Old US Route 66 starting, head to I-40, then North on I-25 to US 550 take 550 north to Cuba, NM. Just north of Cuba, take NM 96 east, then left on NM 112 to US 64/84 north to Chama. Take NM 17 north to the town of Antonito, CO and go right on US 285, take left on US 64 and head east to Taos, then take 68 south until you hit 84/285 then follow it to SF bypass 599 to NM 14 and follow 14 vto NM 344 south to Edgeworld as I call it. Sport Bike would be recommended, as a section of NM 112 turned to dirt for about 30 miles or so. I amost turned back, but I am glad I didn't. (You could remain on NM 96 and go through Abiquiu, in which all of the roads remain paved) If there was a recent rain or snow, road NM 112 gets rutted severely. Great ride. I am from Northern MI, and I enjoy the Northern part of NM and CO because of the wide open space and the wildlife. I saw plenty of wildlife on this ride. (Mule deer, Elk, Eagles, and several Hawk species, and the Prairie dogs are out) I ran into herd of about 30-35 Mule Deer as I got into the Nat'l forest on NM 112 when it turned to gravel, and 2-3 other herds of about 4-6 each. While traveling this road carefully on a vintage road bike, I also ran into about 4-5 small Elk herds. There wer 4 in the first herd, and 7 in the 2nd on then there were others w/ 3-5 in each one. They were on the move, because it was about 6:30-7:30 pm when I was traveling this stretch of NM 112. Great scenery, and passed maybe 5-6 cars/trucks in 50 miles from Cuba to Tiera Amarilla. As I approached El Vado lake, the gravel road passes over El Vado dam. Beautiful!! Road then turns to pavement again, and you will be glad! I stayed in the town of Chama for the night, then headed to Taos,NM the next morning to meet a friend and his wife for Sunday lunch. From Chama to Antonito, CO the road NM/CO 17 is stunning in beauty, and was my favorite part of this ride. The first week of April, there was still 2-4' of snow in the area through the Cumbres pass. Lots of snowmobilers at the trails, I was the only crazy one on a motorcycle up there. Weather was pleasant, but cold at the 10,200' pass elevation. Travel w/ cold weather gear, you will have the add and subtract layers at this time of year. From Tres Piedres, it got warmer quickly and was nice in Taos at 1pm. Lovely tourist town. I just passed through it. I was up for a ride not tourism. My 2nd favorite part of this ride was along the Rio Grande Gorge through the Sangre De Christo Mtns. You twist along w/ the Rio Grande as you make your way south to Santa Fe. The Mountains w/ the snow covered peaks were great. We have had a lot of snow this year, and the rivers along this route were all up, overflowing, and moving. Bypassing Santa Fe proper by way of NM 599, I made my way down to NM 14, Turquoise Trail through the Ortiz Mtns. This takes you through the town of Madrid, NM where the movie "Wild Hogs" was shot. Always makes me smile as I go through this town. As I pass "Maggie's Diner", I always look to see if Marisa Tomie is walking out the front door. Still hasn't happened yet, but I will keep watching! I then made my way to NM 344 back to Edgewood. On NM 344, you will come upon a 15% grade going up, as you go through the southern most mountain pass of the Ortiz Mtns. At the top, you can see for miles, and I am always amazed that from this viewpoint, you can the mesa that is off to the west of US 550 just south of Cuba where the first leg of this venture began. It has to be at least 75 miles away! Fun ride and worth doing for the scenery alone. If you have some time, there are countless things to stop and experience or do, no matter what your pleasure is. Enjoy the ride-Reno

Ride Characteristics

Curvy Roads: None	Gas Stations: None	Restrooms: None
Food: None	Scenic Areas: None	Elevation Change: None
Off Road: None	Traffic: None	Animal Crossings: None
Hotels: None

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