the ski area was - I looked on the map and it showed a dirt road going over to Penasco - a place called Luna Canyon. I had been on the road before camping with my sister I remember it being wide and smooth. Its only an hour if I head strait down to Mora on the paved road. Nope I take the short cut, right off its starts to get narrow, then it climbs the hill, Baby heads everywhere (round rocks shaped like baby heads) they are bumping the hell out of me, then there are jagged rocks and wash outs everywhere its starting to get rather technical. I sit forward on the seat and just ride it out for 12 miles, rocks all the way, I caught and passed two ATV's on the road, I know it must be more of a trail than a road now. And its getting dark, there is livestock on the road too. A big bull and and about 20 cows and calves all standing in the road. I am not so keen on rolling up next to a bull so I rev the bike up and make some noise - nothing maybe a few of them look over at me! So I hit my wimpy horn and its scares them to moving?? What that POS little horn? So I start moving forward honking that wimpy horn till they all run up the hillside and let me by. Now its really dark Ya know twighlight where the headlights dont work but its not quite dark yet, shadows in the trees are impossible to see - so I flip up my visor only to get knats right in my eyes - and I cant see a thing. I decide to pull off and just camp overnight here, just lay in the grass with my stich and my space blanket and sleep here its about 8pm. Which I do for an hour or two but the moon is so bright and its shining right in my eyes. I can see lightning in the distance and thought "oh hell no I am not getting rained on!!"

I get up off the grass look at the time 10pm and decide to try the decent know, I got a good Baja designs lighting system on the XR we will see. I kicked the bike over and turn on the headlight and low and behold its rather bright, its got a high and low that I can see far and close with. I started heading down the mountain, all baby heads and its dark so I am going like 9 mph all the way down - right about now I am cussing at myself, Mora was only 15 miles more you idiot!! but soon I start seeing a familiar sight, that wide and smooth road I remembered from camping with my sister 5 years ago, so know I am doing 30mph and every so often I can see a camp fire near the creek. That is what I remembered not that nasty ass rock strewn crap 15 miles back? Wow what a nightmare, oh and I fell off too I think I cracked a rib cause it hurts when I lay on my side.

I guess I should go to the doc and get it checked out, but you know these injuries they have to heal on there own right? $2000 for that? nothing aspirin wont fix! I can move I can breath, I am not bleeding? It just bruised!

I take paved roads all the way to my sisters place where she is waiting for me at midnight, she smacks me upside the head - "you had me so worried she says" I spent a couple of days hanging out with them and my niece and nephew to play with. We went out to dinner a couple of times and went to Albuquerque too for a day - good times!

The ride back

I woke up before everybody showered up and knocked on my sisters door - said "see ya in Colorado Springs", (they were comming up to Colorado now to spend time with us now and visit my other sister) "See ya tonight"! I pretty much retraced my route till Penasco where I headed north to Toas this time, its a twisty road that I was having trouble going fast on, paved by my XR was set way too soft so it was wallowing in the tight turns. Which is fine for the dirt roads I wanted to be on. I got to Taos and decided to gas up there, I pushed on my tires and decided they need some air, but the compressor was out of order (insert dark omen here) so I pressed on, totally bypassing the main town and going around it on a back roads. I thought I would go see what Arroyo Hondo was all about and headed strait north to that place, wow its a huge canyon, I was on a road called Rim drive but it too stopped "private property" I had to go back and head a bit south and around it. I should have taken pictures here too darn!!

Santa Cruz Recreation Area NM hwy 4 near Cundiyo

The $300 flat tire

I got on NM 522 headed for Costilla right on the Colorado Boarder where I planned to peel off and head east on a dirt road and go around to San Luis. But my bike was starting to sqirm under me. I knew I had a flat tire, but I was out in the middle of the desert now, 7 miles to Costilla. I just rode it out till I got to the gas station convience store there. The air pump did not have a hose, they keep it in the store for some reason, I guess sombody stole it once before. I put in my quarters and tried to fill it up but it just went flat instantly - CRAP!! There is nothing there in Costilla just some old houses and a gas station with no services. I got on the phone and called a tow truck to come get me and take me back to Toas - 48 miles back! I should have packed a tube patch kit and a few tires irons but ya know - limited space in the bag and I just hustled off too quickly and did not think about it till it was too late.

