BigDogs...Shadow Of The Rockies Trail

BigDogs--Shadow Of The Rockies Trail


Sam Correro, creator of the Trans America Trail that extends from Kentucky to the Oregon coast has been
at it again and has created a North to South trail from Canada to Mexico. He's not finished with it yet
but we are going to ride the New Mexico portion on this ride.

I had invited just a few friends...two couldn't go and one never responded to my invitation and
a local friend quit his job (sorta) to go with me------I knew it would be very unlikely all could go, and
really like traveling with just one riding partner. All kinds of problems can double and triple with more
riders--not that I can't have my own for sure---after all I had 3 flat tires.
So we are both in between employment opportunities




Me and my hometown buddy Randy Stewart left Southern Illinois on April 18th, 2008 and rode our KLR's
thru Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado and then to the New Mexico border where the Shadow
of the Rockies trail ends if doing it South to North.......however we navigated it North to South and started at
the exact spot where the trans am trail (East to West) crosses the New Mexico---Colorado border. At this spot
the trans am trail and shadow of the rockies trail intersect and are one in the same...but split shortly after going
South a few miles.

We rode a total of 3,500 miles----the New Mexico portion of the trail was only about 700 miles, but we made an
additional adventure out of it going and coming. It was a very memorable ride and the weather was absolutely
perfect except one day of rain on the way out as we spent a couple of days in Missouri riding the "Swinging
Bridges" ride.

So this is where the ride began for us........
Down the rocky swithbacks of
Long Canyon Road.
On the Colorado--New Mexico border

MORE please

Thanks BigDog, I've been looking forward to this one!

BTW, Did LittleDog ride with you? Rumor has it he was leaving on a RTW ride with the Ladies Swedish Syncronized Swim Team.

another BigDog chapter...

Mark,

It's time you got back in the AdvRider game!! Looking forward to the "saga"!!Let the fun and games begin!!!

Lee Ullmann
Rogers,AR

Little dogs ride has thrown a rod---bout took his foot off when it went thru the crankcase.

Hi Lee----and ThumperDRZ----thanks for the swinging bridge ride----and contrary to popular opinion on the swinging bridge ride----I was the first one chewed out by that farmer after I rode thru his very muddy field---mine were the first tracks thru there. He was hot-----and I knew he'd be hotter when 40 other guys followed my tracks---surely he has gotten over it by now :huh

I apologized--but to no avail-------he should have had a sign up----looked like a road to me----not your fault Gary.

Hey, BD! When you mentioned flats, I figured for sure Gaspipe went with you. ...

Bring it! I 'm very interested in this one.

Mark,

Its good to see you didn't forget about the good ol' KLR

Hi Joe------long time no see ???

We never touched the KLR's----except for flat tires and a plugged air filter--- They were perfect for the ride and the way we did it. It's what I'd take again--if I did it again------which I won't----hate doin' the same ride twice

Hi Buzzez------I guess I'm carrying on the flat tire curse :huh

2 rear flats----and one front------dang nails :eek1

I came home with patches on 2 tubes---after using my new tubes---ain't no tubes on the Shadow Of The Rockies Trail.

But I had really good luck with the patches holding.

I can't take it I need more.......:eek1

Funny thing is I blew right by it and missed that turn... if he was there I would have told him he's looking for a guy on a KLR... ....it's all fixed now along with a few other spots for next year ...... but on with the show.....(Thanks for coming on the ride BTW)

...before the boss gets back and I have to do some real work!

Big Dog,

What secret potion did you use to glue the patches? Burt & I have not had very good luck with patching tubes. We'll need to fix a couple/few (???) on the TAT thhis summer.

Lee

oh boy this is gonna be yet another good one !

This is the beautiful view looking down from the top of the canyon......me and Randy were estatic as we
rode down the steep switchbacks to the bottom. We didn't get to this point till almost 5PM as we rode
a magnificent route to here.........as we rode thru Black Mesa National Park in Oklahoma. It was early in
the day when we rode thru there and we wanted to camp--this is a really nice extremely remote place
where very few get to---I wasn't sure if a road went out North of the park......but it did...and soon turned
to dirt as we rode into New Mexico........North into Colorado.....and then back to
New Mexico to the start of
The Shadow Of The Rockies Trail


Later on I'll have a picture of Randy's air cleaner----thing wouldn't run
43 mph after about 600 miles of this !!!!


