Ride With Thal: 2016-06-05

Friday, June 10, 2016

Day 7 (NM & CO)

Just a few picks from today (Thursday 6/9). Some video to follow.

The mighty KLR met her match today. The Rocky Mountains slowed her. Altitude, winds and gear weighing her down slowed progress on long hill climbs. While Mr Grey has fuel injection and a few more horses, but he was more than willing to throttle back as needed. Liz upgraded her engine with the the 685 kit weeks before we left CNY. Probably made a difference with the KLR's ability to pound through the miles at this altitude.

We still chewed up the miles today. Riding out of NM through a corner of CO and into Moab, UT.

Scenery changed with every turn of the corner, every hill climb and descent. From dry prairie to rocky cliffs or forested valleys. We saw it all today. Touched the sky at 7,000-ish feet. Rode through pleasant wooded cool areas, out to desert hot, then up altitude to cool again. Which is surprising, being closer to the sun you'd think warmer.

We went up and down some 8% grades and 90 degree 20 MPH turns. No cell coverage out there. If nobody saw you go over the side, nobody will ever know.

Just can't stop when the carrot being held in front of you looks like this!

The heat here in Moab is incredible. As we descended from the nearest mountain into Moab, it felt like riding down into an oven. Stopping for dinner I watched the air temp gauge on my bike rise from 100 to 101 in a split second. By time we finished eating it was 105! Too hot for us CNY kids. With intentions on camping and the temp rising we opted for a motel to cool off.

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Day 7 (Aztec Ruins)

Before leaving NM this morning, we had to check out the Aztec ruins. Come to find out they are not Aztec ruins, rather they are Pueblo. For some reason it took me a good 15 mins to understand that. Liz had the patience to give me a quick remedial review of the who and why.

http://www.britannica.com/place/Aztec-Ruins-National-Monument

90% is original and has not been rebuilt.

Some original wood structure (900 years old). Wood materials (thousands of pounds) were carried in from the nearest forested area about 25 miles away. All before the horse or even the wheel was in North America.

Not sure if the Pueblo people where smaller 900 years ago but the doors were awfully short!

Aztec Bunny

Aztec Lizard

Day 6 Texas & New Mexico

Old Route 66

We jumped off the interstate for breakfast and happened to drop right on the halfway point of the famed route 66 in Adrian, TX.

There is not much left to the towns we explored. Seems once the new modern interstates where built, may of the towns Route 66 went through could no longer survive. Many seemed like ghost towns with abandoned and boarded up buildings.

This portion of route 66 dead-ends. We dismounted to snap a few pictures.

Sam: "Don't touch the cactus"
Me: Thinking to myself *well, duh* (to be fair, I do have a habit of touching things I probably shouldn't)
Sam: The "prickers come off easily"
Me: "And you know this how?"
Sam: "I don't want to talk about it"

The never ending road in NM! We went miles (almost a full tank of gas) on this road. Passed maybe 6 cars. We where able to snap this picture without worrying about traffic sneaking up on us from behind. Roads like this make it nice to have the security of the Spot Tracker.

The remaining of these pictures are from NM. They do not do any justice to the amazing scenery.

We saw a number of adobe brick buildings.

Day 5 Texas

While back in CNY there is a cold snap with accumulating snow predicted for the higher elevations, here in TX we are melting. Our Day 5 ride through TX was a scorcher. Most of the day it was sunny and around 97 degrees. We won't shed the protective gear, especially at these speeds (Interstate in TX is 75). So, we need a way to stay cool. The cooling vest is the answer. Soaked with cold water, lowers air temp around your core by a good 10 degrees. I add a wet bandanna for around my neck.