Green Running in New Mexico's Forests!

We entered the Enchanted (and hilly) Forests of New Mexico over the last 3 days. It felt like we’d transported back to BC on the 1st week of the tour, as the pine forests returned, complete with deer, cows running (away from us) and that fresh scent of mountain air hitting our lungs as we made our way up towards.

We were happy (ok I was) to be back running hills, as we’d not seen anything sizable since Nova Scotia back in September. Steph LOVES the backside of hills (down), I the upside, so we both get our wish, most of the time. Amber continues to slide into her road manager seat with class and ease.

After some pretty heavy headwinds approaching the foothills, we then started going up and up and up. We camped for 2 nights at an amazing campsite in the mountains called, Lazy Days Cabins. Owner, Cody and his wife Danielle were so supportive by inviting us in. It was peaceful falling asleep to the sounds of coyotes calling out to each other as we drifted into slumber, our legs pulsating from 2 days of climbing.

Yesterday we made the summit in Cloudcroft at about 8,600 feet amidst snow and even a small ski hill operation. Cloudcroft had the friendly feeling of a small town where everyone knows your name and welcomes you in like family. At least that’s what the lady at the organic coffee store told me as I asked her how it was here in Cloudcroft. I think I’d like to be mayor here.

After a quick tool around the town with the gals, we started our decent of 4, 000 feet over 13 miles through the most stunning, jaw dropping twists and turns we’d run on since Northern Ontario! There was one look out above the White Sands (missile testing range) that made us all go “WOA”, as we took in the beauty (not the missile range), but the scene it sat on top of. It was like a cloud forest above white pure sand on the desert floor, 4,000 feet below.

Steph and I even got to run through our 1st tunnel since the ones back in BC. We hooted and hollered as we blasted through the mountainside, feeling like king and queen of the mountain roads!

So about 4 hours later we made the flatlands of White Sands and just started our 2nd to last pull of the day, when a police 4X4 truck (there’s no cruisers here folks) pulled up along side and asked us this simple question. “Folks, are you out here walking for fun or something”? With a big ‘ol question mark look on his face and ready to offer us a lift. “Yes sir, in fact we’re running around North America and we’ve been running now for over 9 months. And with a grin we added, we only have 3 months to go now and will have covered about 11,000 miles ”.

He shook his head with a look that that complete and utter disbelief (or because he thought we were crazy) and drove off into the western sunset.