One dry camp to another in northern New Mexico

Strava: 70.9 km, 1586m, 6:09, 202 shifts, 71.9 kph max

These mornings have become pretty normal. This is the third day in a row camping somewhere non-official but recommended on our route track. I slept really well, and for the first time in a while had to pee in the night, a good sign I guess. I wrote the Stages 10-11 blog post in offline mode (no media, just text) then went back to sleep at 3am.

We were up at 6 and had oatmeal with fruit and then a second course of pecan pie. Wytze didn’t want to carry it any further on his handlebars! We headed off at 7:30, up and down, through the forest.

We descended into a little “town” called Vallecitos. Our waiter last night said to get water at the fire station but it was closed and deserted. We stopped at a garage with a funny name: Asshole’s Garage. Wytze and I could hear music next door and eventually a man came out. We asked about where we could get water and he said to follow him. It turned out he was Mr. Asshole himself! Wytze asked how he got that name and he said, “Oh, I’ve been called worse… many things actually, and that name just stuck. I like it.”

Anyway, he was the opposite of his name, a super nice guy who gave us many liters of water and told stories, showed us around his place, cars being renovated etc. He was born in his grandma’s house in El Rito. Lives the quiet life – we saw no other activity in town, 9:00 on a Friday, no cell service, very peaceful.

We thanked him and headed up. We had snacks (1/8 of the pecan pie for me) at the end of the pavement. Just as our Vallecitos friend said, as soon as the paved road ended, it got steep.We just had to keep going, this is what we signed up for. Andrew was feeling it, and after a while, so was I. Eventually we stopped for lunch, hummus and Swiss cheese sandwiches. Somehow, that didn’t energize me. I kept plodding along, up the never ending climbs. When one did finally end, another would start within one km. Finally I stopped and put three watermelon gummies in my mouth at the same time. I felt a burst of POWER! Blood sugar was low. That got me to over 3000m at the campground at Hopewell Lake where we hoped to get water. Spigots all dry, we went to the day use area at the lake shore, same deal. We sat at a table and while Wytze went swimming in all his clothes (very uncharacteristically, but his main purpose was laundry), the rest of us filtered lots of water and ate more gummies. And remember those orange slices sugar-encrusted candies? They are powerful too.

Now continuing 15 km and climbing another 350m sounded fine. Off we went. It turned out the first half was descending on a big paved highway, my first time over 70 kph with the bike fully loaded including 4.5 liters of water. It’s not quite as perfect as unloaded, a slight vibration but it felt ok. We regrouped at the start of the dirt climb to camp. It was relatively easy, at least for a gummy-powered guy like me.

We actually stopped just short of the spot on the map because it looked so perfect. Someone had cut a tree into seats and there were a ton. It was a spacious meadow with trees giving shade. A guy from Taos was camped nearby with his big dog; we chatted with him. He said there should be snow on the ground here now as we were still over 2800m. Terrible winter he said. My phone somehow had a connection so I was able to post Strava and get my blog up to date.

Dinner was polenta with tuna. The guys had beef jerky and made sure I got extra tuna. Instead of cooking for 5 minutes we let it sit in Wytze’s sleeping bag to save gas. Daniel contributed salt and pepper from the Abiquiu café which made it quite good. Marshmallows for dessert.

We still have enough food for a couple of days and can probably find water. But we’ve been hankering for luxury items like hot showers and cold beer. Since my phone worked I think I found a solution. It will require a larger ride tomorrow but we should end up in a new state at an amazing place. Stay tuned.

It’s after 20:00 and time for sleep. It’s gently raining and there are occasional serious blasts of wind. Good test for my new tent. I am going to sleep so well.

10: Cuba to a high dry camp

Strava: 90.3 km, 2027m, 7:25, 318 shifts, 54.4 kph max

11: High dry camp to dry camp above El Rito

Strava: 75.7 km, 878m, 4:47, 160 shifts, 54 kph max

We got up at 6 and made a giant breakfast in our motel kitchen in Cuba. Daniel cooked up a dozen eggs with cheese and tomato and made bacon. We even baked croissants in the oven. Along with a couple of grapefruits, toast and yogurt with granola and blackberries, this was massive and great.

