SPANISH BORDER ADVENTURE RIDE SYNOPSIS & PHOTOS
NOV 19-22 2024
The Spanish Border Autumn Adventure Ride started in the old railroad town of Chama, NM.
Staged from the Elkhorn Lodge.
Rode along a wilderness boundary and visited an old Railroad station for lunch, and then camped & staged at Ojo Caliente Hot Springs on Day 1.
Ojo Caliente is one of the Top Ten Hot Springs in the Country.
Day 2 the ride headed across some amazing little used 2 track, then continued to the Rio Grande Bridge and along the Rio Grande Gorge.
Then headed over the High-Road to Taos, where we stayed at the historic Sagebrush Inn. Where the music at dinner was too loud to converse.
Day 3 the loop headed up Red River Canyon into the Sangre de Cristo mountains, then went up and around the old Questa Mine.
Where the dirt road drops into the southern San Luis Valley, and around a few old Volcanoes. Visited the oldest town in Colorado, traversed the lowest bridge over the Rio Grande river in Colorado, and then headed to the oldest Church in Colorado in Antonito.
From there the guys had 2 choices back to Chama. A dirt road along the Los Pinos river and the Fall colors, or paved & twisty Cumbres Pass at 10,000 feet. Both options worked and were Adventure bike friendly.
5 Kiwi’s (Guys from New Zealand) participated on the Spanish Border Adventure in ’24. They rode GPS tracks from the club from Colorado Springs on old Railroad lines around Pikes Peak, and down to the Great Sand Dunes from Canon City, over little used Medano Pass. And into the back of the Great Sand Dunes National Park on the sand Jeep road. Where they wished for more sand!
The Kiwi’s spent the night in Glamping cabins at the Sand Dunes Hot Springs Pool and reported they thoroughly enjoyed the Hot Springs. The next day they rode in the dirt along the Rio Grande River to Antonito, and then up to Chama over 10k+ foot Cumbres Pass.
They rode 500+ miles on the Spanish Border Adventure in 3 days. The club rented & portaged the Kiwi’s camping gear for camping to Ojo Caliente Hot Springs on Day 1. Where the Kiwis again enjoyed Hot Springs and the ambience. As they stayed in hotels every other night on their 21 Day journey through the Southwest.
True Like-minded enthusiasts, these 5 guys after the Spanish Border Adventure rode a 33% off-road, 350 miles route back to Denver to drop off their bikes in a storage unit. And then flew home to NZ on Tuesday.
We do believe the Kiwi’s enjoyed their Adventure on the Spanish Border Adventure ride in 2024.
MOTORCYCLES ON THE SPANISH BORDER PHOTO LINK