Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Jaw dropping

Humans have killed half the world's vertebrates in my lifetime.


Do something about it.


I am on the board of New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Our goal is to preserve large wilderness areas for humans and non-humans alike. Wilderness medicine folk should protect wilderness. Period.


P.S. My 100 rides in 100 days project has taught me two important facts. 1) Make time to get outdoors everyday. It is amazing, and your health depends on it. 2) As much as I love mountain biking, some places need to be preserved from bikes and especially motorbikes. I love to hike in the designated wilderness where no machines are allowed. Wildlife need this. Humans do too.

Joe Alcock
 

Otero Canyon and Ponderosa Trail

Otero Canyon

This area is why the group Friends of Otero (Foo MTB; now renamed "friends of the outdoors") was formed. I was at the public meeting when the Kirtland AFB described plans to close most of this excellent riding area. Check out Foo Mountain Bike's site.
This is a crown jewel of Albuquerque. Read this ABQ journal piece about the possible re-opening of upper Otero canyon. I hope the military withdrawal area is reopened for the sake of the land and those who want to recreate responsibly on it.
Otero near the military withdrawal area
Otero from the parking area
Juan Tomas Open Space
Starting at Oak Flat to Ponderosa Trail to Easy Picking and back to the car via Oak Flat Connector
Juan Tomas Open Space is an exceptional place to ride

Glimpse of the Sandias

Aptly named Ponderosa trail
I love this ride.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Copper Trailhead, Gutierrez Ridge, and Cienega Horse Bypass

Day 50 Gutierrez Ridge to Piñon Alto Road

New (for us) singletrack in the Gutierrez Open Space took us to the Piñon Alto Road. We explored a few nicely built spur trails that go to neighborhoods in the Cedar Crest Area. Overall, a spectacular ride.
Scott Forman (a Race Across America finisher this year) in Gutierrez Open Space

Sandy Sanborn on singletrack

Day 49 took me to the Copper Trail head for a night ride. A few night hawks glinted in my lights, no doubt gathering up a great number of night-flying desert insects. The tarantuas were spotted migrating during the day, but I did not see any this night.
Copper Trail Head

Neighborhood Tarantula

Night Ride with ABQ to the west
Day 48 Cienega Horse Bypass to Faulty Trail
Cienega is undergoing tree thinning, which sounds benign, but in the ground it is nothing but. Edward Abbey would not approve of this machine pictured below (and neither do I):
Fossil fuel belching tree destroyer
www.wrenched-themovie.com


My totem animal

Faulty trail near Armijo intersection

Loop complete at Sulphur Canyon

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Cleveland Museum of Natural History

Nicole Burt and Katie Hinde (and Dunkleosteus)
Yesterday was a great day of brainstorming on the topic of evolutionary medicine with new friends at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Nikki Burt is the Fellow of Evolutionary Medicine at the museum. Katie Hinde is an assistant professor at Harvard's Dept. of Human Evolutionary Biology. By the way, the charismatic megafish in the photo is Dunkleosteus from the Devonian era.

Terrible lizard
I'll post more soon on this topic...

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Tunnel Canyon, Lomas Arroyo, Deadman Flat

Day 47 Lomas Arroyo
It is possible to ride from Tramway beside the Lomas Arroyo right into the foothills open space. One downside is lots of tire puncturing thorns. But the area has its charms too. 
Compared to the Bear Canyon Arroyo, Lomas Arroyo has little singletrack
 I supplemented this ride with a hike in the no-bike's-allowed Carlito Spring Area:
Tiny succulent
View from Carlito Springs Open Space
Here is a nice video showing the springs on You Tube.

Day 46 Deadman Flat
According to older maps, this area was once a camping spot.
It still has its own, unmarked entrance. Despite the name, it is possible to ride an entire loop starting here while bypassing most of the Deadman trail.

Road to Deadman Flat
Little-used old campsite

Day 45 Tunnel Canyon
Tunnel canyon is a crown jewel in the Albuquerque mountain bike trail network. The trail is beautifully engineered and maintained, and offers exceptional views to boot.


