Don't believe everything you read: Pecos, NM

Having never lived in a place where there was such a thing as a "riding season" it has been somewhat disconcerting to watch and feel the temperature get lower and lower each day here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Chipping ice off the seat of the bike in the morning to go to work and see actual snow fall around our apartment. Nevertheless, as wise man once said that, "...there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes." With that in mind the Wrench Wench and I set off on a short adventure today to visit Pecos, NM. I had been curious about "The Old Las Vegas Highway/NM 300" which runs from southeastern Santa Fe almost all the way to Pecos.




Old Las Vegas Highway/NM 300




The Old Vegas Highway is a popular spot for local vendors to sell firewood and the ubiquitous strands of red peppers.

For sure it is not a road to burn off chicken strips, but it is an interesting late morning scenic ride through the outskirts of Santa Fe. Although it mostly parallels I-25 it is a much more interesting ride. It rejoins I-25 at the village of Canoncito although if you are just passing through all you will see is a really sharp turn with some bad pavement and a lot of gravel, caution is indicated.

After a few miles on I-25 we took exit 299 heading south on NM-50. It is a pleasant little six mile, mildly curvy ride into the Pecos.

Now, as is my normal practice I had researched on-line our destination of the day. From the website it looked very promising. Lots of pictures of quaint, rural activities and the quote, "Pecos is a an ancient place with modern amenities, a village of small, family-owned lodges, restaurants, shops and guiding services. Pecos is a place of senses for people who value their sense of place." (http://www.pecosnewmexico.com/about.php)

Upon our arrival we were greeted with something completely different. The Pecos we saw driving through was almost a caricature of a declining small town just barely hanging on.



A typical scene from the street of Pecos

We rode up and down the few small streets that seem to comprise the town looking for something captivating enough to stop for, there was nothing.

At the east end of town NM 50 ends and NM 223 begins. Since it seemed to head up into the mountains there was the promise of a twisty road and maybe some good riding. So off we headed.




Looking west from NM 223 towards Pecos, Glorieta, and the western slopes of the Santa Fe National Forest

After pausing to consult the map and consider our next move we decided to continue on with the game of "where-does-this-road-go" and a couple more miles east on NM 223 landed us at the end of the pavement and onto hard pack gravel.



The end of the "paved" road.

Now I have taken street bikes before where street bikes ought not to go, but on this day I was just not in the mood and was wishing we were on a dual sport. So I dutifully and carefully executed a three point turn and we headed back down the hill.

With one more place to visit, the Pecos National Historic Park, we turned south on NM 63 and followed the signs to the Park.

The park documents at least 1200 years of human habitation in the area. There are remains of pithouses going back to the earliest Pueblo dwellers, 17th century farmhouses, and the centerpiece the remains of the first mission built in 1625.



"Red in the foreground with the Mission Church in the background

We were going to linger, but since it was already cold and the sky was quickly turning ominous, as it does this time of year we decided to head for home and shelter.



Ominous skies sent us packing or shelter

It was just a preliminary excursion, but worthy of more exploration in the future with more promising weather or more appropriate clothing.

Motorcycling to the Stars Part 2

Places like this have always been extremely exciting to me and Patti and I both felt a sense of wonder as we walked on the grounds and began to get a sense of the scale and grandness of the facility. Founded in 1958 the Kitt Peak Observatory is home to 23 telescopes making it the largest collection of astronomical instruments in the world.





Click Here for an Interactive View of this Map



View from the observation deck of the four meter telescope looking south

There are three guided tours provided each day for a nominal cost and each one covers a different area of the facility. We arrived just in time to take the last tour of the day which was to the main attraction; the four meter telescope. It was quite a hike from the visitors center to the telescope, and because of the lay of the land, it really is uphill both ways. At 8000 feet the temperature was significantly cooler than on the desert floor. We were wearing all of the layers that we had brought, which was not a lot, and felt quite chilled. In addition, at that altitude, the wind was blowing at a pretty good clip.



