| << | 40 | 41 | 42 | #43, Sweden | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | #49, South Africa, Mozambique, and Swaziland Bicycle Tour | >> |

Be sure to hover the mouse over the images.

Next Segment (South): Great Divide Mountain Bike Route Bicycle Tour Adventure #40

Day 1, 2, 3,
Side Visits: Pinos Altos, Gila Cliff Dwellings,
Petroglyph National Monument 		Next Segment (North): Great Divide Mountain Bike Route

Pictures and Stories About Bicycle Tour Adventures



Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR - Segment):
Tyrone, Tyrone Copper Mine, Silver City, Pinos Altos,
Lake Roberts, to Gila National Forest, (Southern Section),
New Mexico; By Bicycle Tour; February (Valentine's Week), 2012


Bald Eagle, NM Hwy 35, Gila National Forest. Billy the Kid's childhood home in Silver City (not original location). Valentine's Day on the GDMBR, Continental Divide crossing #28. Mimbres Pottery Chards and Arrow Heads - Pinos Altos Museum.

- Cycling Summary -

Goal: Completely Ride Adventure Cycling's 'Great Divide Mountain Bike Route'.

Objective: Ride as much as allowed by the Weather for a 6 Day Period.


Highlights
  • We rode 2.5 days of 6 days (2.5 driving) and It Snowed Each Night. Sometimes the snow evaporated, sometimes not - We did ride through some thin snow and mush.
  • We tried, with success, wearing Balaclava's and thin Thermal Inner Wear for added warmth for the first time. The action worked well and we did not overheat.
  • A snow storm dumped about 2 feet of snow on a planned biking segment through Pie Town, NM. That planned tour leg had a 50/50 chance of success when we planned the trip and we would have been happy with 3 total days of cycling (but hoped for more). We had a +2 more vacation days option but we opted out because of the unfavorable weather.
  • We used the cycling down time to visit the Gila Cliff Dwellings, Mimbres Ruins, Western New Mexico University (W) Mimbres Museum (No Photos Allowed), and Petroglyph National Monument - We cheerfully accepted those opportunities and share those experiences.
  • Silver City (a mining town) is where Pat Garret was a Lawman, Lincoln County Sheriff, Bartender, and Customs Agent during the 1880s. Pat Garret is well known for bringing in many a criminal, dead or alive, and his most well known fugitive was William Bonney (aka Billy the Kid) who Sheriff Garret had brought in twice, once alive.
  • Billy the Kid's childhood home has been re-located to the main entrance of the Silver City downtown area [next to the Big Ditch]. The Big Ditch is the remnant river bed where the original Main Street and Dwellings were built/located before a big flood - People foolishly built the original dwellings in or next to a river bed.
  • Lincoln County, as in the Lincoln County War (Ranchers versus Ranchers - Range War), is a county in central NM, while Silver City's Grant County is located in western NM. The Lincoln County War involved such characters as Pat Garret, Billy the Kid (William Bonney), John Chisum (as in the Chisum Trail and a cattle ranch measured in hundreds of square miles), John Tunstall (English Land Baron with English investment backing), Lawrence Murphy (General Store Owner - Dry Goods Monopoly, the Kid was an employee), The Regulators (self appointed semi-legal vigilantly/militia group), and Multiple Sheriffs and Deputies (some honest, some not). These characters and events have spawned hundreds of books and at least a dozen Western Movies (or movie themes) including Chisum (starring John Wayne, Forrest Tucker, Christopher George, Ben Johnson, Glenn Corbett, Geoffrey Deuel, Andrew Prine, Bruce Cabot, Patric Knowles, and Richard Jaecke) and Young Guns (starring Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, Casey Siemaszko, Terence Stamp, Terry O'Quinn, Brian Keith, and Jack Palance).
  • Pinos Altos, just north of Silver City, is another mining town, once the Grant County Seat, where $8,000,000 in minerals, mostly gold, was taken from the ground. Pinos Altos was temporarily named Birchville, after prospector Robert Birch, one of three California miners finding the first gold - Over time the town/area reverted to the original name used by the Spanish settlers. The Spanish were already mining the nearby Santa Rita copper mines in 1804 (almost 70 years prior). Pinos Altos is where Roy Bean lived and was part owner of General Store on Main Street. Later, Roy Bean moved to Texas and became a notorious Judge. One of the only western state Civil War Battles took place in Pinos Altos between the Arizona Guards and the Confederate Arizona Territorial Militia Company (the Confederates lost). The miners of Pinos Altos battled with and created some of their own problems with the Apache led by Mangas Coloradas and later by Cochise.
  • We saw plenty of Deer but we only have a few photos. Whereas we usually carry a camera in a pocket or handlebar bag and can get quick photographs, in this instance we additionally had to remove ski gloves after bringing our motion to a full stop, thus by the time that we could get a camera operating, the nature of our interest had often wandered away or was scared away. We have a picture of what we think is a Great Blue Heron.
  • We saw and photographed a Bald Eagle at about 30 feet (10 m).
  • Change of Climate Zone: We realize, now that we have biked the entire route south of Silver City (in the Winter months in a Desert Climate) to the Mexico Border, we will need to make our future GDMBR NM treks in the Spring (not Winter) as the climate zone north of Silver City is a more temperate/seasonal Semi-Alpine or Steppe Climate). We are still, both, avoiding Summer heat (in the 100s F [35+ C]) and spreading our ride time around the year. Our short ride/tour time is still a function of work and limited by our available yearly vacation time - ah, some day, to ride daily for months at a time - We dream, we pray.



