2005 SW-FOG routing?

[zzzzip]

In June 2005 I came to my first SW-FOG. Ten years later, last June, I was trying to lead some guys on some of the same routes, but came up short. We did 84, 64, and 285, so it had to be some other route.

On one day on '05, I recall we went thru some twisties in possibly a state park, that were so tight that when an 18 wheeler cut the corners bicycles, motorcycles (of which there were plenty that day) and cars had to stop. I think it was between Alb'q and Chama, where we spent the night.

Would anybody recall the route? I'd like to ride it again someday. It was the first twisties I'd ever been on, on my new to me '04 FJR. I'd just started riding again and it was .......interesting.

Maybe next year I could try it again.

Thanks.

 

[beemerdons]

Skip, when I sober up tomorrow morning I'll see if I marked up my map for that route!. Are you thinking of the Wheeler Peak Road 250 that led up into the Kit Carson National Forest? JSNS, Arroyo Seco!

I just finished off an Irish Coffee, the caffeine jolt makes me wonder if it was Route 3 through Placitas; or maybe the unmarked road between Abiquiu and Cebolla, that roadway skirted a small mountain lake!

 

[HotRodZilla]

I'm betting you were on Hwy-4 from San Ysidro to White Rock. It goes through Jemez Pueblo, the Calle Valdera and then past Bandelier National Monument before hitting White Rock and intersecting 502 between Pojaque and Los Alamos. Any of that sound familiar?

Another option is 434 between Mora and Angelfire. That goes past Coyote Creek State Park and is often called Black Lake.

The chances of seeing a semi on 434 are pretty slim. I've also not seen bicycles on it yet, and even after 2007, part of it was dirt, so I'm thinking that's unlikely.

There is Wild Rivers State Park between Taos and Questa, just outside of Cerro. I've never been there, but Alex has taken FJR guys through that before. Great roads, but Alex says a semi on there would be SUPER strange.

My vote is Hwy4.

 

[beemerdons]

^^^^^Skip I do believe "El Pendejo Grande" AJ is correct, I rode that day with Arturo Montoya from here in AZ. We stopped to eat in Chimayo at a tiny restaurant, so that sure looks like the route (4 also goes west to Los Alamos, ese!).^^^^^

I am getting SUPER senile, I can't remember what Artie's forum name/handle was here on our Fine FJR Forum! JSNS, Alzheimer's eh!

 

[zzzzip]

Doc Reed (sp?) put on the event. I was hoping one of the 3o or so riders might remember the route. There were 5 of us in the group I was in led by Mike and Boone from Texas.

 

[beemerdons]

^^^^^I got a get well phone call from Doc Reed of ABQ last March after my February Crash, Great Guy and I think I have his phone number saved! If I find it Skip, I will put it in a PM for you! I've got AJ's # too: U812 ese!^^^^^

PS: Nope, couldn't find that number. Was his first name Richard?

PSS: There may be hope for me, Art's nickname was "vectervp1"!

 

[HotRodZilla]

Skip, stop whining and just come ride. We could hit all those roads in a day anyway. Your nostalgia will be peaked.

 

[zzzzip]

Skip, stop whining and just come ride. We could hit all those roads in a day anyway. Your nostalgia will be peaked.

Maybe next year, if I'm still around.

 

[sgoat]

Reid Hester was his name. Think he moved to the west coast this past Spring, but he may have the same cell phone#. I used to have it but will have to see if I can find it. I too am senile with failing memory!

 

[beemerdons]

^^^^^Right you are sgoat, Dr. Reid Hester and he was a Psychologist! He's on Facebook and I sent him a Friend Request, shows he's still Director of Behavior Therapy Associates. Perhaps he has an office in Albuquerque and in Palm Springs. He told us in New Mexico he was an Alcohol Abuse Counselor, as Skip-zzzzip and I were pulling bottles of Whiskey, Beer and Tequila out of our FJR Saddlebags. JSNS, Ha, ha!^^^^^

 

[The Professor]

2005 SW-FOG Routes Day 1: Albuquerque to Chama

Courtesy of Steve Goatley

1.- Right on Lomas Blvd. (the road in front of Applebee's) to Tramway Blvd. Turn
left (north) on Tramway and follow it all the way to 1-25. Tramway skirts the city
and will give you a great view of Albuquerque.

2.- North on 1-25 to exit 242 in Bernalillo (pronounced burn-a-Ieo) and make a left
turn at the light onto hiway 550. After climbing up and out of Bernalillo, you'll be
deep into Indian Country. A very nice highway with -9reat, panoramic views, but
make sure your radar detectors are on and functioning. If you don't have that
farkle, pace yourself with someone who does as the native american LEO's are
radar equipped and don't have much of a sense of humor!

