Boredom Can Be Glorious

Day 2 Sante Fe-ish to Ruidoso
251 Miles
8 Hours

Today was ultimately a bit boring, and I figured it probably would be. I woke up early in the cheapo casino hotel, drank some disgusting coffee, and took off. All night I was fighting with myself on what my plan of action was to be. The point of these trips is to stop doing what you usually do in your day-to-day life. Usually I want to be super efficient, I want to get tons of shit done, I want to get ahead of the game, I want to be on it. And I keep trying to apply that to this trip. So I was thinking, I could get all the way to the start of the BDR, I could gain a day, get down there, and gain a day. Gain a day for what? It’s like you have to do battle with yourself to chill the fuck out. Gaining a day could mean, ruining a day to finish early. But it’s a logistical thing. I had no idea what today’s roads would be like. If they’re like yesterday - stopping in Ruidoso is definitely the thing to do. But if It’s all pavement, I’ll get there too early for my liking. But then if I keep going, who knows what I’ll hit and then I might get to the Guadalupe Rim (which is where I want to start) way too late which would be terrible. there’s nothing I like less than setting up camp in the dark. So what to do, what to do. This way or that way? At the very last minute, I chose to stick to my original plan. 

I stopped to add a touch of air to the tires and grab some water and a guy on a GS1200 pulled up to say hi. His name was Brad and I think he said he was on his way from North Carolina to Wyoming to meet a friend, and then they were thinking about cruising up to Alaska. Epic! He lives right down the highway from me in Hickory. It’s always nice to meet a neighbor at a random gas station. 

The majority of the roads today were two-lane pavement through the high plains desert. It was HOT today. They’re having some sort of strange heatwave here for the next three days or so. I need to get up in the mountains pronto. It was all extremely pretty - but it was a lot of the same thing.

I passed through some very interesting little tiny towns like Madrid. Sometimes you can tell just from the vibe that a place is full of artists. 

And there was tons and tons of this. Can’t complain. I ended up on Old Route 66 for a while. 

I only had a little bit of dirt today and it was not at all like yesterday!

I stopped to drink some water at this weird little spot.

And I’m glad I did because there was a text from Mission Control aka Johnny Pow (who’s been glancing at the breadcrumbs I’m leaving from my SOS device) saying that there were some Pueblo Ruins nearby. In fact, just five minutes from where I was. They were very cool. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument…

Not long after I came across this wild place. A church built in the 1600’s. I gotta say - these folks knew how to make some kick-ass mortar!

For some reason, I hadn’t eaten since Trinidad. So I stopped into a little joint in Carizzozo and rectified the hell out of that. I know this photo looks disgusting, but let me assure you, it was not. I can not tell you how much easier things are when you’re not trying to do the vegan thing. It’s easy at home. But it’s hell on the road. 

I’d planned on camping again tonight but the heat and my old age and the fact that this is my last chance for some AC for a bit changed my mind. I found a cheap as hell motel in Ruidoso (very cool little town), did some chores like lubing the chain and adjusting the clutch, fixed a wire that had gone bad in my charging situation, and made an early day of it. I think in hindsight I’m glad I didn’t try to make it to the Guadalupe Rim. I’ll check that out tomorrow if all goes to plan. After yesterday, I needed a chill day like today.

Things are about to get pretty remote and I doubt I’ll always have access to wifi. So if I don’t upload every day, that’s why. I’m probably not dead.

NOTE: I’m on the road typing in less-than-ideal circumstances, so spelling and grammar no longer count. If I don’t post it’s because I don’t have service! I know you’re all waiting with giddy anticipation… To watch all of this on video when they post - subscribe to the YouTube channel.