Labor Day Sunday was the first full day I've had to do something with my wife for months. We planned a ride around the towns north of us, including a return stop to look for the old Jewish graves south of Mora.
It rained.
And rained.
And kept raining.
From 11:00 AM till we got home around 9 or 9:30 PM it rained. The only real break is while we stopped for coffee and some dry fleece clothing (and socks for me) on sale in Angel Fire.
Although she's had her license about 1 1/2 years, my wife is still a real novice rider. I think she has ridden her bike a total of a few hundred miles. She tends to be a bit nervous and hesitant. But she gets a real charge from riding.
We started out in the rain. She led up on the interstate for the one hour ride to Las Vegas, NM. She kept up a good speed, and her bike isn't really comfortable much above 70 mph anyway. Northern New Mexico is very pretty, even in the rain.
Shortly after we got on the interstate, something round flew onto my chest just below my right shoulder. I was about to flick it off as road debris, when I picked it up and saw it was my right mirror!
I managed to get my right chest pocket open and the mirror into it without losing my camera, etc. In Las Vegas we stopped at Auto Zone, bought some RTV and duct tape, and fashioned a fix. It held for the whole day. I'm always kinda happy with ugly on-the-road fixes. Somehow I've always associated that with the ride.
North out of LV in the rain. I led since I'd been up there once before. My wife was a bit slow behind me, but kept up a steady pace. Once we got onto real back roads among the farms and ranches, it was fairly slow riding with the rain and the usual risk of meeting someone's cow or goat around a bend. We stopped not far from the cemetery we were looking for. It was pouring rain, by now the rain was getting inside our gear, and we decided to skip the search till clearer weather. We came out on the 'main' road in Mora, after forging through a blind puddle on the corner. The next turn north was almost immediate, which led to a quick skid in the mud as we missed it and had to turn round.
The road to Angel Fire is all back road, with quite a bit running through National Forest land. Rain, mud, lots of curves, and pretty scenery. We'll have to go back and check out Coyote Creek State Park sometime.
Angel Fire is a hoity toity ski resort town. We stopped at a shopping center to get coffee at a food market. While parked, some guy comes up with the usual 'is that a 750?' 'Yep, last year of the SOHC'.
He stood around talking bike with me for about 45 minutes. 'I always wanted one, etc.' Has a Shadow that he can't seem to get on the road. While we talked about the 750Four, my wife disappeared into Mountain Sports. Wants to get warm. When I finally went to look for her, I see there's a sale. Uh oh. Sensibly enough, though, she bought a nice fleece sweater to wear for the rest of the ride, as hers was wet by now. I got socks (my favorite ropers can't withstand all day in driving rain), and then broke down for a North Face shirt on sale.
Back on the road warmer and drier, through the mountain curves to Taos. My wife is keeping her slow but steady pace, happier now but still cautious in the road conditiions. These roads always have a bit of sand and silt and rockfall on them in a steady rain. Every so often I drop back to let some cars pass and stay close to her. We've been riding through the mountains in the rain for hours now. She's getting a little tired, though still game and riding safely and competently. Actually, she forgets this was 'liquid sunshine' and normal in Vancouver.
We stopped to look at a map, and I said my afternoon prayers by the roadside in the rain and mud with a glorious view of the mountains and low clouds for my sanctuary.
South out of Taos along the Rio Grande river. The river is running high and frothy. Visibility is fair, but it is getting late and a bit darker. As my wife pointed out, rain is one thing, dark is another (she's never ridden in the dark), but rain and dark is a bit much. Stopped for gas in Velarde. Still raining. Now dark. Three guys find their way over to us, 'is that a 750?' 'I had one of those as a chopper'. The old bike rarely fails to draw admirers. I get my obligatory ice cream cone, and we're on for the home stretch. Maybe an hour and a quarter to go.
Wife leads through Pojaque and towards home to Santa Fe. Raining hard and dark. She sets a fair but cautious pace. Very sensible. Coming into north Santa Fe she stops a bit quickly for a light. I fishtail behind her with the sudden stop, but my bike stays upright and I stop short of hitting her. My heart rate certainly jumps though!
Just another ten minutes and we're safely home. Wet again under our gear, though not as bad as earlier. Tired and satisfied from a long day out in challenging conditions. My wife definately earned her wheels as a road warrior on this one! We had a good day for sure. Only about 230 miles, but given the conditions, back roads, stops for mirror repair and to warm up we did just fine. And I have a newly capable riding partner for longer trips.
