Well, it’s been two days so I guess I have a little catching up to do.
We got up on Friday to a cool start but a beautiful sun rise. Cooked a good breakfast and Cactus, Doc and I headed out on the bikes for the climb up the mountain. I started out leading (again) I had mapped out the route the night before and we decided we would run by the range and get registered for the Fall Fandango and take the Northern route into the park and up the mountain. After riding for about 30 miles heading towards what I though was the northern route up the mountain, we stopped for gas. I asked the ladies behind the counter how to get to the peak. After blank looks all around a very nice lady asked if I had a map and would be glad to point us in the right direction. I showed her what I had planned she looked at my bike and asked if I was hauling a passenger, I said no, she went on to kindly explained to me that the route I had planned was a dirt road and may not be the best route for a geezer glide like mine (my words not hers) After as short discussion with Doc and Cactus it was decided I was not going to lead again for a while. Doc took over as leader, after quite a few wrong turns, done only to make me feel better he claims; we got on the correct road to get to Sandia Peak. The road was wonderful especially if you have ever been on the Dragoon in our area. We climbed over a mile in 14 miles, temperature dropped from 70 to 44 at the top. We were freezing when we arrived to say the least. Albuquerque is one mile high and we were at two miles at the top. Wind was blowing like a banshee as we say in the south. Did I say we were freezing when we got there? Dang it was cold but well worth the pain. We were overlooking all of Albuquerque and points west. It was a most amazing view. After putting on all the warm weather gear we had with us we headed back down. Again, nothing like the Dragoon, the road was wide, with shoulders, and lines on both sides of the road, easy cruse for us. On a side note, coming back the let me lead down the mountain since there was only one way in and out, no chance for me to get us lost. Doc said he would get us back to “such and such road”, (it was a Spanish name so I can’t reproduce it since I don’t speak Spanish) I looked at my notes I had made to get us home and dang it, it was the road we had started out on in the beginning. I think Cactus put it best, it was a 45 mile ride home and it was a 170 mile ride. You would think that would teach them to let me lead. We had an incredible dinner at the casino with Cash Proffitt and Ginger Ale, very late by that time and incredibly tired, thus no post last night, got to bed late.
Another post shortly.