NM Adventure Series

Good to know about the cabin. I'd like to know what it's like inside too. I think we were driving through Turkey Spring and they were coming out of trail #39. We were going to check out Lookout Mountain, but the road was closed off unfortunately. We only made it to Dripping Vat and then ending up leaving around midnight because the wife got sick and we drove to Glenwood via 159 to get back home.

 

As always, Brent, thanks for sharing!

AFAIK, if signs aren't posted it defaults to 55mph in NM. I don't know of a National Forest speed limit and I believe it defaults to state law. However, any LEO (incl. Forest Rangers) can cite you for reckless driving regardless of posted speed limit and driving speed and it all gets very subjective, "their word versus your word".
When people are "informing" me of the "rules", I've learned to just look them in the eye and say "OK". I'm just acknowledging I've heard and comprehended what they just told me and then I go about my business. Remember Scott pulling rooster tails in Monticello Canyon? I've learned from him.

 

That was my guess in regards to the law. I just wish the gentleman would have been more polite about it. I can understand his anger as certain off roaders can give the whole community a bad rap and get things shut down. I genuinely wanted to have a conversation, but he didn’t want any part of it. Next time I guess I’ll do exactly what you mentioned to hopefully not cause tension. Also, it’s sad to hear about Monticello Canyon. Would have loved to do that trail again.

 

Had a fun backroad/off-road Northern New Mexico adventure today. Following part of the NMBDR and other backroads. 240 miles total, with ~60 miles of dirt.

Taos ➡️ El Rito ➡️ Abiquiu ➡️ Coyote ➡️ Fenton lake ➡️ Jemez Springs ➡️ Corrales (home)



El Rito to Abiquiu via FS 122 and 23 was fun. Roads were unmarked (man I love my Gaia map app), muddy deeply rutted and rocky. Proper off-roading, even had to use 4wd a some.




FS 172 and 103 south from near Coyote were really cool, teakettle rock was really neat. I’d never been to that part of the Sante Fe NF. I will be exploring there again.


now it’s time for a wash!

 

Hey NM crew. Anybody know a good welder in NM or Colorado that you trust?

My mid travel suspension is in need of rebuilding. As such I was thinking this might be the time to upgrade my rear suspension. I was thinking about ordering a rear shock relocate kit and getting 12” shocks. But I would need someone who welds and knows Tacoma’s well enough to be able to clock the lower tabs correctly.

 

pm’d

 

Time for another short NM adventure!

Sante Fe National Forest Near the Gilman Tunnels. FS 239, 653, and 653E


Looking for a easy-ish, seldom used, high clearance forest road that is not particularly scenic, nor challenging, has no scenic viewpoints, through a scraggly uninteresting forest, that is so overgrown that roads are hard to follow?


Feel like any off-roading trip is incomplete without cows?


Like hearing the sound of scrub oak scratching down both sides of your truck at the same time.


Then this is a trail for you!

Basically I picked a random set of FS roads in an area I hadn’t been in before. Boring. Truly. And so damn scratchy. I definitely gained more pinstripes on this trip. I do not recommend these roads.

 

An awesome write-up though. Put a small grin on my face. The joys of exploring. Sometimes it is a total dud but it is still outside.

Ya'll ever make it up to Colorado, let me know. I've got a bunch of places to share with tonnes of scenery.

 

I go up there quite a bit. Wife and I just did Black Bear and Imogene a month ago or so. We’ve spent a fair bit of time in the San Juans over several trips, and I worked at Rocky Mountain NP a few summers ago, so I’ve still got friends and favorite breweries up there. We are always interested in exploring CO (especially in non-snowed in months)

 

Like we were talking about the other day I still think you've really got to get up there and run Stony although it's probably too late in the season now.

Did you get the truck back?

 

Yeah fuel pump was replaced. Then the very next day the check engine light came on. Engine was running lean. The mass airflow sensor was fried.
.

Both coilovers and both shocks are leaking too after a rebuild from an off-road shop in WI, so those need redone. Fucking truck is eating me out of house and home

 

haha Jesus well I’ll give you $3.50 and take it off your hands.

 

damn man that sucks, was hoping to get out with you too now that I’m back in town!

 

Stoney is one of my favorite trails in the San Juan’s
Pick a nice camp site along the Rio Grande

 

Wife and I just finished a fun little 4 day social distance, backroads and dirt road camping trip through NM, AZ, and UT.

1223 miles, including 259 miles of dirt! All easy dirt, but really neat scenery in out of the way places. All B-list type places. No busy cities, no National Parks. But all surprisingly interesting. (Except the NM piece... coincidentally)

Zuni Canyon and SR 42, outside of Grants, 48 miles of dirt. To be honest it was a little boring. Though we didn’t have time to drive high clearance roads to the lava tubes that may have been more fun.

Mogollon Rim, AZ: 15 years ago I ran an ultramarathon on the Highline Trail below the rim, so I thought it would be fun to drive the rim to look down on trail. We drove 57 miles of dirt following the rim FS 300, and going out to Bear Canyon Lake. lot of potential for camping and exploring up there for sure.


Cinder Hills OHV area and Coconino NF outside Flagstaff: 36 miles of deep ground pumice and rocky dirt. We tried to incorporate some dirt in our trip to Sunset crater and Wupatki. The OHV area was cool. Deep and soft, I could see getting stuck out there. The tracks on some of those hills are bananas, like hundreds of feet tall at 30+ degrees that seem mind boggling that someone could make it up or down without killing themselves.


Valley of the Gods and the Moki Dugway, UT. 20 miles of dirt. Pretty scenic little trip, not quite as dramatic as Monument Valley, which was closed due to Covid, but fun. I look forward to exploring more of the Cedar Mesa area.


Between the Bears Ears, UT. 55 miles of possibly the smoothest dirt road I’ve ever been on. Most of the miles were at 8000’ and all the shady areas had a couple inches of snow. Aspens and towering evergreens, hidden views of the canyons miles below, elk herds. And so damn much potential for exploring, including access to Canyonlands NP. We will be coming back there for sure.


Montezuma Canyon, outside of Blanding UT. 44 miles of dirt. My favorite part of the trip I think. Neat sandstone canyon, that had so many ruins and petroglyphs, that you could just walk up to. No tours, no rangers, just history in a pretty setting.

 

Awesome trip! Cedar Mesa/ Bear Ears/ Valley of the Gods was my stomping grounds growing up. Tons to explore out there, especially all of the different slot canyons on Cedar Mesa.

 

Excellent write-up, deekyn!

 

Anyone been up in the Jemez near Fenton recently? The lady and I are going Christmas tree hunting tomorrow and just wondering if they have gotten any snow up there.

 

The roads aren't bad. Any 4x4 with good tires could make it. FR 144 is usually busy this time of year.

 

For sure I think we’re gonna try and stay away from 144 and try our luck along 376 or 534 maybe. We’re gonna take our 4R so I think we should be good just didn’t know how much snow they’ve got up there recently