Touring – The Truth Is Out There

An out-of-this-world trip in New Mexico

A cool, desert breeze washed over me and the rising sun warmed my back as I rolled westward out of Roswell, New Mexico, early on a mid-June morning. I’d already covered more than 1,600 miles aboard my 2018 H-D Ultra Limited motorcycle since leaving home in Florida three days ago, but my New Mexico journey was just beginning. I rested my feet on the highway pegs, locked in the bike’s cruise control at 70 mph, and settled back to enjoy the scenery.

U.S. Highway 380 unfolded before me like a long, flat ribbon bisecting the high desert, the Capitan Mountains looming in the distance. The sandy soil stretching in every direction was carpeted with dry, brown grass and dotted with clumps of blue-green sage. New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in land area, but it’s the sixth least densely populated, making it ideal for motorcycle riding.

In 1947, something strange happened on a ranch 30 miles outside of the town of Corona. Ranch foreman Mac Brazel stumbled across a “debris field” consisting of bits of wood, paper, tinfoil, and rubber and weeks later reported it to the local sheriff, who, in turn, contacted the Roswell Army Air Field. Incredibly, the Army’s initial press release described the debris as the crashed remains of a “flying disc.” However, the military soon changed its story, identifying the bits and pieces as a weather balloon. Thus were sown the seeds of a million conspiracy theories, all but guaranteeing a future tourism bonanza for Roswell. Naturally, Roswell drew me in like a tractor beam, the magnificent Milwaukee-Eight engine of my Ultra Limited model rendered helpless against its force. Space aliens are a big draw for the small city. Roswell’s International UFO Museum and Research Center attracts more than 220,000 visitors each year, and thousands flock to the city for its annual UFO Festival.

Blasting through the desert west of Roswell, I headed for the tiny town of Lincoln, 57 miles away. Lincoln is an extremely well-preserved Western town, perhaps best known as the site of 19th century outlaw Billy the Kid’s final escape before he was chased down and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

A section called Billy the Kid Trail took me through Ruidoso onto U.S. 70, over Apache Summit, and into the northwestern corner of the Mescalero Apache Reservation. At more than 7,600 feet, the summit remained green and cool, a refreshing break before the long descent into Tularosa Basin, a 6,500-square-mile chunk of Chihuahuan Desert that lies between the Sacramento and San Andres Mountains, and contains White Sands National Monument and White Sands Missile Range. By the time I reached White Sands National Monument, the temperature was 99 F. White Sands is the world’s largest gypsum dunefield, covering 275 square miles. Riding into the surreal landscape felt almost like being on the moon.

The next morning, I rolled north toward Hatch on NM 185 through miles of pecan groves. Crossing a small bridge over the Rio Grande, I came to a stop at a lonely Border Patrol checkpoint. I greeted the agent with a ‘Good morning!’ and he waved me through wordlessly..

The village of Hatch is the self-proclaimed “Chile Capital of the World.” Doña Ana County, which includes Hatch, produces around 50,000 tons of the piquant pepper annually. The chile is such a New Mexico staple that there’s an official state question: “Red or green?” If you can’t decide, say “Christmas,” and you’ll get a combination of both.

West of Hatch I rode through Western high desert landscape on NM 26 and NM 27, the peaks of the Black Mountains in the distance. Turning left on NM 152 at Hillsboro I joined Geronimo Trail National Scenic Byway, climbing into the Black Range and Gila National Forest, a spectacular ride highlighted by the 8,828-foot elevation of Emory Pass.

After spending the night in Silver City, I planned on stopping in Pie Town en route to Albuquerque for the start of the 2018 Southwest H.O.G. Rally. The remote unincorporated community with fewer than 200 residents sits along U.S. 60 near the Continental Divide. Pie Town’s claim to fame, not surprisingly, is pies, and I had one of the best berry pies I’ve ever tasted there.

One of my favorite things about H.O.G. rallies is getting to experience the area’s best riding. And there’s no better way to do that than on the guided rides, planned by local H.O.G. members. On the first day of the Southwest H.O.G. Rally, I went on a “Wild Hogs” ride to the town of Madrid, which was featured in the popular 2007 biker comedy. A Road Captain from the Turquoise Trail Chapter led us along the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway and over a section of Route 66 known as the “Musical Road.” Near Tijeras, a series of rumble strips on the right-hand side of the lane plays “America the Beautiful” if you ride over them at exactly 45 mph. In Madrid, we gathered for a group photo on the porch of Maggie’s Diner – actually a souvenir shop – from the movie.

The next morning hot air balloons floated above the Rio Grande Valley as I approached Balloon Fiesta Park for a guided ride of the Jemez loop. We rode 200 miles through several Native American Pueblos and along the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway. The terrain was among the most varied and beautiful of the trip, ranging from red rock canyons to miles of green pine forest. At Valles Caldera National Preserve, we took a break at a remote spot looking out over a vast sweep of volcanic caldera – a 13-mile-wide crater created by an ancient volcanic eruption – with elk grazing in the distance. Later at White Rock Overlook near Los Alamos we took in a spectacular 270-degree view of White Rock Canyon and the Jemez Mountains, with the Rio Grande winding far below.

“New Mexico is one of the most beautiful states there is,” said Mike, a member of the Turquoise Trail Chapter. “The diversity of scenery is amazing, everything from desert to mountains. It’s just wonderful to ride through God’s creation and to be able to see all that we have here.”

Stories and images by Glen Abbott

First published in Issue 047 of HOG^® magazine.