One thing was missing though, coffee for the coffee guys (all but me). So we rode out of town to a great little coffee shop Wytze had found while the rest of us slept the day before. After drinks and pastries there, we rode back to town then started up the route.

Just like leaving Grants, it started paved, so the first almost 20 km and 600m climb was “for free” again. Then up a gravel road. Just five km up was the most beautiful spot I think we’d seen yet. Rio de las Vacas is a small mountain stream, flowing through a meadow. We parked on the bridge and had snacks while we filtered four or five liters of fresh cool water.

Full up again, we headed on. As before, once over 2600m, the scenery becomes beautiful with flowers and fresh, green plants. Soon we were under the shadow of a thunderstorm so it was a little cooler. We heard lots of thunder but felt no rain. After quite a while we got to the first of the three summits, just over 3100m. Here the ground was wet and there were puddles. Daniel said we were pushing the storm. We considered camping but continued up the second and third summits. As I arrived at the final one, Wytze was there under a tree staying dry because it finally was raining.

We headed down in cold rain with jackets. There was another “informal campground” six km down so we headed for that. The road had turned to a comical rock pile so progress was slow. We passed an pickup truck with it’s front wheel broken off. But sure enough, the map was right and there was a nice campsite at the indicated spot.

Tents went up in the rain, and we started a big campfire. There was one stump that was our table and four seat-sized ones. We cooked dinner, experimenting with eight servings of seasoned couscous and a ton of tuna for the first course, then the old reliable eight servings of garlic mashed potatoes with another ton of tuna. And a chocolate cookie for dessert. Not bad!

After dinner I walked a few hundred meters to a spot with Internet so posted to Strava but was ready for bed and didn’t write up the blog.

We woke up in the morning late since we had a downhill day. Breakfast was oatmeal with fruit and nuts, then we headed off. The road quality did not improve much for a long way. But we were mostly coasting down, all the while so thankful that we didn’t have to climb this, supposedly the hardest single climb on the whole SOBO (Southbound) Great Divide.

It didn’t take long to get below the sweet zone into the dry zone, and then we kept descending. There were a few little climbs too, not easy on the rough road. Finally we came out to a valley and turned onto a smoother gravel road. This went down all the way to Abiquiu, quite low at 1800m. We passed a nice stream and rested a little but didn’t need water.

Down in town we checked out Bodes, the general store, but decided a nicer lunch was in order. One km down the paved road the route followed was the fancy Abiquiu Inn. We ate in their café, tasty sandwiches and tons of drinks. Mine: hazy IPA, lemonade and three or four glasses of water. Wytze volunteered to go back and buy groceries, he always is the Superman.

We laughed pretty hard when we saw what he bought. Besides the mountain of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack foods he had a full sized pecan pie! He strapped it to his handlebars! And off we went. It was about 25 km on paved roads to the next town, tiny El Rito. While climbing up to it, the temperature dropped from above 36 to below 18 in seemingly five minutes as we passed under another thunderstorm. This one did unleash on us but not for too long. It was a wet climb into strong wind but “soon” we rolled up to El Rito.

It was about 3:30 and the one restaurant in town, El Farolito, wasn’t quite open yet. But soon we were welcomed into the tiny 43 year old place. We had a long relaxed big dinner and left after 5. They filled up our water bottles too.

We had picked out another “informal campground” on the map, nine km and 300m above town. The dusty road we took up had a nice surface and gradient and we soon found the spot. It was pretty, although a couple hundred meters below my favorite elevation. We set up tents and had a few snacks while looking at the map. I took a little walk to see if there was reception nearby, but no.

A dry camp to Cuba, NM

Strava: 77.4 km, 711m, 4:29, 200 shifts, 48.5 kph max

I slept really well, and certainly didn’t have to pee in the night. I did wake up at 3 to close up the fly when the wind picked up. Some dust got in. We got up around 6, packed, and ate instant oatmeal with pecans and cranberries. The second course was DKB (Dave’s Killer Bread) with lots of peanut butter and Ghirardelli Caramel and Sea Salt chocolate.

We headed off at 7, down a couple of km to the Homestake Well spring. We filtered about 8 liters for the day. At 7:30 we started for real. It was dirt without too much sand for 25 km, scenic and pretty fun. Then, inexplicably, 5 km of pavement which was nice, but then back to it. After a while we had lunch, yesterday’s extra sandwich plus our last four Walmart pies.

