GDMBR - New Mexico

[pcampbe8]

Hi. Would like some thoughts on what weather and temp conditions would be for riding the New Mexico section of the Great Divide route in the last 2 weeks of October, in North-South direction. Possibly extending the start point to Salida. Any people with intimate knowledge of the route for that time of year, please share your thoughts. I know weather and temps are unpredictable, but your thoughts generally ..... Thanks!

[tonymason]

Most of NM will be nice in October. Colorado and the first 100 miles of NM will be snowy but probably passalbe. Bring warm gear and prepare to hike a bike. Depends if a big fall storm hits right before  or when you first start.

[offroute]

What Tony said.

NM state line down to Cuba has lots of high el riding. And it has more trash than the rest of the US Divide combined. I haven't done the regular section between Cuba and Grants, but it reputes to be subject to mud and washouts although not high el. The paved alternate around that section is a convenient bailout, albeit no convenient bivy on it.

From Grants on down there are fewer high passes; they're short, but they still can get impassably muddy. Water is the main concern in that section. Between some cattle tanks south of Pie Town and Beaverhead Work Center, it's pretty grim, esp that time of year. Never found the "little reservoir" near Collins Park.

I would not plan to ride extended sections above 9k' at that time. You might sneak them in, but it can go from fun to peanut butter mud in literally minutes. I did Grants to Separ Road during the time frame you mention, and it was perfect. Have a blast widdit!...

[wahday]

I am not sure how much of the New Mexico section of the GDMBR overlaps with the CDT, but in poking around about riding the CDT (as per recent efforts posted in this forum!) I discovered this great document about water caches along the CDT. Very helpful info created primarily for thru hikers, but still relevant. I have ridden a good deal out in the Chain of Craters area as well as further north in the Zuni mountains. In all my time out there (day rides and bikepacking) I have never found a reliable water source. Tanks, reservoirs, springs, etc. are notoriously inconsistent, non-functional or just dry because of lack of precip. Don't rely on the maps.

The NM CDT water cache file:

http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nm/programs/recreation/rec_docs/cdt_maps.Par.28024.File.dat/Stash%20box%20locations.pdf

[offroute]

Thanks for the cool resource, wah.