This weekend we volunteered to assist with some mountain bike rides at the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is only open to mountain bikers for two weekends of the year. These rides have been held for the past two years, but this year the organizer, Hillard, paved the way for unstructured rides. Approximately 100 km of roadways throughout the Valles were open to riders, with no directional or route requirements. As a volunteer team leader, we were able to spend the night at the Casa de Baca on the north edge of the Valles Grande.
The Casa de Baca is a beautiful, rustic, round lodge, with 30 foot elevated ceilings. There is an enormous fireplace in the main room with eight bedrooms arranged along the perimeter that share breathtaking views of the Valles Grandes.
Casa de Baca is also a great location to view spectacular sunsets,
as addition to grazing elk during breakfast
The ride was a success. The weather cooperated, and although it was a bit warm (it is New Mexico), some afternoon breezes (headwinds) and cloud cover kept it bearable, and the thunderstorms abated until everyone was safely finished with their rides. Although there were 150 riders, they were distributed around the 100 km of available roads, assuring everyone had their share of solitude to enjoy the Valles.
Wow, looks beautiful. I grew up in NM & spent time in the Jemez as a kid… but I live in Denver now. Looks like I need to find some time to rediscover the area. Thanks for this report.