Sandias and Storm Clouds



Monday, September 22, 2014

Tres Pistolas

Day 44 Tres Pistolas and old old 66
There is a rough singletrack on what used to be 66, since replaced with route 333. It leads up into the Tres Pistolas open space. Tres Pistolas has some well-trod trails, but I explored the southern boundary which is better suited for walking along game trails and fence lines.
Abandoned 66

Open Space Boundary

Sandias in background

Boundary near Monticello neighborhood



Sunday, September 21, 2014

Three Bottles Trail

Day 43 Three Bottles Trail
This is a new trail that was built as a "terrain park" with some natural features, e.g. big sandstone boulders and fallen logs, that some extreme riders like to challenge themselves on. We generally stuck to the easiest option on the three bottles trail which links Otero canyon and the Mars Court area in the Manzanillo Mountains.
Three Bottles Trail is not for the faint at heart

Day 42 Powerline Trail
Powerline links Chamisoso Canyon and the Cedro Peak Area. Here is the map that shows this trail (and the three bottles trail described above)

It has too much eroded doubletrack to fully recommend it.
 
Powerline
Day 41 White Wash (Piedra Lisa Arroyo)
Although this part to the foothills trail is not far from our house, we rarely venture this way. It has some nice sections of singletrack with great views.
Trailhead on Camino de la Sierra
Trail from Indian School parking area to White Wash
Bridge over Piedra Lisa Arroyo

Day 40 Quarry Area
A trail heads to the west very near Tunnel Canyon. It rarely has cars parked there. It appears that in the past it was a popular place for shooting; no longer allowed, according to the trailhead sign. There are two canyons that head towards the south from the trailhead. The first has the longest section of singletrack in this area (although still less than a mile). It runs through a wide canyon full of wildflowers, with views of Cedro peak to the east. Eventually the trail narrows and enters the creek bed, becoming a hiking scramble trail. This area is full of fossils.
No shooting sign at the trail head.
Crinoid
Modern artifact
Day 39 Tijeras Canyon Open Space
This part of the open space has its own entrance south of old route66 adjacent to the Covered Wagon development. The area by the creek has that nice distinctive cottonwood smell and some nice short sections of single track. By way of the creekbed, it connects with the 4 hills and Manzano Open Space. 
Tijeras Canyon Trailhead.
Cottonwoods in Tijeras Canyon

Monday, September 15, 2014

Bear Canyon Arroyo plus

Day 38 Back to San Antonito Open Space

My weakness is spotting a trail that I have not ridden and not knowing where it leads to.  Last time out to this locale, we did not explore a spur trail that led up the ridge. Naturally I had to find out where it went.
View to the south with sandstone
 This trail ends in a neighborhood; all good things must end. Adding the spur to the main loop yields 2.7 miles, which is just enough for a fun evening ride. The terrain here is all sandstone, which makes for some fun technical parts, and generally good riding.

Day 37 Bear Canyon Arroyo Open Space
This was a night ride. I explored the arroyo East and West of Tramway boulevard.
Another big chunk of open space
 I surprised many rabbits, jumping mice, and a nighthawk on the trail at night.
Singletrack west of tramway



This ride extended into the High Desert development and also leads into the National Forest Embudito trailhead

High Desert trails

Day 36 + (extra ride) Crest of Montezuma
This ride is north of Placitas. Because of the lack of developed trails, it is not really a proper ride. There is some short doubletrack near the Kinder Morgan station near Diamond Tail road; it peters out and requires some bushwhacking. I also found some wild horse trails leading into the arroyo. After a distance into the arroyo, my bike toppled over into a juniper. So I would say that this area is better explored on foot. It is BLM land, and there are plans to transfer it to the forest service so that it is better protected. It is not illegal for bikes to be in this little explored area. I saw some additional trails that looked promising but would require passing through private land, so I left them for now.
Not so wildlife in Placitas
Near the Kinder Morgan "Trail head"


Sunday, September 14, 2014

White Mesa

Day 36 White Mesa

Continuing on the theme of geology in New Mexico: The White Mesa area is so named for a top layer of gypsum, with underlying ancient sedimentary rocks. The red ones are the Chinle formation, which is part of the Colorado plateau. The Morrison formation above is tan and apparently is rich in dinosaur fossils. This formation is an anticline that was eroded in the center because of folding and faulting.

White Mesa is the most scenic ride in New Mexico

Travertine springs are a dominant feature

Water issuing from rock, a few hundred feet above the river water table!

Water from the rock in a biblical scene

Trail map at trail head

Dragon back with Cabezon

Avoid the Cryptobiotic soil

Spectacular singletrack

Jurassic and Triassic sediments

Seismosaurus has been spotted in the area

View from the South

I have not ridden the valley yet

This is an amazing spring on the ridge top



Mineral rich water from the rock

Springs feed green oases

Cabezon

Check this singletrack out

Travertine ridges

A seeping spring at the top
Bonus Ride: South Pine Flat to Deadman Trail
Pine Flat and Deadman Trail is some of the best riding in Burque

Diane and Sandy