Day 1 - Tyrone Mine to Pinos Altos, via Silver City

Tyrone Mine on the GDMBR, 2012. Tyrone Mine on the GDMBR, 2011.
Above Left: We are starting two ridgelines south of the famous Tyrone Mine (which is north of us and we are going to bike northward). In this picture, we are in the climatic buffer zone that changes from 'Semi-Arid Dessert' to 'Steppe'. We are doing a good job of avoiding Desert Heat (apply humorous chuckle here, it is 40° F (2 C) outside). Checkout Terry's Balaclava; I am wearing a Balaclava also, but my warm mask will be removed by the next hill top.
  • The last time that we were here, the temperature was in the 50's F (10-15 C) - See the Right Side Picture.
  • The bare-top mountain in the background is actually a mine tailings pile (the remaining debris after the rock has been milled and the [mostly] Copper Ore has already been extracted). The Tailings Pile is huge; it is as high as a mountain.
Above Right: This is the last picture from Our Bicycle Tour, Last Year (2011, also conducted in the month of February). This spot is as far northward as we biked last year; on this day we start our next cycling leg northward.

Reclamation Project underway at the Tyrone Copper Mine.
Above: Expensive and Expansive Mine Reclamation Project underway at the Tyrone Copper Mine. Dennis' shadow. Note that there is an additional Tailing Mountain in the background.

Looking north toward Silver City. Tyrone Copper Mine as viewed from the north.
Above Left: Looking north toward Silver City which is just before the mountains: We're on NM-90, we're still pedaling and we are realizing how huge the Tyrone Mine Property is.

Above Right: Tyrone Copper Mine as viewed from the north.

Lama looking Yucca (at the Tyrone Mine overlook). Our longest downhill run ever, while biking up to higher elevations.
Above Left: Lama looking Yucca (near a Tyrone Mine overlook).

Above Right: Our longest downhill run ever, while biking up to higher elevations; it seemed to run for about three miles, which we did at 25-35 mph (it went quick).

The Tyrone General Store (now defunct). Silver City Limit and elevation.
Above Left: The City of Tyrone's General Store (now defunct).

Above Right: Silver City Limit and elevation.

Ghost Bike: Dan Potts, 1938-1999. Entrance to downtown Silver City.
Above Left, Ghost Bike: Dan Potts, 1938-1999, killed by a distracted mommy in a mini van. We paid our respects.

Above Right: Entrance to downtown Silver City. The bridge (just behind the archway) goes across The Big Ditch. That is Terry and the Bee on the far right side and just out of the picture on the right hand side is the childhood home of Billy the Kid (the next picture).

The childhood home of Billy the Kid. Dennis, ready for his Fast Draw.
Above Left: The childhood home of Billy the Kid. The steel window covers were added to prevent vandalism.

Above Right: Dennis, ready for his Fast Draw (or 'how to provoke a bear').

Terry and the Bee in front of the Silver City Welcome Center. A mural inside the Silver City Visitor's Center.
Above Left: Terry and the Bee in front of the Silver City Welcome Center.
The reader can tell by our dress style that one of us is less sensitive to cold weather than the other.
Terry was quite comfortable.

Above Right: Inside the Silver City Visitor's Center, one of the best mural paintings, ever.
For the record, everything that we did as tourists on this trip came from recommendations here.
They get an A+ from us!

USA and New Mexico Flags. We are at the end of Hwy 90 and must turn right on Hwy 180.
Above Left: USA and New Mexico Flags (at the Visitor Center).

