Planning The 2022 OFMC Trip
Riding the Black Hills on the 2021 OFMC trip.
Since John quit riding I have become the planner for each year’s OFMC trips, and I think I’ve got our route worked out now for 2022. Here’s what I’m thinking.
For quite a few years now the trip has been locked onto the last full week in July. I don’t know how that came to be but for most of the guys that became inviolable. I often suggested that some time other than the maximum heat of the summer might be nice, but nobody else seemed to agree with me.
Guess what? Bill and Dennis have agreed that this year we should go south, and do so later when it’s not so hot.
Where to go? The first part was easy. In 2020 we intended to go into New Mexico but days before we were to leave New Mexico announced it was closing down the state due to Covid. We had to scramble to work out a different route and change our reservations. So this time around I figured we’d just start off the way we planned to in 2020.
That means we will start off riding to Alamosa, and on the second day take the short cruise from there to Espanola, New Mexico. With the OFMC there is always a gambling stop and a golf stop. Espanola fulfills both these requirements because we’ll stay at an Indian casino and resort, with gambling and golf. We’ll be there three nights so one day will be golf and the other will be for a day-ride in the area.
That was the easy part. Where to next?
I know that a highly recommended route is through the hills of south-central New Mexico/Arizona through Alpine, AZ. But how do we get there without taking a lot of interstate? Then I had the flash. We can head south out of Espanola on US 285 to Santa Fe, loop around Santa Fe and then get on I-25 for a while headed toward Albuquerque. But I didn’t want to go through Albuquerque so what if we turn off I-25 at Bernalillo and take the road that goes down the back side of the Sandia Mountains. And we can take the short side trip that takes us to the Sandia Crest, where you get an expansive view of the city laid out at the foot of the mountains.
Continuing south I was looking at taking I-40 west to I-25 and south but, again, that didn’t appeal and I noticed that south of the Sandias were other hills. Hills? Mountains? Not sure. But was there a road on their east heading south? You bet. So we’ll take those roads south to Mountainair and then go west on US 60 and pick up I-25 just a few miles north of Socorro, our stop for that night. OK, this is working.
Heading west out of Socorro on US 60 we’ll make a stop to visit the Very Large Array, a radio-telescope installation that is right off US 60, and is said to be spectacular. Then on to where NM 12 goes southwest from US 60, to US 180, and on to Alpine.
The first part of the next day’s ride will be nice, through the hills but eventually will become a bit of a slog, heading north on US 191 to I-40, east to Gallup, then north on US 491 to Shiprock, then east on US 64 to Farmington. That’s going to be the most tedious ride of the trip.
From Farmington we’ll head up toward Durango but turn east on US 160 before we get to Durango. Through Pagosa Springs, over Wolf Creek Pass, to South Fork, and then CO 149 to Creede. We’ve never stayed in Creede. Could be very nice. I’ve always liked the town.
Our last day will be up over Slumgullion and Spring Creek Passes to Lake City, down to Gunnison, over Cottonwood Pass to Buena Vista, and then home on US 285.
That looks like about 1,400 miles. These guys don’t like really long days so the longest will be about 270 on the way to Farmington. I think we have a plan.
Biker Quote for Today
We know you’re a poser if you grab for your hairbrush before your old lady.
Tags: Cottonwood Pass, motorcycling New Mexico, Wolf Creek Pass
