New Mexico Owners BS Thread

What are y'all using to find trails in the general ABQ area? Online resources seem to be lacking as I can only find a handful of trails from searching. Is it mostly word of mouth?

 

That’s awesome! I just got my sliders painted this weekend. Waiting for the hardware bag that mobtown forgot to arrive so i can install them lol. Only took 23 weeks since i ordered them in november

I usually use gaia, looking at 4x4 trails on forest service maps (the ones with vertical number) and then try to check them out with good earth satellite images

 

There isn't a whole lot right in the Albuquerque area but if you are willing to drive out a couple hours you will find a lot.

 

23 weeks.... whoa .. could learn alot of fabrication skills in 23 weeks lol

 

Awesome that's good to hear, 5 weeks isn't terrible better than some of the other big fab shops. I guess I just caught him at the perfect time just has to wait a week.

I use a lot of different things to try and scout for trails. A lot of internet researching & youtube videos, I also use All Trails & Gaia, and I'm lucky enough to have access to mapping software so I make a log of my own and upload the GPS files to Gaia or All Trails. In other words a huge mixed bag of things it is difficult to find quality information.

 

I've found google Earth pretty decent at mapping trails paired with the internet searches. I could see some benefit in paying for AllTrails or Gaia, but my phone pretty much drops signal anytime outside of ABQ or SF, so not sure if it would work.

It would be nice having a decent fab shop around ABQ. On the upside I can buy a welder for the quote given to do a CMC.

 

Silver City here!

 

I have a welder... never have done the cmc ..but if you bought the plates to weld up I'm sure its not a big deal.

 

Anyone know a good spot to get plates for a cmc?

 

http://bayareametalfab.3dcartstores.com/CMC-Cab-Mount-Chop-Brackets_p_15.html

No personal experience but I also think it's a pretty straight forward product..

 

I honestly prefer All Trails over Gaia I think the interface is much more user friendly but I still use both. Also, both support offline maps you just download your map area before you head out, they both have topo and aerial imagery which is helpful.

 

Total Chaos has a video on their install it honestly looks fairly easy.

https://youtu.be/0v2h6pBzIrs

 

Best system I've found to work is the NF MVUMs and the Avenza app.

Santa Fe NF:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/santafe/landmanagement/projects/?cid=stelprdb5411664

Cibola NF:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/cibola/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd586426&width=full

Carson NF:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/carson/maps-pubs/?cid=FSEPRD586426&width=full

San Juan NF:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sanjuan/maps-pubs/?cid=fseprd635856

Avenza Maps:
https://www.avenzamaps.com/vendor/309/us-forest-service-r2-rocky-mountain-region

Does not require cell service as it relies on the cellphone's GPS capability.

 

I have used all trails and found the forest road map, I noticed they all say passenger car suitable or rough road. I've done a decent number of forest roads in the area and enjoy them but, I want something a little more challenging. I hit up cedro peak and Red River sometimes.

Guess I just need to start researching!

 

As @Darth ToyTaco said, there isnt a whole lot close to albuquerque. We drove around the desert west of Rio Rancho and there is some challenging stuff over there.

 

I used to live over off of Northern and had heard about Southern being a cool place but, I wasn't sure if it was still accessible.

 

There were a ton of folks out there.
Here's a link to the other NM thread
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/nm-adventure-series.273873/page-98

 

Another resource people forget because it is more old school is you can go to ranger stations and BLM offices to purchase physical maps directly. If you know someone who is older and was a backpacker or hunter they might have old maps that list things like mines that have been removed from newer maps. It really just comes down to doing homework but nothing can replace exploring it for yourself. Pick an area and go.

Not sure if you are interested in group runs but we will try to put some together. I know @Taco505, @TacoIII, and myself are starting to plan some trips but nothing is in stone yet.

 

I'm absolutely interested, I haven't ran into to many people to run with since moving out here.

 

I really like Gaia Topo. It is $30 a year. You can download lots of maps including using multiple layers. So I have the FS MVUM on top, then Nat Geo, then FS, then a basic highway with topos. Plus you can save your routes as you do them and built routes in the app where the route auto follows roads.

Typically I google roads/areas and then hunt them down in the app.

Also FS 144 just west and north above Valle Caldera is mostly easy high clearance road with once section of medium difficulty rocky road 4x4.