Above Right: We are at the end of Hwy 90 and must turn right on Hwy 180. The Geometry Kid in me says What interesting numbers! We will travel about 360 yards/meters and then turn north on Hwy 15.

NM Hwy-13. The Bee visits McDonalds.
Above Left: NM Hwy-15. Notice the McDonalds on the far right hand side, we are about to drop in for coffee and hot chocolate.

Above Right: The Bee visits McDonalds. Everyone from 4 to 84 checked out the bike and its tour configuration.

Before. After.
Above Left: Before.

Above Right: After.

Riding northward, all of the trail signs are good. Wilgas Trading Post.
Above Left: Riding northward, still inside Silver City; all of the trail signs are good. We are heading for the Continental Divide (GDMBR Crossing # 29) which is about 7 miles from this location. Pinos Altos is about 1 mile beyond the Continental Divide crossing.

Above Right: Just outside of Silver City: An antique collector's front yard. The sign says Wilgas Trading Post; it is a collection of mostly early automobile travel industry artifacts.

High Activity Deer Area, next 3 miles. The 'W' is for the Western New Mexico University.
Above Left: The sign states High Activity Deer Area, Next 3 Miles; in fact we saw 6-7 Deer sprint across the road from right to left at the crest ahead (sorry, no deer pictures, we were slow and they were fast).

Above Right: Onward and upward (at a gentle climb angle). The 'W' is for the Western New Mexico University, located at the top of a hill, back in town, on the west side.

Three Observations

  1. In the Mountain West: It is common for the local school students to have placed a Letter or Letters (initials representing their school name) on a prominent mountain side, like in the previous pictures' example.

  2. Often, if there is no College, then the letter on the side of a mountain is for the local High School and the local High School is usually the same name as Town name. So the student's effort can also help the local Chamber of Commerce.

  3. The University of Western New Mexico University has the BEST Mimbres Indian [Native American] Pottery and Culture Museum and displays, BUT NO PICTRES ARE ALLOWED. No brochure will tell this fact, thus one can be mighty disappointed after traveling out of their way to visit the museum. Personally, I will not visit museums that don't allow photos - Yes I'm used to a no photo policy in a special display room (like the famous Nefertiti bust in Berlin or the roving Tutankhamun display).

Interesting Gate. Our back view (looking south over Silver City).
Above Left: Interesting Gate.

Above Right: Our back view (looking south over Silver City) on the GDMBR.

We stop for Lunch. We sit across the road for lunch and to absorb sunshine.
Above Left: We stop for Lunch (trail mix, dehydrated mangos, turkey jerky and water). People wave as they drive by.

Above Right: We sit across the road for lunch and to absorb sunshine while we stare at our bike, named the Bee; it is a daVinci Tandem.

Some day we may put black tape on the stays to create a bumble bee striping effect. We can no longer remember how the name evolved. Every now and then we meet a reader who recognizes the bike. Personally, we think that is cool.

Us, eating lunch, sitting on a thermal blanket. Terry; she picked out the Current from the trail mix, hmmm.
Above Left: Us, eating lunch, sitting on a thermal blanket. I actually remembered to smile.

Above Right: Terry; she picked out the Current from the trail mix, hmmm.

Remnant Gold Mines Diggings. The Continental Divide is just around this corner.
Above Left: Remnant Gold Mine Diggings. Pinos Altos is about 2 miles ahead. We are in Gold Mine country.

Above Right: The Continental Divide is just around this corner. We can actually breathe here.

A picture of us and our back trail. Continental Divide (crossing #29).
Above Left: A picture of us and our back trail, just before crossing the Continental Divide.
Terry said that she was smiling!

Above Right: The Continental Divide (crossing #29 of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route - GDMBR).

We get to ride downhill 1 mile to our destination for the day, the town of Pinos Altos

The symbol of the State of New Mexico. The welcome sign of the rugged western town of Pinos Altos.
Above Left: The symbol of the State of New Mexico.

Above Right: The welcome sign of the rugged western town of Pinos Altos. Gold was discovered in 1860, about $8 Million in gold and other minerals was extracted (in 1860 dollars).

Pinos Altos Fire Department. Pinos Altos Cafe and Self Laundry.
Above Left: Pinos Altos Fire Department.

Above Right: Pinos Altos Cafe (closed) and Self Laundry.


This ends the bicycling travel log/travelogue for Day 1.
See our Pinos Altos tour pictures.


Previous Adventure Top Next Day