Very windy and chilly night at Red Canyon! Got up at 8, finally forced out of the tent to pee… started coffee since I was up, no colder outside than in the tent.

I (Chad) and my friend Will had planned a motorcycle trip around New Mexico, following mostly dirt roads, intending to go back in late May. However, Will's bike was not cooperating, and we had to defer the trip. October in New Mexico is usually a lovely and dry time of year, auspicious for a motorcycle trip. But 2026 brought a late monsoon, and trepidations about our planned route.

After all the recent rain, it was clear I needed to do something about the slip-n-slide low portion of the trail down to the saloon,… ...more