GDT Day 39 - Above Canon Plaza to Abiquiu

Sun Sept. 11, 2016
dispersed campsite above Canôn  Plaza to Abiquiu

Start - ~8375'
High pt  ~8375'
Lo pt. 6200'
End Elv ~6200'
Climbing 1000+'?

Miles ~39.2
Total time 5:00
Ride time 3:39
Day with BOB 37

Canon Plaza, Vallecito, El Rito. Villages along the way, small but full of history. In their decaying abandoned adobe small homes and buildings, in the ones still use and livelihood, to their people still going strong as evidenced by the library and community center in Vallecito (free wifi for all!). Today is Sunday morning, and most of the roads are quiet. The plethora of truck's filled with firewood are not evidenced yet to day. Ever since I crossed into New Mexico, I have been impressed with all of the firewood in full trucks, some old pickups look hardly up to the task. And the piles of firewood outside many of the homes is impressive,  inversely proportional to how impressive the home is. I do believe that the wood is the primary heat source for many a family in these rural parts. Or perhaps is a continuation the old tradional practice of locals collecting resources from the Spanish land grants.

Started the day in ponderosa forests which lasted until Vallecito. Down down down. To Canon Plaza, rolling down a picturesque little valley to Vallecito; up and up to the shoulder of Valle Grande Peak. Down down down to El Rito. Much of today was rough forest road, though had a smooth few miles gliding down valley to El Rito through pinon juniper forest.

At one point I looked up to see tall cliffs emerging on the east wall of the valley- they looked like tough tuff cliffs.

Tooling through El Rito, I see that the Farolito restaurant is open, and stop in for another fix of their excellent green chili.
Then a quite 14 mile  pedal down to the delightful adobe Old Abiquiu B&B, where the wonderful proprietess Wanda,  hosts bicyclists campers as well, right on the Chama River, with giant cottonwoods and crickets to greet one.