Anthony Navarro

The tow truck guy shows up an hour later with his toyota and a trailer to come get me, hes a heavy set hispanic dude like me, only a bit rounder. He shakes my hand and says "where is it" I point to it, my bike that is, but he cant see it behind the car and freaks out? "OH NO VATO" - he says "I cant do a car with this"? I walk him over and show him the bike behind the car and he starts laughing big belly laughs! Right off I like the guy. Hes a single father whos been working tow trucks for 10 years, always on call, he wants out. Tony is his name and we start talking for the 48 miles to Taos, he gives me his Philosophy on how to avoid speeding tickets"

• Intruduce yourself in a freindly manner
  
• Shut up and let the cop do all the talking
  
• Dont admit anything
  
• Smile and be freindly
  
• Dont challenge the cop
  

Tony says he gets pulled over all the time but always gets away with a warning. Then he started to sell me on his home buisness which pretty much ended the conversation! Sorry Tony not interested! He pulles to the back of the motorcycle dealership and rings me up $200 for 48 miles - JEBUS this is getting costly! I pay it and thank him for comming so quickly! Then at Taos Cycle works I get an earful from some tech who says we are not supposed to be in the back move the tow truck, already I am worried , with service like this? Jebus what am I in for? So I says " I got a flat dude! Shut up and help me unload this bike" which he does - "crotchety" cancels out "cranky" I was having a bad day and taking no shit!

I walk into the show room and up to the service counter and right away there is a guy there with another flat he brought in complaining about the price, he brought in just why was it so much when the other dealer was only $8?? OH no I am getting screwed looks like right about know. I see on the wall $69 an hour for labor, time and half for emegency repairs no appointment? AW jeeZ!! This shits gonna cost me $150!?! I waited in the lobby looking at ATVS reading magazines for another hour. And I get the call, its done! $89 bucks - well its better than $150 but jeez thats a screw job!! I pay it and get back on the road! Then I hear them talking about changing prices on tires to a flat rate of $15 if you bring it in yourself? I started cussing myself for not finding another air compessor earlier in the day! Oh well what can I do?

I go back up the road AGAIN for the 3rd time and turn off at Costilla and find a dirt road into Colorado I like, its wide and very fast, 70mph time!

Ventero Creek near San Luis Colorado

Sangre De Christo Mountain Range Same mountains as Stonewall - on the other side

Looking back towards Toas

I get back on the paved road at San Luis and head for Fort Garland to gas up and put oil on the bike, she burns a bit of oil so I have to keep tabs on it at all times. I guess its common with the XR650r? I was soon heading up La Veta pass with a very dark onimous cloud ahead I was watching it the whole way from San Luis it looked nasty. Yep it started raining huge drops that hurt like hell when they hit, then it started just pouring and it was beating the living crap out of me. I was screaming "come on stop this shit" I was really having a bad day now, I was going to go back over Pass Creek pass again but F'that I just wanted out of this rain from hell!

Welts all over my arms and chest I dont know maybe it was hail too?

I have been caught in rain and hail before on the vfr but this just beat the crap out of me! I was wishing I was in a car at this point! Or just home by now! I decided to do some more dirt roads once I got clear of the storm and headed north on hwy 520 from Lavita to Badito CO. I have been on this road before its about 20 miles long.

Storm over La Veta Pass taken from co-520

Chavez Arroyo Co Road 520

Spanish Peaks south on co-520

I had to get on I-25 for a bit till I got to Apache City where I found another dirt road which took me a back way into Colorado City. Gas station and a drink there! I routed the Gps to a place called Burnt mill hoping for a good back road to Pueblo and sure enough it payed off, nice long 30 mile dirt road all the way to Pueblo, It was all back country canyons and farm land out there, very nice, almost worth the beating I took on La Veta Pass vs going back over Gardner road again. The front range has some good roads too! Once in Pueblo I just snaked through town back to Overton road right as the sun started to go down over Pikes Peak! What a nightmare - I mean adventure flat tires, $$$$, a beating, welts and a bruised rib to take home for war stories!!

Sunset in Pueblo CO taken on Overton Road

Colorado Map

New Mexico Map

GPS Tally

1. Miles 812.3
   
2. moving avg 44.8
   
3. max speed 82.8
   
4. overall avg 34.1
   
5. stopped time 5:41
   

Map Files

Mapsource tracks

Streets and trips file