Trudging up the hill to the four meter telescope building



And it gets even more imposing as you actually approach it.



We had a really great guide for the tour and got more information than we could possibly have retained. The view from the observation deck of the four meter is stunning. One of the things that stuck in my head was the story about the near-earth collision detection program. The telescope pictured below is part of a government project that does nothing but scan the sky constantly for space objects that have the potential for hitting the earth. As of October 2008 982 of these near earth objects NEOs have been detected. Kind of an alarming fact when you think about it.





The silver dome in the center of the above picture is the NEO telescope

There were also some stunning views of the road we had just come up...





Above: US 386 as seen from the observation deck of the four-meter telescope looking to the west

After spending some time on the observation deck our group climbed a narrow set of stairs to view the instrument itself. Without the proper photographic equipment it is impossible to get the right shots or even convey the scale of the inside of the dome, but here is my meager attempt.



One of the things that made this trip visit special was we had a really great guide, I am not sure what his education or background was but he made the trip very interesing.



Definitely a trip worth making!

Motorcycling to the Stars

This is part two of a journal entry about a recent overnight trip to for Phoenix to Tucson which include some moderate terror and some great joy. As I stated in the previous entry the mechanical problems and change of schedule on Saturday night had put me in a funk and I woke up pretty cranky the next day. However, I really wanted to get my mojo back so while the Wrench Wench slept in a little I was up before dawn hoping to catch some great "sunrise over the mountain" pix. Some reading in the local literature in the hotel room told me that Catalina Mountain Park was just up the road a ways. So in the pre-dawn hours I took my tools and flashlight down to the bike, wrenched on the starter a little bit, which seemed to help, and headed off toward the park.

Because we had not planned for any real early or real late riding there was not a lot of warm stuff packed in the panniers. So, it was pretty chilly ride to the park. I turned off on the exit and drove into the park. A few hundred yard in I encountered the ranger booth. At the booth was a stooped over, elderly woman who regarded me, dressed in full black riding gear, and my motorcycle with profound distrust. I told her I just wanted to come in the park and shoot a few sunrise shots. She was clearly trying to discourage my interest by pointing out that is was yet a ways 'till sunrise. Not swayed by this argument I told her I would need time to set up so that would be OK. Her next tack was to lay the six dollar charge on me which I would be subject to if I was in the park longer than 15 minutes. She made an obvious show of checking her watch and telling me "exactly" when I had to be back. No problem, I handed over six buck, she reluctantly gave me a pass and off I went.

Navigating the narrow, unmarked roads by high-beam it very quickly became apparent that the paved portions of the park were very short and led to RV parking spots and the heads of hiking trails. No way to get any elevation for the shots I wanted. Checking the clock on the bike I noted that there were 3 minutes left of my alloted 15 free minutes. Quickly motoring back to the small, dimly lighted haunt of my nemesis I reminded her of the time and asked for my money back. After another bit of unpleasant exchange I returned my pass and got my six bucks back. I watcher her watch me leave in the rear-view. It was obvious she was happy to see me go.

It was still dark when I arrived back at the hotel so I made do by taking some shots of sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from the window of the hotel room.





Sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountains from a thid floor hotel window

Patti slept in kind of late and we lazed around the room for a bit, went downstairs for the free breakfast-which was unexpectedly excellent, then had to make a decision on what to do that day. The working plan was to go visit Tombstone, but after a bit of research it became apparent that, in spite of its colorful history, it was merely a tourist trap and we wanted something less touristy and a bit more interesting. So, we opted to drive out into the Sonoran desert and visit the Kitt Peak observatory.

In order to get to Hwy 86 we had to travel the length of Tucson from north to south. Given our newly acquired sensibilities gained by living in Phoenix for six months we assumed an hour and a half drive at least. It turned out to be more like 20 minutes.
Turning west on Hwy 86 we headed onto the Tohono O’odham wilderness.