As with a lot of the roads in New Mexico---they can be impassable when wet.
When I rode the Divide ride thru New Mexico-----same thing.
Lucky it was dry for us.
Me and Randy had ridden all day--hard..........but only covered 87 miles of the trail that day
as we never got to the start untill about 5PM. We were low on gas and were forced to make
a run into Clayton, New Mexico where gas, food and lodging can be had. We had camped in
Missouri on the way here but got a motel in Clayton.


After a really good breakfast in Clayton at the "Rabbit Ear" cafe we headed East on the highway
so we cold get back on the route. The Rabbit Ear cafe was interesting. It was a very old place
that had gone through very few owners since new. It was named after two mountains in view
that looked like rabbit ears.

We rode some fast dirt, rock and sand roads thru a lot of ranches.
Navigation was a no-brainer as I had the route programmed in my gps and
had filled my trash can at home with Sam's maps and rollcharts.


In 1821, the Santa Fe Trail became America’s first great international commercial highway, and for
nearly sixty years thereafter was one of the nation’s great routes of adventure and western expansion.
The Santa Fe Trail stirs imaginations as few other historic trails can. For 60 years, the Trail was one thread in a web of international trade routes.
It influenced economies as far away as New York and London. Spanning 900 miles of the Great Plains between the
United States (Missouri) and Mexico (Santa Fe), it brought together a cultural mosaic of individuals who cooperated
and sometimes clashed. In the process, the rich and varied cultures of Great Plains Indian peoples caught in the middle
were changed forever. Soldiers used the trail during the 1846-1848 Mexican-American War, 1840s border disputes
between the Republic of Texas and Mexico, and America's Civil War. The troops also policed conflicts between
traders and Indian tribes. With the traders and military freighters tramped a curious company of gold seekers, emigrants,
adventurers, mountain men, hunters, American Indians, guides, packers, translators, invalids, reporters, and Mexican children
bound for schools in Los Estados Unidos.




We opened and closed many wire gates thru these ranch lands.
We always left the gates as we found them. It seemed we would see one vehicle out here
about every 50 miles.........the ranches were very far and between.
I loved these wide opened spaces----Randy loved the more forested areas
which we go thru later on while traveling thru an Indian reservation.
My KLR purred like a kitten---it is such a relaxing bike to ride and invites you to
explore the road less traveled. When dry this is not a hard route--the KLR was at
home. We were packed much heavier than most of my previous trips as we had camping
gear and cooking gear------I couldn't wait to camp and cook on this ride. I told Randy
from the get go this is what I was going to do......this was fine with him as he was just
as hardy a camper as I was. We would never be in a hurry--never ride hard to make time or a
destination. There was no reason to---I was bent on soaking it all in.




We pondered life in the adobe house above. Wasn't much left of it.
As we pondered the old house---this bull was pondering Randy's bright red Aerostich......and moved in.
I was using my camcorder as the bull just kept coming towards us. We finally had to throw what we had in our
hands in the tankbag and scurried off. Randy's cocky on video remark of how he was going to have him for dinner
was suddenly taken back as we roared off---------well I wouldn't call it a roar---we didn't have enough horsepower to roar !!!!

Hi Lee, don't think we've met but heres some info I use for flats.
I use the old style hot patches. Even works on tubes with Slime in them.
Small c-clamp, Drill and tap bottom of clamp to 1/4-20, 2 flat washers, weld a piece of 1/4-20 to one washer, weld 1/4-20 nut to other washer.
Clamp patch and tube in between and your good to go.
Disassemble and put in box with rubber band.
A piece of plumber cloth work great for ruffing tube.
The only problem is finding the patches. Most places have discontinued them for EPA rules. I found a place in Canada that still sells them.
Good luck,
Corky


Pictures
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/50080846_9g9Qh-L.jpg
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/50080847_GnX3S-L.jpg
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/50080851_yyHoP-L.jpg
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/50102946_W36Lk-L.jpg
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/170902000_mk9nY-L.jpg
https://corky1.smugmug.com/photos/170902006_3JnPk-L.jpg

And wait till you see the nasty, bloody 5 lb. nose booger Randy pulls out of his nose after eating my dust for 2,000 miles.

Later--got to sleep !!!!!!