Another world

Galactic Gravel Grinder explores NW New Mexico’s surprisingly bike-friendly gas patch

by Jennaye Derge

According to a lot of iffy information on the internet, on March 25, 1948, one – or three – unidentified flying objects carrying 16 – or possibly nine – “humanoids” landed in our neighboring town of Aztec. One UFO was assumed to be 50 feet, but another was described as 99 feet. They all, or one, presumably came from the planet Venus, but when investigators asked for evidence, they were given pieces of regular aluminum metal as samples of the crashed UFOs instead of actual space metal – whatever that is. The government and FBI got involved for a minute, but then decided that this sounded like a buncha poppycock and quit the investigation. In all, and in retrospect, it seems like it could have been fun for everyone involved, and lucky for us, 75 years later, almost to the day, the fun continues.

Area bicycle race and tour company Aztec Adventures is harnessing the three-quarters-of-a-century-old fable (or maybe truth – who really knows?) by hosting its second annual Galactic Gravel Grinder race near Aztec’s Alien Run trail system Sun., April 2. Started by Durango’s Neil Hannum and William Farmer, Aztec Adventures is offering an out-of-this-world two-wheeled tour around northwestern New Mexico’s often underappreciated BLM lands.

“You get into some of the highest land in San Juan County in an area that is so close to us, but no one ever goes up there,” Hannum said of the race course. “I think as New Mexico starts developing into what it’s going to be, it’s going to be a place that is really special.”

New Mexico has been trying to boost its recreation economy in the past few years, and the oil roads that weave through miles of sagebrush, sandstone cliffs and high desert landscapes are the perfect place to start. On Sunday, galaxy wanderers will get to choose from one of three different courses: 8.5 miles, 35 miles or 50 miles on what is said to be a variety of surfaces.

“It is pretty much all dirt, with a bit of pavement, and it will end on 4 miles of singletrack,” race director and co-owner of Aztec Adventures, Farmer, said.

This long winter and unrelenting precipitation will make conditions the big nail-biter in the days leading up to the event, but Farmer is optimistic conditions will not only be dry but prime.

“It usually takes around eight days for the trails to dry and the last day of precipitation was a few days ago, and there is nothing left in the forecast for the area, so I think it will be really good,” Farmer said.

Anyone who likes dirt and has ridden the unending gravel roads in northern New Mexico knows it’ll be good. A little moisture will keep the dust down, and those desolate oil and gas roads that seem to go on and on promise a day of blissful grinding. And to keep things

Where the Grass is Always Greener!

Racers in a recent Aztec Adventures gravel race pass by one of the many arches waiting to be seen in the nether reaches of Aztec’s BLM oil and gas backroads./ Courtesy photo interesting, riders can expect a variety of terrain from rough and chunky gravel, rocky areas and steep, punchy climbs including one stout one at a 12% grade – shooting up almost to outer space. The courses will end in the area where the planet Venus dropped its humanoids, in the singletrack of Alien Run. Here riders will go head to head with those baby heads, but more importantly, that beautiful, smooth, sticky, slick rock.

Farmer says the Galactic Gravel Grinder was made with gravel bikes in mind, but a mountain bike would be fine as well. Riders can sign up in advance at aztecad ventures.com or the day-of the event, and pretty much all are welcome. Even, I assume, some alien visitors. ■