Riding west into the Tohono O’odham wilderness

Not too far on down the road we came to the intersection of 86/386 which turns roughly north.



Looking north from the 86/386 intersection..probably not visible at this picture scale but you can see the dome of the 4 meter telescope dome at the far upper right



From the same vantage point, but with a bit of zoom

It is a fair distance down 86 to the bottom of Kitt Peak, but the road is reasonbly well pave with a minimum of rock and sand patch hazards to be avoided. Once you start climbing the peak it goes from 2000 feet of elevation to 7000 feet in just under 12 miles. Quite a ride. Because the mountain is made of granite there are none of the hazards of rock slides on the road or patches of blowing dust that have characterized so many of our other mountain rides, very pleasant.







A couple of views ascending Kitt Peak

The tempature began to drop dramatically as we rapidly gained altitude and the wind also picked up considerably. Enough that once we had reached the top and parked in the visitors lot we needed to dig out another layer of clothes.



Red at the chilly and windy top of Kitt Peak

Note-In order to get a scale for this picture, the four-meter telescope pictured in the upper right is ten stories tall from it's base to the bottom ring of the dome. The actual dome towers another several stories above that.

Places of this nature, observatories, etc, have always fired my imagination and this was spectacular. Having been a regular visitor to such places as Griffith Observatory and Mount Wilson with their few attraction, the scale of this instillation was amazing! The four-meter optical telescope in the upper right of the above photograph towered over the parking lot with other mysterious and magic structures stretching into the distance.





Ok I have been working on this post now for quite a while...the best is yet to come, but also some very detailed work to do on it. I am going to publish this one and get to work on part 2. Keep your eyes open for that. In the meantime...keep your eyes on the road and your thoughts in the stars...

BMWeerman

Motorcycling Around Pheonix - South Mountain Park

At the risk of offending some of my new friends and nieghbors I have found during our first six months here in the Phoenix, Metro area that is is not a great place for motorcycling. Even compared to LA, which boasts of the Angeles Crest Highway, PCH, and the great canyons. Or compared to the stark, but vibrant beauty of New Mexico, southern Arizona is a dump. Once you start getting north of Phoenix toward Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon it is a different story.

However having said all that, there are a few places of interest in and around the Phoenix Metro Area

----------------------------------->> Click on the Blubrry Button for latest Podcast





The red Marker on the above google map marks the location of South Mountain Park, which as it turns out it the largest recreational park within a metro area in the U.S

It's quite a ride to get there from where we live in northweawt. One has to go to the end of I-17 which is not so bad, but then their is a fair distance one must drive on surface streets through the ghetto to get to the park entrance.



Beginning the ascent into South Mountain Park



A wide view of Phoenix metro looking north



And a slightly tighter view


Following are some random shots in basically sequential order, ascending.

Simon Gandolfi and other Solo Rides

This episode...it was a great pleasure to speak with British rider/author Simon Gandolfi. Gandolfi recently published "Old Man On a Bike," It is the account of a 73 year old man's journey from one end of South America to the other and back. Unfortunately, the book is not available in the US, but can be ordered directly from Gandolfi's website.



Book Cover



Simon Gandolfi on his motorbike tour of South and Central America

www.simongandolfi.com

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Gaurav Jani

Another thing that came our way recently was a copy of "Riding Solo to the Top of the World." A most extraordinary film by Indian filmaker Gaurav Jani.




http://www.dirttrackproductions.com

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South Mountain Park Phoenix



Heading up in Phoenix's South Mountain Park

The Roswell Episode...

The making of this episode of Road Show has been so freaking' bizzare if I didn't believe in Aliens before I can certainly see there input in this situation.

Rewind a couple of weeks. We had just recently arrived here and I had alredy met up with some of my new biker buddies. We had only been in town a few days and they invited me out to the major boonies. I Googled the address they gave me and thought I had everything wrapped up. But out here in the high desert maps and reality seem to have little correlation outside of the major metro areas.

