A GREAT Divide Pandemic Adventure

[Cabrito]

This last set of updates was well worth the wait. Holy fuck that mud looked slick and shitty...

Money shot!

Nature's reward

 

[berth]

Bike looks good. Covered with "adventure".

 

[matty]

Op, you aren't the fastest to update this thread, but hot damn, when you do, it's worth it. Fantastic pics and write up! Looking forward to what comes next.

 

[1962siia]

Josh this looks like a serious adventure! Looking forward to the next installment!!

 

[GreenHornet]

Thanks Y'all

 

[GreenHornet]

Day 5 Grants to Hell

During the previous day, I saw a total of 4 people in 12 hours on the trail. 2 Adventure Cyclists, 1 motorcyclist, and the guy who gave me the beer and helped me get back on my way.
The 3 two wheeled vehicle pilots told me that the section of the route between Grants and Cuba was a mess. There were huge washouts, ruts, and mud. I was feeling a bit beat up, and had only done one of 20 sections. I decided, to just take the blue paved route to Cuba and then figure out my next step.

But first, I wanted to find a car wash. Much better.

I kept seeing mustangs in the hills and when I saw some on the road up ahead, my pulse quickened. Alas, these had the accoutrements of domestication.

Road kill, I was repentant for my murderous ways.

I passed a sign for Chaco that said it was 30 miles away, but I felt I had already lost more than a day, and having visited the Gila cliff dwellings, decided I could visit another time. I also passed some kind of natural Amphitheater, but didn't stop there either.

 

[GreenHornet]

It was still pretty early when I arrived in Cuba and it was only 77 more miles to Abiquiu. I should be able to make it by dark. Right?

Leaving Cuba the route followed pavement up into the hills before heading off onto some nice fire road. This is more like it. No more mud, nice wide fire roads, spectacular views.

I was making really good time and thought I was about to gain back a lost day. But boy was I wrong. The nice fire road gradually became rockier and rockier.

At first, it wasn't that bad.

But then it started to climb. Pictures don't really do it justice as it doesn't show how steep the climb is nor how big the rocks were. I made it over some sections at first and if I could keep my momentum up things were fine.

Eventually, I had to stop and walk the hill to pick a route, and to see what the road was like farther ahead, out of sight.

Inevitably, things ended up the way they had 2 days before. Minus the mud, plus the incline, plus my 2.5 gallons of water.

It was getting late and I was exhausted. I figured out that I could right my bike without the Recovery System if I unloaded all my luggage. I know there's this conception that GS's are easier to pick up due to the cylinder heads stopping the bike from laying flat. This can be true, but it also depends on where the bike ends up. I found it virtually impossible if I had to lift it against an incline. Sometimes I ended up at the edge of the road and fighting gravity. This would necessitate all kinds of dragging on the ground by the crash bars until I could maneuver it into a position I could lift it from.
Eventually, I just left all my luggage at the bottom of the hill and was able to ride to a spot where I felt I could start again tomorrow and I just set up camp on the side of the trail. I ended up retrieving my things in the dark.

Just me and the beasts.

and these huge ass ants.

During the night there sure were some strange sounds. I heard this one sound that was a cross between a coyote and a bear. I had no idea what it was at the time and I had no cell service, but I vowed I'd figure it out... soon

 

[GreenHornet]

Day 6 Hell to Abiquiu

The previous night's accommodations.

I think I had less than 30 miles to go to Abiquiu, but the one Adventure cyclist I saw in the morning said it was all rocks and all downhill. Great.

Once again, I started off on the right foot but this drop really sucked. Not only did it take me a long time to get going again, but it was one of the dumber drops I'd have all trip. I tried to go between to rocks that were staggered and ended up clipping one with one of my cylinders and down it went.

I didn't get a lot of pics this day as it was pretty tough going. There were more rocks, sand, rocky ledges, sand on rocks. At one point there was some huge drop off a ledge. But I was determined to just keep my speed up and go balls out until.. I don't know but I wanted to just get through it. I'm not sure how, but I was able to make my way without hitting the dirt again.

The cool of the hills gave way to the heat of the desert.

 

[GreenHornet]

Civilization at last, and shade. I needed a drink, and some real food, and I guess a bed.
The Abiquiu Inn. It had a restaurant, and that was my immediate destination.

The farkles did their job superbly thus far, exceeding my expectations.

The rooms weren't cheap, well at least in relation to what I had seen thus far. I think they wanted around $140 per night, but I didn't care. I needed to regroup.
It turns out that the last room which I was told I could get had some plumbing issue so I was given a bungalow for the same price. This, to me, was the nicest place I stayed on my whole trip.

I thought this fridge was a genuine antique, but the next place I stayed had one too. Still cool.