After that the sand came more often and it was sometimes quite difficult. I remembered a crazy day of sand in Bolivia back in 2019. The secret there was to sit back and float the front of the bike, applying power as needed. I tried it here and it was not effective. The front of these loaded bikes won’t float at all. So it went, for a long way. The sand never was able to take me down but it provided endless sideways excitement.

By the time we hit US 550, I was so hot and dry. The highway looked terrible, four lanes, lots of fast traffic, lots of giant trucks. But when we actually took off, the combination of tailwind, full bike lane and almost level grade made it pretty easy and fast. Wytze led as usual, gradually ramping to 32+ on flat. It didn’t take long for Andrew to drop himself, then me, but Daniel persevered, 17 km to the first café in Cuba. We drank so much! The fountain drinks were almost a liter, and I think we had 12, I know I had 3.

It was nearly 2pm, check in time at the motel, so we rode over. Showers!!! Laundry, and just a cool place to lie down. So civilized. I drank quite a bit more, still no pee 🤔

Some major napping occurred, then some semi-reluctant bike maintenance and route planning. If we were fresh, the idea would be to ride all the way to Abiquiu tomorrow, but we are not, so it will be another big water carry and dry camp.

Later we rode to the market, a nice one, and gave them $150 for a mountain of food. Our motel suite may only have two beds but it has a kitchen and we know how to use it. The restaurant was just a little further. Andrew and Wytze secured seats where we could see the bikes and Daniel and I headed for the liquor store. No beer with dinner but you’re welcome to BYOB. IPA in hand we sat down. Everyone ordered fajitas and it was a grand dinner, I’m pretty sure better than the best available in Grants, a much larger city.

As I write this it’s already 20:30 and I need to get to sleep NOW! Good night 💤

Grants to a dry camp in the middle of nowhere

Strava: 117.1 km, 1607m, 7:04,  328 shifts, 64.7 kph max

5:30 alarm, 6:15 packing food, 7 at the café, 7:30 departure from Grants. We climbed on pavement for 23 km, it felt like getting 600m done “for free”. Then onto gravel as we climbed more. It got cooler and prettier as we gained. We stopped near the highpoint, 2750m, for brunch of Walmart pies. It was cool and the air was so nice up there.

Nothing ever stays the same for long though. Down we went. Soon it was at least 10°C warmer. We continued and came to a quite sandy section, difficult riding. I think we all made it without actually crashing which was good. Lots of sideways sliding around. Near the end of it we passed some motorcycle guys who had passed us hours ago, stuck but hopeful (although we never saw them again…) Back on firmer dirt, we stopped for lunch of peanut butter and honey sandwiches in a broken down homestead barn that had shade.

The rest of the ride was sort of hard and long. We went past many scenic formations but overall, it was dry, dusty, and you had to be super careful on the many downhills. Eventually we got to the water spring that wasn’t dry, this was at 115 km. Andrew and I rode over to it and soaked our faces, phew. I wet my arm protectors which lasted maybe 10 minutes. We filtered 1.5 liters into one of my bottles and Andrew took a similar amount to filter at camp. Up the hill a bit Daniel and Wytze were at the “informal campground”, at a high point with good views and a nice place to cook. Also good mobile data, a surprise.

Tents went up under small trees, then clouds came over and saved us for a while. Daniel went down the hill ahead with Wytze to check out the second spring. It was good and they got more water, but had a big climb back. Next up was dinner: our special recipe: 16 servings of mashed potatoes, this time with four bags of tuna. The verdict: even better than last time! We had a nearly melted chocolate bar for dessert then retired early (7 pm).

Special wildlife sightings today

• A giant gopher snake, at least 5′ long
• A green lizard at camp
• A pretty bird, comment if you can identify for sure (one AI said house finch)

May 31, 2026 was our first rest day on the Great Divide. We’ve covered 612 km and climbed 6107m to get to Grants, over halfway through our New Mexico adventure.