3.- At San Ysidro, turn right on St. Rd. 4. This will take you through Jemez
Pueblo and is the beginning of a truly wonderful road! You'll pass thru the village
of Jemez Springs (watch your speed, local Barney Phife), by Soda Darn,
Battleship Rock, the Valles Caldera, Bandelier National Monument, and the town
of White Rock.

4a.- Still on St. Rd. 4., you'll merge onto hiway 502 a few miles north of White
Rock. This road leads to hiway 84 north, the most direct route to Chama and all
points North. If your goal is to make it to Chama in time to relax or possibly take a
train ride on the Cumbres/Toltec narrowquaqe railroad.you may want to take the
Espanola off ramp that intersects hiway 502. This road skirts the majority of the
town of Espanola (a good thing)~ and runs into hiway 84 which will take you north
to Abiquiu (pronounced abbey-que, think Georgia O'Keefe), by Ghost Ranch,

and eventually Chama. Another option that will probably cost you an extra 45
min. or so is to take the crossover road to St. Rd. 285 just north of Espanola and
right after a Chevron Redi-mart (good place to re-fuel) Follow 285 until you -get

to the crossroad "town" of Tres Piedras. There you will turn left on hiway 64. This
is a great road full of swoopy turns and more classic northern New Mexico
scenery. It eventually runs back into hiway 84, the road to Chama. Many sports
car magazines have declared this road from T.P. to T.A. one of the top 10 roads
in the country.

4b. - Take 502 to the intersection of 84 where you will turn left and in less than a
half mile you'll turn right on Cnty. Rd. 88 (at the traffic light to Nambe), which runs
into St Rd. 76. This twisty road will take you to the little village of Chimayo. You
might want to take a quick look at the old church (Santuario de Chimayo), an Old
Spanish mission and site of a yearly pilgrimage. Just a little ways past the turn-off
to the church and while on 76J you'll come upon Rancho De Chimayo. You have
to keep your eye peeled to the left as the restaurant sits back off the road maybe
a hundred yards. Do yourself a favor and stop for lunch. This is New Mexico
cuisine at it's finest residing in an Old Spanish hacienda. After lunch and
wrestling withyour zippers, mount up and continue on hiway 76 north. This is a
portion of the route we locals call "the high road to Taos". You'll pass through
several small villages eventually winding up at the stop sign on hiway 75. Turn
left on 75 and you'll be headed towards the apple orchards of Dixon and will
eventually run into hiway BB_ Turn.left on 6RlowardsEspanola. The.Rio Grande
river rapids will be on your right for a few miles before rising up and out of the
river valley. The next 1 O-t5mLBfen'i anylhing to write home about, but it win be
over with in no time. Once in the city of Espanola (low-rider capital of the
southwest) look for the 285 (North) turn-off, and make a ri9ht (my choice) for the
Tres Piedras ride, or continue thru Espanola till you see the hiway 84 turn-off for
the Abiquiu route. Both Bra nice.rides.

The Chuckwaqon dinner at the Elkhorn Lodge in Chama (our HQ that night)
starts at 6:45 pm, But the Elkhorn has a hot tub so if you want a soak before
dinner and entertainment you'll want to get to Chama a bit earlier than that.

Have fun and.he careful out.therell

Mileage to major destinations:

Alb to Jemez Springs - 60 mi.
Jemez Spring to Espanola - 55 mi.

Espanola to Chama via 84 - 85 mi.

Espanolato Chama via2B.5 -125roL

Jemez Springs to Chimayo - 65 mi.

Chimayo,to Chama via.285- j 45mi

Chimayo to Chama via 84- 130 mi.
2005 SW-FOG Routes Day 2: Chama to Taos Ski Valley

1 a.- Once again it's all about choices, and today you'll have a few to make. Some of you
may have ridden hiway 64 yesterday. You may want a second crack at it only 90in9 the
other direction. Some may have taken the Abiquiu route (84) in which case you rode
past the turn-off to Hiway 64 to Tres Piedres. In any event you'll want to take hiway 84
south out of Chama to the hiway 64 turnoff and turn left (east) to Tres Piedres.

1 b.- Another spectacular route and my recommendation would be to take Hiway 17
north out of Chama and prepare yourself for some spectacular scenery as well as a
challenging piece of tarmac. This route will wind up to the top of Cumbres Pass criss-
crossing the route of the narrow gauge railroad. Bring your camera and be prepared to
stop for photo ops of both the train and the majestic Colorado panoramas. Careful, as
gawking while riding these semi-technical roads could be hazardous to your health!
You'll eventually wind up in the town of Antonito, the other end of the Cumbres/Toltec
Railroad. Turn right (south) onto 285 and aim your FJR down this gun barrel straight bit
of pavement to Tres Piedres.

