Southern New Mexico has been an unexpected treat to see and ride thru. Riding east from Globe, Arizona to Safford was dry and littered. Out of Safford you head into the mountains and eventually climb a dry almost barren pass to about 6,400′ head toward Silver City, New Mexico. Lots of rolling hills but at least it’s greener, in fact the transition at the top of the pass was most remarkable, almost like the changing sets of a theme park. From hot and dry to green and cooler. No wonder the border is where it is.

I’d heard of Silver City and imagined it to be close to a New Mexico version of Durango or Bend, Oregon, but there weren’t any tall pines that I remember. However, just north and east of town is super ride toward Emory Pass (8,200′) with deeply forested steep canyon that was a pure delight to climb up thru. Only bummer was the wind was on the nose for the 19 mile descent on th other side. Rather than make it a 112 mile day we opted for stay in Hillsboro, a cross between living movie set of a 1950’s stage stop (actually a relic of a copper mining boom) and a contemporary ghost town. Excellent 1950’s style chocolate shakes and homemade pies.

On into the Las Cruces valley which was unbelievably rife with agriculture of many kinds. Not just the famous Chilies from Hatch, but potatoes, cotton, corn, hay, alfalfa, dairy farms and most surprising acres and acres of pecan orchards. It made the trek into Las Cruces that much faster seeing all cultivation just north of the Mexican boarder.

Oh, we finally saw another touring cyclist loaded with all his panniers a bedroll on the backrack. He was out of Gila Bend of all places and just making a 3week loop up to the Four Corners, including a section of the Great Divide trail (Del Norte to Chama) and on back thru Silver City to Gila Bend.