We went to bed late and got up late, very luxurious. After planning the route to Cuba (two days), we rode over the highway to Walmart which seemed like the only good grocery shopping option. It was my second time at this Walmart (thanks Beau for pointing out we had food shopped here together!) and my third time in Walmart ever. It’s overwhelming with so many choices but we managed to find food for today, tomorrow’s big ride and a more modest ride the next day. We also bought a few little items we needed. Breakfast was outside at a picnic table in the shade: yogurt with granola and blueberries, a salad and an orange each. Coffee was needed so over to the nearby Denny’s. I hadn’t been in one for 39 years! Of course we also needed more food like pancakes, brownie, milkshake etc. These trips are so fun if you love to eat!

We rode back to the motel and met a couple of women cyclists we knew from the Bunkhouse. Liz offered her house in Salida, CO when we get there, presumably some days ahead of her. We decided to accept and invited her to our wine and cheese platter party this afternoon.

We did a little bike work and relaxed in the afternoon. Around 5, I sliced up cheeses and we sat outside for what ended up being an over two hour long little party. It was really pleasant and various people contributed nice foods. Liz showed up from Walmart with two more bottles of wine.

In the evening we watched another movie, Roofman, a sad true story, filmed really well. The alarm is set for an early departure, good night.

Pie Town to Grants

Strava: 113.5 km, 493m, 4:40, 244 shifts, 52.5 kph max

Three of us ended up sleeping inside at the Bunkhouse last night. We woke up early when others came in looking for their coffee fix or the bathroom. We packed up and rode to the Gathering Place for breakfast at 7:30, right when Starr was opening. She served us classic breakfasts like omelets, pancakes, bacon and eggs. Delicious and of course we bought three pies to go for lunch.

We rolled out Pie Town at 8:30 and headed north on a dirt road that was pretty smooth. Within one km I had to replace my other shifter battery (WTF??) and we got to talk to the Canadian couple we met yesterday hiking. They seemed in a good mood but walking that long long road did not look fun to me. We talked with them about types of hikers and bikers: seekers, people trying to escape something, and those “with fuck all else to do”, that last one added by Andrew. As we rode on we pondered which we were.

We stopped for first lunch at 11:00 at the junction with route 117, after just over 50 km. We had two pies, so tasty! Then we rode the paved alternate route the rest of the day.

After 25 km of nice cruising by sandstone formations, we stopped at La Ventana Arch. We rode the little trail to a viewpoint and shared our last pie there. It’s a beautiful spot and we were just loving the clear sky and relatively cool temps.

We continued on, the whole way on pavement with our Superman, Wytze, leading. The wind varied, generally side, so we mostly echelon drafted. This is a diagonal pattern with Wytze near the center line and each of us behind and to the right of the one ahead. There was very little traffic so this worked perfectly the whole way. Obviously it’s no good on a busy road. We reminisced about getting pulled over by the cops in Spain for this in 2023.

We crossed route 40, stopped for drinks and snacks, then continued the last 9 km to Grants.  This part of route 117 was tracing the path of historic Route 66. We made it about 8.5 km but noticed the Junkyard on 66 Brewery and just had to stop. The place was so classic with classic cars and stacks of parts, dozens of old car radios, a pool table etc. They didn’t make an IPA so Andrew and I had a guest beer, Alien IPA, that was great. We had some snacks and enjoyed the stop.

Our motel, the Leisure Lodge, was just down the road and we checked in. It’s a classic old motel, another one of Andrew’s goals for the trip accomplished. Old or not they had a great shower. Then we warmed up the leftover pizza from Pie Town for a snack. Livin’ large!

We rode to dinner around 6, headed for the Teppanyaki place “downtown”, but it didn’t exist. El Cafecito Mexican restaurant did though and served us up a giant dinner of various dishes, plainer than we’re used to in California but filling. Very friendly staff let us park inside – we heard you have to be careful about bikes here. I have to say that Grants is a bit of a disappointment so far after Silver City. Riding through the neighborhoods… It does not look thriving.

We rode back and watched a pretty wild movie in our room, No Country for Old Men. All in all a great day, ending the first week of our adventure. And tomorrow is a rest day! I believe I will sleep well.

Geronimo Trail Camp to Valle Tio Vinces CG

Strava: 125.7 km, 1426m, 8:09, 274 shifts, 48 kph max

Valle Tio Vinces to Pie Town

Strava: 48.3 km, 490m, 2:31, 134 shifts, 48.2 kph max

We had planned to split the 170+ km distance more like 90 + 80, but in the end pushed on that first day to make the second day quick and easy.