2.- From Tres Piedres, you'll want to take 64 east. This will take you over the Rio
Grande Gorge Bridge, the highest suspension bridge in North America and a popular
suicide destination for the disturbed, and will eventually wind up on the north end of
Taos. This intersection is also where the road to Taos Ski Valley (hiway 150) is. I'd
recommend staying on 64, which will take you south through the city of Taos. You may
wish to stop, take in some galieriesJ han9 out with the "touristas", and try to catch a
glance of Julia Roberts. You should have time to take a look, but rather ride? I thought
so. Not that Taos isn't worth the stop, but isn't this weekend about riding? On the other
hand if your pillon needs a break this is a great place to wander through the art
galleries.

From here there are 2 circular routes that will take you through the mountains and end
you back up in Taos. The shorter route is 3a, the longer route is 3b. Both have
spectacular scenery.

3a. - Stay on 64 and once you've navigated thru most of the city, you'll notice 64 turns
south. The sign should also say something about Angel Fire. That's a ,good thing as
that's where you'll be going. This is a great road, but sometimes a bit crowded with both
vehicles, and wildlife. Keep your eyes open! This will take you by Angel Fire Resort, the
Viet Nam Veterans Memorial (very moving and worth a look), by Eagle Nest Lake and
into the town of Eagle Nest. This whole time you've been on hiway 64, but now you'll
want to turn north on hiway 38. This will take you to Red River. Red River is a great little
resort town that is host to a yearly "mini-Sturgis" event, and also hosted a BMW national
meet in 03'. Very motorcycle friendly! If you haven't already replenished your food
stocks since breakfast, then this is a ,good place to stop for chow. There are also good
restaurants in Angel Fire and Eagle Nest.
3b. - (the longer way and my personal favorite) A.9ainJ stay on 64 but qo a bit further
thru town to the intersection of 64 and 518. Turn south and stay on 518 all the way to
the town of Mora. This is a great road with a lot of bi-9 sweepers and elevation changes.
You'll run by the little ski resort of Sipapu (pronounced See-pa pool which is the site of
a regional Beemer fest every fall, and was also home to a national Moto Guzzi Rally a
few years back. Once you've made it to Mora, keep your eyes peeled for the road to
Black Lake/Angel Fire. The turn off is to your left and is St. Rd. 38/434. It's in the
middle of town and poorly marked, but it is there and it's OK to turn around if you miss it
the first time (don't ask me how I know this) This is not much more than a county lane
and is narrow, twisty, and fun! You'll wind up in Angel Fire and back on track (Hiway 38)
to Eagle Nest and Red River.

Either 3a or 3b will end you up in Red River. Now back to Taos or the Taos Ski Valley
(HQ for the night). The road out of Red River (Hiway 38) is lots of fun, and will
eventually deadhead into hiway 522 in the little village of Questa. Turn left (south) on
522. This will return you to a familiar intersection just North of Taos. Timepermittinq,
you may want to check out Taos. Be advised that many of the stores and galleries in
Taos are not open Sunday morning so if you want to browse, Saturday's the day to do
it.

To get to SW-FOG headquarters, you'll make a left on St. Rd. 150 (well marked as Taos
Ski Valley), andyou'li be on the home stretch. After a short while, Taos Ski Resort and
The Inn at Snakedance will be awaiting you. Hope you had a great time and I apologize
in advance if my directions were unclear or worse yet, GOT YOU LOST!! Doc Reid said
he would proof read the route to make sure that would not happen, so he's the one to
blamel thank !! (Edited and proofread by Doc Reid 5/18105).

Mileage to rnejor destinations:

Chama to Taos via 17/64 -110 mi.

Chama to Taos via 84/64 - 95 mi.

Taos to Angel Fire (via 64) - 25 mi.

Taos to Angel Fire (via 518) -112 mi

Angel Fire to Eagle Nest - 12mi.

Eagle Nest to Red River - 18 mi.

Red River to Taos Ski Valley - 40 mi.

 

[The Professor]

2005 SW-FOG Routes Day 3: Taos Ski Valley to Albuquerque

There's only one road in and out of Taos Ski Valley. It's all that twisty, curvy tarmac
again. Yeah. Once you're back on 64, head south into Taos. If you need some fortification
before continuing too far, stop at Michael's Kitchen on the right hand side as you come
into Taos proper. They've got the best huevos rancheros in the State. And some of the
best pastries west of the Mississippi. But if you're full from the included breakfast at the
Inn at Snakedance, continue south on 64 to Rancho de Taos. The road passes the world
famous Rancho de Taos Church one of the most painted buildings in the world. It's worth
a stop and look.

