• Day 3: We got to see a running Elk Herd early in the morning.
• We started the biking part of the day with a flat tire. We found 6 to 7 thorns in the tire and removed them.
• We met the French Gentleman and his Horse Friend (from yesterday's travel) again, early in the morning.
• A tarantula was the only other animal sighting on this day (not counting cattle).
• We saw a few abandoned structures that probably came from the 1800s.
• We saw 3-4 autos early in the day and nothing after noon on CR-41.
• The day started on a good hard dirt road surface but ended in sand, soft dirt, and loose gravel.

Day 3 - Ride the GDMBR From Pie Town, New Mexico, on NM-603, CR-41, and NM Hwy 117,
to the South Entrance to El Malpais National Conservation Area (NCA),
('Malpais' is Spanish for Bad Country)

Before We Start Pedaling, Good News and Bad News

Good News: We saw this Elk Herd running, just before reaching our bicycle start-point for the day, just before day break.

Bad News: Our rear tire went flat. We pulled out 6 to 7 thorns from the outside of the tire thread, most of the thorns are pictured here. We searched the inside of the tire by a finger drag test for any remaining stickers (for any protuberance) and found none. We pulled out the inner-tube and inflated it by an air-pump and the inner-tube did not deflate, there was no hole, and there was NO AIR LEAK. We then replaced the old inner-tube with a new inner-tube and we never had any further tire issues.

We started Pedaling our Tandem Bicycle North from Pie Town, New Mexico
(This location is where we ended our bike tour back in March, 2013)

Above Left: Looking eastward along US-60 in Pie Town, New Mexico.

Above Right: Dennis Struck and the Bee are starting northward from Pie Town on NM-603 at Mile Zero. Photo by Terry Struck, the Stoker.

Above Left: We're heading north on NM-603.

Above Right: We met Frenchie again, early in the morning and we talked a little. Frenchie was only ahead of the Horse Guy by about 20 minutes.

Above Left: We're heading north on NM-603.

Above Right: It was a small Tarantula - Native North American Tarantulas have brown hair on their Abdomen.

Above: We're crossing a big valley. The thing to notice is that the White Tarp is inside a big (empty) feed and sorting lot for cattle and it is probably covering 200 tons of Cow Poop (a totally made-up number). The poop will probably be turned into fertilizer, nitrogen, or both.

Left: We're coming up on a major fork in the road (displayed in the following picture).

Center: The major roads of CR-36 and NM-603 turn left and CR-41 to Grants turns right.

Right: Pie Town is behind us and the road to Grants is CR-41 (unmarked).

Above: A major fork in the road, we're turning right, northbound, towards Grants, NM.

Above Left: We met the Horse Cyclist. He was in fine spirits and cycling well but his voice was still horse. He was the last cyclist that we saw for the rest of the day.

Above Right: I think that Continental Divide Crossing #20 is at the top of this road.

This is a super hard high speed road. The quality of the road diminishes as we descend in altitude and miles today and but by the end of the day we will find terrible washboard bumpers and pockets of soft sand.

Above: Third Canyon Mesa. We're looking to the northeast.

Above Left: The road is OK but one has to avoid the washboard.

Above Right: Ranch Tres Lagunas.

Above Left: We're northbound on CR-41.

Above Right: I think that this was a gateway to a collection of Ranches Homes (a private community).

Above: A nice overview of the country and a nice downhill run for a tandem bicycle (northbound on CR-41).

Above Left: There are two (2) old stone finished buildings at the bottom of this draw, I'm guessing mid 1800s and likely related to Law Enforcement, Military, or Liquor (perhaps all 3 over time). There is no information about the buildings on the facilities nor on our map.

Above Right: 1800s Building #1 (no history is written anywhere).

Above Left: Historic Building #2 (no history is written anywhere).

Above Right: Northbound on CR-41.

Above Left: We decided to have lunch on the roadside and it is hot enough that we wanted to be in the shade.

Above Right: The sand on the side of the road is too soft to support the Bee, so we parked it in this manner. No traffic came.

Above Left: Ahead is an old homestead, it too probably dates from the 1800s.

Above Right: An old homestead that probably dates from the 1800s.

Above: Northbound on CR-41. The mountains are a mix of the El Malpais Range, the Cebolla Wilderness (not Cibola), and the Acoma Pueblo Reservation Mountains.

Above Left: Looking northeast from CR-41.

Above Right: Northbound on CR-41.

Above Left: York Ranch - A major ranch in the area and the road (CR-41) is also called York Ranch Road. This is not a gateway, it is a property marker.

Above Right: We're entering York Ranch; I think that we will be on it for another 15-20 miles.

Above: Looking northwest across York Ranch.

Above Left: York Ranch Road (CR-41).

Above Right: York Ranch Road (CR-41). The far end of that sandy basin is our destination, the Badlands (Malpais).

Above Left: A house with a great view.

Above Right: Wild Horse Ranch is to the east, this is Wild Horse Ranch Road. The street signs state York Ranch Road and Wild Horse Ranch Road.

Above Left: Our very first County Road 41 Sign.

Above Right: Northbound on CR-41 and we're changing Ecology Systems. We're leaving the woodland and scrub tree country for sage and grass country.

Above Left: Northbound on CR-41.

Above Right: That pretty flowering shrub is a Sticker Bush.

Above: Northbound on CR-41.

Above Left: Water Tanks are emergency sources of water. We, instinctively make mental notes for water sources.

Above Right: Northbound on CR-41. We're in semi-arid sage and grass country now and for the rest of the day.

Above: Northbound on CR-41 in dryer and sandier semi-arid terrain.

Above: Northbound on CR-41 - That white blip near the horizon center is York Ranch and all of its out-buildings and we have been on their property for 8-9 miles.

Above Left: A mesa stands to the west.

Above Right: York Ranch.

Above: The entrance to York Ranch goes left; we're going straight on CR-41.

Above: Northbound on CR-41 (aka York Ranch Road).

Above Left: This is the York Ranch Boundary for the right/east side of the road which becomes West El Malpais Wilderness land and the left/west side of the road remains as York Ranch property all the way to NM Hwy 117.

Above Right: West El Malpais Wilderness sign for the right/east side of the road only.

Above: Paved New Mexico Highway 117 and the York Ranch Entrance sign.

Above Left: HCNAR KROY (YORK RANCH in reverse).

Above Right: Quemado left (our direction, west on NM-117), Grants right.

Above Left: Looking east on NM-117 (not our direction).

Above Right: Heading west on NM-117 and the Malpais National Monument is on the right/north side of the road.

Above: Remnant Lava Flow from the Mt Taylor eruption from 1200 years ago (El Malpais).

Above Left: Still heading west on NM-117.

Above Right: Cibola County Road 42 is ahead, our turn-off for the Back Country Byway and the GDMBR.

Above: An old homestead.

Above Left: CR-42 is on the right/north side.

Above Right: CR-42 is the Back Country Byway (and the GDMBR).

Summary

We started the day with an Elk Heard sighting and a Flat Tire.
After fixing the tire we had no issues for the remainder of the day. It was a good day.

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