We got up early in our cabin, cooked breakfast and took off at 6:30, temperature 3° C. A climb warmed us up and we continued on, with the first stop at the Beaverhead Work Camp where we loaded up on water for a dry camp. I could feel the extra 3+ kg.

Right when we got a bit over the 85 km midpoint the scenery changed and we were in a barren, flat, windy land. So we kept going. At 110 km we topped off our water at a church but camping did not look good. The map showed a Forest Service campground with great reviews so we cranked out another 400m climb in 15 km, arriving after 5pm.

It was beautiful and deserted although a CDT hiker came in while we were cooking dinner. He went to bed right away and I heard his fast footsteps the next morning, before 6am. I am in awe of the people who do this on foot.

Since we were going to easily get to Pie Town and provisions the next day, we ate all of our food, two dinners and tomorrow’s lunch. It was a feast. I was more tired than the previous days though. We all retired early. I read for 30 minutes until 8pm then my legs started cramping. An electrolyte tablet cured that and I fell deep asleep.

After nine hours of peaceful sleep, you just have to feel great! There was a little ice so maybe it was 0° in the night. I slept warm in my quilt with no extra warm clothes needed. Breakfast was the last of our oats plus two packages of granola with milk and blueberries. We packed up and set off at 7:30.

There was one climb, then the most gorgeous downhill. Smooth and the perfect angle where you can go fast but never touch the brakes. And somehow no washboard! Kilometers just fly by. We were up over 2500m for the first time, fresh with lots of big Ponderosa Pines.

It was a beautiful and easy cruise all the way to Pie Town. Just before arriving we spent some time talking to a couple hiking the CDT, day 18 vs our day 6 (different routes though). In town, we pulled in to the first place we saw called The Gathering Place. What a place it is! Pies of all types, and a full menu of breakfast and lunch. We arrived around 10:30 so everything was available. I had a veggie burger with onion rings, Daniel had a “Josh Special” and we shared pies and ice cream. And drinks.

Fortified, we rode over to “The Bunkhouse”, a self-serve “hostel”. You can sleep inside or in your tent. Lots of snacks and drinks and even cold beer. It’s $20, payable via a machine, enter the amount and wave your phone or card. Laundry included the most amazing feature I’ve ever seen: borrow clothes! Yes you can wash your cycling clothes and your regular clothes and don’t have to walk around naked. Full kitchen stocked with lots of food and great shower. We hung out with other bikers and hikers for a while, some staying at the other place in town.

After laundry and a long chat with the Swiss owner of the Bunkhouse, we cycled to the closer restaurant. Two had chicken pot pie with pie and salad and two had giant veggie pizzas with salad. We got four pieces of pie to go for good measure. The place was so classic. And we accomplished one of our major goals for the trip! Andrew said he was hoping to see “open carry” somewhere, sometime on this trip. The guy carrying two pistols had a ton of bullets on his gunbelt. He was very pleased when Wytze asked if he could take his picture. We couldn’t eat all the pizza (a pair of 14″ homemade veggie ones, quite hearty) so we brought them to the Bunkhouse along with four pieces of pie for later.

It sure was nice to relax in the Bunkhouse after dinner. We booked two nights in the upcoming town of Grants, thus committing to going the whole way tomorrow. The normal route is supposed to be difficult now due to lack of water so we’ll take the shorter alternative route which will let us avoid another dry camp.

Later in the evening, for second dinner, we shared our take-out quiche from lunch and four pieces of pie: pecan, peach, blueberry and coconut. A great end to a great day. For a town with only 166 people, Pie Town was a highlight of our trip so far.

Lake Roberts to Geronimo Trail Camp

Strava 73.4 km, 1455m, 5:35, 205 shifts, 49.6 kph max

We thought we had an easier stage today and check in time at our cabin was 4pm so we got up late. It was a little cold last night with some ice on my bike this morning. Breakfast was freeze dried peaches, a banana and some turbinado sugar in eight servings of oatmeal. We let it sit under a sleeping bag to get just right. Delicious! We shared a 🥝, packed up and took off just before 9.