Long story short hereI ended up being lost, at night in the desert. Even though I was nowhere near Roswell at the time I can easily see why people see things out here. It is WILD!

Ok back to the present....

The fourth of July was coming up and with it the Roswell UFO festival. Since our downsizing from a 3 bedroom house with three car garage to 750 square foot pad with micro porch we have had doggie-hosting issues. Since the house we left also had a big back yard we would just leave the doggie door open and she was good for a night or two. Now she has to be taken out manually everytime. Possible solution turn her into a motorcycle dog!




Here Tuesday aka Motorcyle Dog is Ready for her first test run

A quick run down to Einsteins Bagels and a little dog friendly public hanging go so well I, yes believe it our not, dog skeptic me, says "oh, she will be fine let's just take her to Roswell.

NOT!

What my brilliant mind failed to compute was that a trip down to the local market DOES NOT equate to a hardcore slab-ride. It is astounding how aggressive the semi-trucks are on 70 going through Albuquerque. Actually it is amazing how aggresive all cage drivers are around here. Unfortunately a great percentage of them drive aggressively, but not well. Shoulder checking and rear-view mirror using seem to be against the rules. Fortunately we had only gone 23 miles so turning around and dropping off the Wrench Wench and the pup. Then I turned around and started over.

Fast forward to Roswell....






During the UFO festival at least most of the action takes place on Main St. from Second Ave to the South running to about Fifth Ave to the north. There were also some events being run from the Civic Center and the Military Insitute about 9 blocks North. Some may call that walking distance, but me, Nah!

Alas that, like many other details of the story are beyond the scope of this blog and must wait for the next issue of Road Show Magazine.

Here are the things which are specific to the podcast.


An interview with one of the proprietors of Planet Roswell who gave us a great interview and recommended reading.

Highlights from a conversation with the proprietor of Earth Station Roswell.

A bit of fun and a bit of terror from the road...

Please see the accompanying slide show, directly to the right for a kind of random sampling of the last couple of days of photography.


Keep your eyes peeled for the full story in Road Show Magazine.

Micro-Adventuring

Yesterday was one of those perfect days for motorcycling, cool, but not too cool with the promise of warming up later. Unfortunately, I had "THINGS TO DO." It had been a long time since the right combination of available time, a running bike and my health had conspired to even make such a day possible. But I had, "THINGS TO DO."

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon in an agony of indecision..."should I stay or should I go?"

You know that eventually I had to go, even though it was getting late.

Just to the east of Bakersfield on SR58 there is a railroad service road known as Bena Road. It is isolated, fairly well-maintained, and has long straight sections, in other words the perfect motorcycle road however so short it may be.




Traveling east on SR58 I pull in the cluth and slow down to exit on Tower Line Road. A short hop over to Bena and then reign in the beast past the landfill. Just past the landfill Bena takes a turn to the north and drops off steeply into a shallow valley. Rounding the corner throttle up letting gravity and internal combustion do their work. Hit the bottom corner at close to triple digits then roll on the throttle the rest of the way. Having recently just been in the engine, can see in my minds eye the throttle bodies opening full and in concert with the fuel injection computer pump as much air and fuel into the cylinders as possible.

Being the technical marvel that that is it still just adds up to one thing. adrenaline.

Ride to redline and hold. Still no windshield on the FrankenBeemer - 125 MPH in the naked wind. Helmet straining at my neck wanting to take flight on its own. NOTHING and I mean NOTHING will focus ones attention like being responsible for half a ton of bike and rider on a road like this. The tiniest lapse of attention and a rock, pothole or unseen patch of sand could put you down. Attention does not lapse.

In the twisties now, throttle rolls back, downshift into the tall end of fourth, countersteer into the first long right. This is classic peg-scraper, can I go for it? NO! No Balls. Right leg seems to have a memories of its own and I hear it telling me to play it safe.