As I began to finally unwind, for the first time, I seriously entertained the idea of calling it quits on the solo dirt stuff. I began to formulate a plan to just stick to the general route but just ride pavement the rest of the way. So far, this trip has been brutal. I felt like I had struggled from dawn to dusk for the last 4 days.

 

[berth]

Tough run, to be sure.

 

[1962siia]

Yeah man, riding solo on a large ADV bike, loaded to the hilt can be brutal if you have to pick it up a bunch of times. Loving the report so far! Thanks, and great pics too BTW.

 

[Grissom]

And he is back with the Adventure story....

 

[SFMCjohn]

The previous night's accommodations.

so epic, love pics like this that kinda capture a day’s drama.

the crash-bar battle-scar pics were fun, too. there’s Starbucks cred for me!

 

[budman]

Holy shit.. A+ report!.

So want to dig in to the detail now, but I have to work man..

Stunning Landscapes, Reverend gas man, etc x 10.

 

[GreenHornet]

Thank you all for the encouragement. I'm glad I'm not boring you too much, and I'm baring my soul, triumphs and failures alike.

 

[ripter]

 

[GreenHornet]

Day 7 Abiquiu to Chama to Del Norte

Now, back to the monsters in the night. I was pretty sure there weren't any werewolfs in New Mexico, and I don't think it was a full moon the night before. I wasn't sure about the non were wolfs, but thought wolves were unlikely. I actually did start to form a theory. The monster noises seemed to come not long after what I knew were elk calls. I had a sneaking suspicion they were male elk vocalizing for the females. A quick youtube search for male elk calls gave me my answer. To be sure, it's a frightening sound, particularly when you know there's no other human around and there's no cell service.
My biggest wildlife fear from even before I left home was being attacked by a grizzly. I knew I wasn't in grizzly country yet. I suppose there were probably coyotes and mountain lion, but I didn't really have any concerns about them. Besides, I had some defense.
Apetite sated, in the cool of my room, it was time for some introspection. I remember thinking that the past 3 days were the hardest of my life. I'm not sure of the veracity of this claim, as I've had some struggles over the years. But I was sure of one thing. The last 3 days were assuredly the hardest days I could recall.
I thought of my options. I could pack up and go home and be content that I did have an adventure and I gave it a good shot but in the end it was just more than I could handle.
I could continue on and stay on the pavement, but just follow the towns on my original route and have a nice road trip.
If there's one thing I am it's stubborn. Also, I hate to admit defeat. I decided on a compromise. I felt that my body needed some rest. I also thought maybe New Mexico would be the worst of it. I would skip the next off-road section and then ride the last part of New Mexico on the originally intended route. If I continued to have such a hard time, I could always take one of the options above. But I wanted to stick to the plan.
I also came to the realization I was just carrying too much junk. There were things I brought that I hadn't used at all. For instance, a camping chair, an extra power bank, a DC to AC inverter, my GoPro... You get the idea. I really wanted to ditch my stock mirrors as they had just become a point of vexation by now. Constantly flopping around and getting in my way. So, I went through every item I had with me, and tried to decide if it was a necessity.
Luckily there was a post office at the edge of town, but they didn't open until 10:00am I think. I knew I wasn't going to get an early start.

Pile of junk to mail to myself. I think it was over 10 lbs of junk that was shed.

I noticed my Giant Loop had been thrown for a loop as well.

There was plenty of time for some field repairs before the pos office opened.

 

[GreenHornet]

Rode the highway to Chama

Then back on route from Chama to Del Norte

Farewell to the hell that is New Mexico

Hello change of fortune. Things are about to get much better. I can just feel it.

Colorado was the salve I craved. I was immediately taken aback by the beauty of the land here and all the back roads I rode were well maintained. I ended up running street tire pressures for the whole state. Colorado was a much needed reset, and I once again experienced the pleasure of the open road. There was indeed a sense of accomplishment getting through New Mexico, and in retrospect I wouldn't change much. There's something to be said for overcoming adversity, and realizing your goals. But in the thick of it, I can't say I felt like I was having the best time.

I really loved the Aspens

and the meandering streams

and the winding roads

I'm not sure what historical site this was but it was too cool not to have a look

 

[GreenHornet]

Just can't get enough of th aspens

Made to Del Norte with plenty of daylight to spare and had a chat with an adventure cyclist. This was a good day and I was able to complete 2 days in one. Oh yeah, I totally forgot the west is on fire.

The price of lodging was on a precipitous incline. Upon local recommendation I made a reservation at the Mellow Moon Lodge. I think it was about $200 and nice, but didn't move me like the place in Abiquiu. The checkin was totally automated, covid and all.

 

[1962siia]

Gorgeous! Good for you for going through your stuff and sending a pile home, and for keeping on keeping on!