The first 12 km was on a paved road, up and down, pretty and relatively easy. We met the guys from the campground at the turnoff. The rest of the day was on dirt. We headed uphill steeply, something like a 9 km climb up 350m. We had a snack at the top and went on. There were lots more of these climbs and I was overjoyed that my granny gear 52 was working even though the bike thinks it’s in second gear. I cranked it long and hard (1:28, the only gear I used today for over an hour)!

The inevitable descents were absolutely wonderful although you have to really pay attention on the tricky, sometimes slippery curves. There were many straight sections where we could cruise at 40 kph or more, with usually one path somewhere on the road free of washboard bumps.

We had lunch just over halfway: one tortilla each with honey and pepper jack cheese. Just enough and super tasty. As we got to 3/4 done and beyond, the pace slowed. The last couple of climbs were brutal in the sun, about 10% grade… Andrew was heard to comment at the top of the last one, “I’m done!” And he meant it. Luckily we had just one last four km downhill run, super nice.

We turned at the ranch sign and spied their coolers right away, drinks and snacks for cyclists. We each pounded large Gatorade bottles. 90% of mine went down in one breath. We took some Clif bars and left $40 in their box. We checked in and the cabin is quite nice. They are off the grid so the shower and power comes from the sun.

Everything is better after your first shower in two days, especially if you sweated copiously. We all did laundry and relaxed. They have Starlink Internet. If you want the full treatment here, meals and horse riding etc, it’s $600 per person per day! We had tried to add dinner but their chef had the day off so we have to make our food last to Pie Town, two days and 170+ km away. With the extra Clif Bars I think we’ll make it.

I heard some snoring while I was writing this post, while Daniel spent time in the bathtub trying to find the holes in his sleeping pad. Later, we cooked dinner outside. After a careful inventory we decided we could share three dinners for “two” instead of just two like last night. Dessert was a scone, a mint chocolate cookie and a big bar of Swiss chocolate from Daniel.

Hachita to Ridge Park Campground on route 90

Strava: 102 km, 863m, 6:08, 139 shifts, 46.4 kph max

After a decent sleep, we got up around 5, ate a big breakfast and packed up. The weather had changed quite a bit, with the road wet, cool with some rain in the air. We headed north with gorgeous views in all directions. We stopped for pictures at our first Continental Divide crossing. Before the rain started we were treated to some amazing lightning and super loud thunder. Once it was maybe a quarter second between them!

The first 30 km today was paved and it wasn’t really cold so the rain just made us wet and cool. It let up as we finished the paved section and headed west on a gravel frontage road along Interstate 10. We rode with our tandem camping partners, Brad and Kristen. Soon we got to the one town of the day, Separ. It has just one building, the Continental Divide Trading Post. We bought lots of snacks and drinks but skipped fireworks. We took a break eating outside, very nice.

We headed north on dirt roads, and soon the rain started up again. Daniel has low clearance in front and had a little trouble but the tandem was completely shut down by the sandy mud. They had to take a break to wait for drier conditions. We persevered and loved the varied weather and views. I got to try out my new rain jacket which worked great, the first time I’ve had a hood while riding. Up and down, about 70 km of dirt. We stopped for lunch at noon but had already been riding for four and a half hours.

There was a fair amount of climbing but nothing steep. Finally at 95 km we popped out onto state highway 90, paved and smooth. We took it a little way to a campground and checked in. It felt good to have a 100 km day under our belts and it was only 2:20.

I was very happy to see trees with shade in the tent area. We set up, had showers and did the daily laundry – we each have only one set of cycling clothes.

Some lounging occurred then we made dinner, cooking up the second meal bought at the Dollar General in Columbus. The pot only holds two liters so first I put 8 servings of instant mashed potatoes and a can of tuna into a liter of boiling water. Stir and it’s ready! Andrew and I enjoyed that and agreed it was just the right amount. Later I repeated for Daniel and Wytze. No leftovers! Dessert was candied pecans. We worked on route plans for the next few days, then cleaned up.

It was forecast to rain in the night so we put on our rain flies. Our plan is to get up at 5:45 (luxury) then ride into Silver City for breakfast and shopping. Sure enough, as I wrote that the rain started!