It’s hard to describe today’s riding. I can’t even fully describe it to myself, or remember it all. I think that’s the sign of a good day, or maybe a good long day.
It rained enough drops overnight that we were happy we had the tarp up — just for peace of mind. Otherwise it was another wonderfully warm New Mexican night in the high country.
We proceeded along the trail, which means lost and all but forgotten roads. It is really something how many of these tiny little roads they have connected together throughout this stretch. They aren’t singletrack, but they sure have a primitive feel. Sometimes they are *less* than singletrack! We didn’t ride anything that gets more than an odd vehicle every week (or year!), the entire day.
A lot of it is closed to motos so the ground is soft. Also there was a fair bit of mud throughout the day. Snow hasn’t been gone for too long from many of these valleys.
So climbing 200′ often felt like 400′. And there was lots of climbing.
THANK YOU, forest service, for keeping new CDT singletrack open to bikes!
I did an excited singletrack dance when we finally rejoined our first official CDT constructed trail in many, many miles. Maybe as much as 200? We’ve ridden trails and alternates that have trail, but it’s been a while for actual CDT.
That CDT was good. Up above Burned Mountain and such it was primo skinny trail.
“This is what we came for!” We both had the same thought at the same time.
Hopewell Lake gave us cold water and a chance to ditch garbage. Then it was back on the trail, which started as a long climb up a grassy meadow, with no trail.
In the trees, the trail would appear, and it was often of high standard, or of chunky descent standard. Both are good by us!
Overall it was a very active day mentally. You could never really zone out and just ride along. There was always something demanding our attention. Often it was just following the trail or looking for evidence of it. Often it was negotiating ruts, rocks or crossing water / boggy areas. Never a dull moment, that is for sure. But I think it’s part of why we are pretty worn down from the day.
We just saw Maine and Vermont, two thruhikers that left a day before us from Ghost Ranch. They were at a tricky intersection at the Rio San Antonio. The GPS file is wrong, but both routes end up back on the trail.
And oh, what a trail. It brought us gradually up the Rio, golden sun in our eyes, and eventually following a narrow shelf of rock. The perfect place for a trail!Â
Unless you are looking for a place to camp! Because there are no flat spots, not even hardly the very narrow trail. So we hoofed it straight up the hill to the mesa above. Nothing like an anaerobic workout just before bed.
The wind has calmed down, the crescent moon shining above the twilight. A perfect setting for a CDT night.
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