CROSSING THE APACHE RESERVATION

View Larger Map
Clicking on the 'View Larger Map' actually give a live map of today's route.

I broke camp by 10am. I was in no hurry. BTW, there should be a law against being on tour and in a hurry. :rofl I went by the Library....it wasn't really open but a geezer was there doing something so he let me in for a web session. He was a husband of one of the ladies that I met yesterday at the library. He said that she told him that a mtn man was in there yesterday.
I reckon I needed some house breaking and a clean up. :freaky

Anyway, I got out of El Rito before noon. I had about 3/4 tank of fuel....I figured I was in good shape gas wise, but I had to remember that the DR was low so I couldn't count on that for much gas.
I drove up to Tres Piedres, no gas there.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

It would be 60 more miles east on 64 before gas could be found. I didn't know if I could make the sixty, and I wasn't sure that the next town had gas as it's map letters were the same size as Tres Piedres. I elected to go back 30 miles to Taos for gas.
It was just as well that I did because that took me past/over Taos Mesa where all the Earthships were built. Earthships are weird ultra green houses that I've seen in pictures. There must be 25 of them on that Mesa....most too far away for camera shots. They are all similar to this one. See the others in the back ground?

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

As I passed the Rio Grande Gorge the vendor were out in full force.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

Now I was back to heading west on 64 ultimately with Bloomfield or Aztec as the goal for today.
Hwy 64 was a beauty. It went up to 10500 and was spectacular with both scenery and road surface.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

I gassed up in Tierra Amarilla before I cut across the Apache Res at Lake Heron

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

This route took me between Heron and Vado lakes, then it would spit me out on a dirt road as I entered the Apache Res.
The Indian Road started out poorly, and I was worried that I might get into some soft sand, but that wasn't the case. Let me say here that the big tires on the trailer let it roll easily in sand
I wound through a beautiful canyon. The road got better and better till I was again on pavement, whew. I breathed a sigh of relief and began to enjoy the ride again.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

This village looked like summer shacks by a lake on the Res.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

I spent the rest of the day marveling at the landscape, but more than that at the amount of Oil drilling on the way to Bloomfield and north to Aztec.
I arrived in Bloomfield at about 6pm, and looked for a motel room, but there were none that I found. I moved on to Aztec and found a nice room at the Enchantment Inn.

From Riding SM4C, Sabmag

I retired after McDonald for dinner and used the free wifi for a few hour before going to sleep. I had less than a hundred miles to go tomorrow. I'd have to find a scenic route.......As I prepared to meet the other riders (15 or 20) from all over the USA....meeting in Dolores Co.