Next up a classic sweeper to the right, looks clear, press the bike into the turn. Right leg exposed to the pavement now, toes twitch for the rear brake as Frankbeemer edges out of the line I set. Press harder into the turn now overiding the cellular feedback from my ankle.

At last the sound of tortured metal and sparks in my rear view mirror. Better.

FrankenBeemer begins to sense I am coming back and responds, the old confidence starts to flow back. Ascending hairpins coming up. Remembering the advice of master race coach Keith Code I feather the front brake only, slowing just enough to bring the lean angle of the bike up enough to stay in my lane. Yes this is good, we do the third gear dance.

Then anger...

There are blind corners on this road where if one blows the turn one will be launched into space. They are all marked by signs, but some freakin' morons have tagged up the sign. It's a NAVIGATION sign you idiots not gang territory...then gratitude I don't have to teach anymore.

Near the top of the hill I pull in the brakes hard and decide to turn off onto Caliente-Bodfish road.



Because this is a railroad service road it more or less follow the track of the Tehachapi Railroad as it ascends into the Tehachapi Mountains. (Geez that is brilliant)





As you can see one of the many very interesting looking tunnels that populate this route is located here as well.





As you can see here though the little buggers were ahead of me again!

The Abuse of Power By Doctors and a Desperate Gamble

This blog post does not have a clear beginning or a foreseeable clear end.  It does, however, have a clear now.  

For those readers who do not know that story, on May 14th 2007 I was horribly injured in a freak motorcycle accident on a desert road on the Arizona/New Mexico border.  I was miraculously rescued and, in fairness, have to thank the doctors who saved my life and put me back together.  
However, since that time, doctors with their over-medication, career and life-damaging reports which they refuse to take responsibility for, and mercenary financial tactics have brought me to a desperate place.

That desperate place is right, here, right now.

There is a specialist at UCLA who several months ago wrote a report, based on hearsay, that prevented me from returning to work and is about to make me lose my drivers license.  In this report she brought into question my my cognitive functioning.    Since that time I have been to another specialist at great expense to myself personally to have my cognitive functioning tested.  (Oh, by the way, no thanks to my psychiatrist, who has consistently over-medicated me and then refused to take any kind of responsibility for the implications of that.)
The cognitive testing shows me all normal.

IN SHORT, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME THAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM DRIVING OR PERFORMING ANY OTHER TASK AND I CAN PROVE IT.  HOWEVER, NEITHER THE SPECIALIST AT UCLA OR THE PSYCHIATRIST WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS!!!!!!!!

Worse still, their foot-dragging and buck-passing cost me a months work and a months disability which cost me my truck.  We are now down to just motorcycles and on March the 2nd I lose my drivers license unless a doctor will sign off on my medical

MY PSYCHIATRIST REFUSES TO SEE ME AND THE SPECIALIST SPECIALIST AT UCLA WILL NOT RETURN MY URGENT PHONE CALLS.  HOWEVER, IN THE BACKGROUND, THEY CONTINUE TO PASS THE BUCK AND DESTROY MY LAST OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A LIVING AND DIG MYSELF OUT OF THE HOLE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED.

So, here is my desperate gamble-when I finish writing this and posting all over the internet, I am going to get on a motorcycle which needs a new clutch and new rear-end bearings and driving to UCLA. This is a distance of about 120 miles over some difficult and dangerous mountain terrain.  I am going to do whatever it takes to confront this doctor and/or one of her superiors and get them to take action.

At this point I am not naming names and I am keeping this report in the domain of blogs and private e-mails.  If I survive the day and do not get some satisfaction I will start naming names and start using my position as a member of the press to spread the story far and wide.  

I have nothing more to lose at this point.

Wish me luck.

J. Cameron Weckerley  Aka  BMWeerman  ....out 

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