From there, take a left on 518 heading towards Sipapu. At the intersection of518 and 75
you have a choice:

1a. Continue on to Mora, then Las Vegas (NM, not NY) or Wagon Mound if you're
planning on heading north to Colorado and want togo via Raton and 1-25. Once you get
to Mora though, you're on the eastern edge of the Great plains and definitely out of the
mountains. 1-25 from Las Vegas to Santa Fe can be picturesque but !MHO isn't as pretty
as the alternative, lb.

lb. Take a right onto 75 and stay in the mountains, heading west to Penasco. Then at
Penasco, head south towards Truchas, Cordova, and Chimayo. If you didn't get to
Chimayo earlier, this is a second chance. See day one for info on the Sancturio de
Chimayo and the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant.. From Chimayo, continue south to
Nambe. This eventually drops you back onto 84/285 just north of Pojoaque. From there
the road is excellent all the way into Santa Fe.

Santa Fe is another great town for galleries, food, people watching, browsing small
boutiques, etc. Many people come to NM just to go to Santa Fe. So if you want to EO
downtown, stay on 84 and it'll take you within blocks of the main plaza. If however,
you're not stopping in Santa Fe, take the Veteran's Highway (also called the relief route,
don't recall the hi-way number right now) that bypasses the city entirely. It has nice high
speed sweepers but keep your eyes and radar dector out for the local LEOs if you do. As
this highway ends you have 2 more choices:

2a. Continue on 14 south to Madrid, Golden, Sandia Peak, and Cedar Crest. 14 is a
continuation of the Veteran's Highway. Just keep going straight as you hit the 1-25
interchange. This is definitely the scenic route. There'll be lots of motorcycles on this
road on Sunday as Madrid is a popular destination for riders. In Madrid, stop at the Java
Junction if you need a caffeine break or the Soda Fountain across the street if you're
craving an old fashioned ice cream cone or soda from a real soda fountain. There's also
an excellent small restaurant just before the Mad Hatter if you're hungry (forget the name
right now). Madrid also has some great antique shops and galleries. It'll be one of the
quirkiest most off-beat places on your entire trip. The Mine Shaft Tavern, just up the road
from the Mad Hatter opens at noon and they have non-alcoholic brewskis if you need a
beer.
Continuing south on 14 takes you along the eastern foothills of the Sandia mountains.
When you get to Sandia Park, you can take a left and head up to Sandia Peak, elev.
10,440. This road is twisty and steep in spots. It climbs 4,000' in 14 miles. It's a great
road to enioy the curves. Just be aware that the local sherriff also usually has radar on that
road because some squidly riders think it's their private race track. Right now (5/18) the
road's in need of repair because of all the winter snow and subsequent potholes. So we'll
give you an update on it at the time ofthe rally. If it's been repaired it's a great ride!

If you skip Sandia Crest, 14 continues on 14 to Cedar Crest. If you haven't had lunch yet,
try Ribs on the left in Cedar Crest. They have great BBQ. If you need a coffee break,
Coffee at Dawn on the right a bit further down the road is the local hanout for motorcycle
riders. Especially on the weekends. Dawn makes a mean latte and her pastries also are
good.

2b. The fastest and shortes route back from Santa Fe is the slab: 1-25. The Veteran's
Highway (relief route) intersects 1-25 so if you feel the need for speed, hit it. If you do 80
on this stretch of road you'll get run over. Most traffic does 80-90 and many go faster. If
it's busy though, it can be a bit crazy.

Sorry for the long post...hope it's helpful.

 

[beemerdons]

El Professor, Muchas Gracias mi Amigo! JSNS, Suerte!

There you go Mr. Skip, I laid out my New Mexico maps and THAT^^^^^ was the route! HotRodZilla was useless, but The Professor came through for us!

 

[HotRodZilla]

Um...Yeah, except I can do all those routes without someone writing it down for me, and it wouldn't take me 3 frigging days if I made a long stop for lunch. I'm telling you, Skip was on 4, but he wants to doubt me.

 

[beemerdons]

Um...Yeah, except I can do all those routes without someone writing it down for me, and it wouldn't take me 3 frigging days if I made a long stop for lunch. I'm telling you, Skip was on 4, but he wants to doubt me.

No Shit zzzzip, I just can't believe that you don't trust el Vato Loco and his la Cerda ese! JSNS, es Verdad asi!

https://www.motorcycleroads.us/roads/nm4.html AJ Zilla's la Puerca, Lupita: