Outdooraholic
Adventurer
Overview.
The New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR) is a 1,189 mile route through the state of New Mexico starting in Dell City, Texas and weaving through mostly non-paved tracks all the way to Antonito, Colorado. It was originally designed for adventure/dual purpose motorcycles but is also a great overland route, as it is off the beaten path, very remote, and very scenic. It is split into 7 sections, ranging from 87 miles to 283 miles in length. They offer free GPS tracks you can download and sell hard copies of the maps. I recommend having both.
Last October we started the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route and completed Sections 1 and 2. We started in Dell City, Texas and went up through Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, Carrizozo, down the Jornada Del Muerto, and across to Truth or Consequences over the course of 3 days. You can read that Adventure Report here: Sections 1 and 2 of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR)
Trip Report.
Day 1, Truth or Consequences to Snow Lake.
We left El Paso and drove up Highway 25 to the town of Truth or Consequences were we fueled up and rejoined the route where we had left off in October. Truth or Consequences was originally named Hot Springs, but changed its name to win a contest for a popular 1950's radio show of the same name. It is known for its hot springs and close proximity to Elephant Butte Reservoir, the largest lake in New Mexico. A little ways north we headed west along flat, open, dirt roads with occasional cattle guards. We soon arrived at the town of Winston, the last place to fuel up before Reserve, on the other side of the Gila National Forest. We passed the ghost town of Chloride and entered the Gila National Forest. Over the next several miles we crossed the Chloride Creek over 100 times as we meandered though the canyon. Along that section we also saw some petroglyphs on the rocks right off to the side of the trail. This section was my favorite of the whole NMBDR so far as the scenery was beautiful, the creek crossings were fun, and seeing petroglyphs along the trail was the icing on the cake. After leaving the creek area we began to ascend up into the mountains as we twisted and climbed our way up in elevation. After several hours the growling in our stomachs forced us to stop to make dinner, as we realized we wouldn't be making it to the Dipping Vats Campground before dark. We found a nice clearing, made a fire, and cooked a couple of chicken/basil/cheese pizzas in the Dutch Oven. We enjoyed our delicious meal as the day gave way to the night and darkness fell over the mountains. After packing up we hit the trail again and eventually made it to Dipping Vats around 11:00 pm. However, as we turned into our campsite, we heard a loud pop as one of my Dad's front tires came off the rim of his Avalanche. It was dark, cold, and we were tired. So we decided to leave the tire for the morning and proceeded to set up camp. We snuggled up and slept as the temperatures dropped into the upper 20's.
The New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR) is a 1,189 mile route through the state of New Mexico starting in Dell City, Texas and weaving through mostly non-paved tracks all the way to Antonito, Colorado. It was originally designed for adventure/dual purpose motorcycles but is also a great overland route, as it is off the beaten path, very remote, and very scenic. It is split into 7 sections, ranging from 87 miles to 283 miles in length. They offer free GPS tracks you can download and sell hard copies of the maps. I recommend having both.
Last October we started the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route and completed Sections 1 and 2. We started in Dell City, Texas and went up through Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, Carrizozo, down the Jornada Del Muerto, and across to Truth or Consequences over the course of 3 days. You can read that Adventure Report here: Sections 1 and 2 of the New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Route (NMBDR)
Trip Report.
Day 1, Truth or Consequences to Snow Lake.
We left El Paso and drove up Highway 25 to the town of Truth or Consequences were we fueled up and rejoined the route where we had left off in October. Truth or Consequences was originally named Hot Springs, but changed its name to win a contest for a popular 1950's radio show of the same name. It is known for its hot springs and close proximity to Elephant Butte Reservoir, the largest lake in New Mexico. A little ways north we headed west along flat, open, dirt roads with occasional cattle guards. We soon arrived at the town of Winston, the last place to fuel up before Reserve, on the other side of the Gila National Forest. We passed the ghost town of Chloride and entered the Gila National Forest. Over the next several miles we crossed the Chloride Creek over 100 times as we meandered though the canyon. Along that section we also saw some petroglyphs on the rocks right off to the side of the trail. This section was my favorite of the whole NMBDR so far as the scenery was beautiful, the creek crossings were fun, and seeing petroglyphs along the trail was the icing on the cake. After leaving the creek area we began to ascend up into the mountains as we twisted and climbed our way up in elevation. After several hours the growling in our stomachs forced us to stop to make dinner, as we realized we wouldn't be making it to the Dipping Vats Campground before dark. We found a nice clearing, made a fire, and cooked a couple of chicken/basil/cheese pizzas in the Dutch Oven. We enjoyed our delicious meal as the day gave way to the night and darkness fell over the mountains. After packing up we hit the trail again and eventually made it to Dipping Vats around 11:00 pm. However, as we turned into our campsite, we heard a loud pop as one of my Dad's front tires came off the rim of his Avalanche. It was dark, cold, and we were tired. So we decided to leave the tire for the morning and proceeded to set up camp. We snuggled up and slept as the temperatures dropped into the upper 20's.
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