ay 12 - rio grande gorge

after a cold night in the tent, there's the challenge of getting up.  it takes awhile.  fortunately, the camp site was legal and there was no need to hurry.  but eventually packed and up and riding again.  if i'm camping, i never take time to make tea or eat anything.  pack and start riding.  after 10, 15 or sometimes even 20 miles i'll find a place fo stop and get something. the riding is usually best early.

in this particular time and place, the wind had died down over night and the ride was a slow, rolling downhill.  i slipped it into top gear and was off.  long sleeve shirt and riding jacket on.

the landscape was more sage brush, but now the fields were sprinkled with run down trailers surrounded by dilapidated vehicles of all sorts.  i guess it must be pretty hard to find a place to get rid of some of that junk.  it just collects.

then i started to see these strange structures, more earth covered, all facing south with broad bands of windows, some solar panels, some curved, more organic structures.  i passed the entrance to the development and saw "earthship.  biotecture."  it must have been an offshoot of soleri and his development arcosanti, known for their wind chimes.  damned hippies.

and another mile or so and i ws at my first stop, the bridge over the rio grande gorge.  i stopped at the rest center ther, made tea and took in the awsome nature of the spot.  taos was about 6 miles down the road.

         rio grande gorge, looking north

         rio grande gorge looking south

after that, a fairly disappointing ride through taos.  my first full surrounding by adobe buildings, some historic, many not.  interesting that the sczle is so low, almost all the buildings are one story and even low for that.  the color and material are so natural.  nice to see some more indigenous architecture.  unfortunately, the pueblos were closed.  the tribes are having some real issues with the virus, so they're using some more strict isolation methods.

do i moved on, again with no intent but to find a place to camp as close to sznta fe as possible. the next 10 miles followed the gorge, the slipped down into it.  the rio grande has cut into the volcanic rock and just gashed the plateau.

         rio grande gorge, center left, cut into plateau

the road dives down into the gorge and at the bottom is the gorge visitor center, closed.  i rested and took a short nap, i think, before chasing the river and eventually opening up to the valley.

         looking back up the gorge from visitor's center

         running down the valley

i had no goal or destination, i was merely looking for a good place to camp for the night and to get as close as possible to santa fee.  i'd dropped a lot in elevation, but i knew that just before santa fe there was a pass at 7,400 ft. i'd have to climb tomorrow.  unfortunately, i'd gone to far and was entering the city of espanola.  i had no chouce but to getcthrough it to the other side.  and then i found out that i had entered onto pueblo property.  i didn't want to get caught guerrila camping by tribal police, they aren't painted as being too understanding.  and it turned out there were two pueblos back to back, and by the time i got off the tedosque's tribal land, i was only 7 miles from santa fe.  i did find a nice safe place to camp behind some concrete sound barriers.  between the highway and the santa fe opera property.

unfortunately, it was another cold night.  I slept a little better, but still.....  it was my last night out for the trip and i will say that i won't miss it.