Horsethief has become ridable. It’s work getting through the snow on the north facing uphills (often I’m pushing), but the southern loop was passable and, at times, fun. Counter clockwise, one can take the arroyo channel down and to the west to meet up with the southern rim portion of the trail. Don’t be discouraged,…
Large Rock Rolls Punctuate Glorietta’s Black Diamond Routes Winter Riding Update: Several Taos riders have recently made the 2 hour commute to the Glorietta Trail System, east of Santa Fe on Interstate 25 (very easy and quick access to trailhead). All of us were beyond thrilled to find these south facing slopes relatively snow free…
Perfect conditions rewarded the group at the Rift Trail systems for some snow riding. TMBA members were rewarded with fine conditions for the second Winter Group Ride. Riding on packed snow, a series of trails were available for exploring. We even had the opportunity to break trail on a segment of the Rift system, opening…
Sunday December 27th, 8:30 am.Ride the frozen Mesa with winter riding veterans from TMBA. No special equipment needed beyond plenty of warm clothes and windbreaker shells. Ski gloves and wool socks are a very comfortable option for this type of riding. The less Knobby your tires, the better; old tread worn tires are perfect, but…
TMBA has been working closely with ECTA and the BLM on the development of a new trail plan at Horsethief Mesa, which are set to be included in the new travel management plan to be submitted by the BLM in the summer of 2021. The agency is currently contracting with archaeologists to survey the proposed…
The Enchanted Circle Trails Association has been working under a grant to design the layout of one section of the Rio Grande Trail between the Gorge Bridge and John Dunn Bridge. From their newsletter: ECTA is designing this new trail through a grant from the Department of Interior. The Rio Grande Trail is conceptualized as…
Two representatives from TMBA met with the Town of Taos Facilities and Special Events Director, Mitch Miller to discuss the feasibility of a installing a pump track on Town land. Pump tracks are fast becoming wildly-popular essential hubs for bike communities due to their minimal requirements of space and maintenance, and accessibility for all types…
Social distancing Covid times are still great times for trail riding. The only problem is that so many people seem to agree and the signature trails around Taos are more crowded than ever! Popular rides like the Talpa Traverse (best dump-to-dump ride on Earth!), Rift Valley and mighty Divisadero will likely bring you in close…
Testing the new Aldo Leopold trail. The Tres Piedras Ranger District of the Carson National Forest and TMBA teamed up to install the beginnings of the Aldo Leopold Interpretive trail on Saturday, October 10. Eight volunteers from around Taos County descended on the forest and installed over a mile of NEW trail! When combined with…
Remember we have to share trails with users that don’t have wheels. Some even have more legs than us. Trails in Taos and the southern Rockies are as crowded during this pandemic era as they’ve been in, well, probably ever. That means it’s super important that all MTBers practice good trail etiquette, be on our…
Aldo Leopold knew… (Photo credit: Spencer Bushnell) Due to some recent forest thinning, an amazing opportunity has opened up in an area of the Carson National Forest by the Tres Piedras ranger station. Taos-style rugged slick-rock riding and other unique features are just waiting to be connected!Mark your calendars now to join us for a…
In a response printed in today’s Taos News, TMBA addresses a reader letter advocating that trails be closed to mountain bikers. We point out that for every negative interaction there are hundreds of positive ones, and the solution to trail sharing issues is not to ban a user group, but to make trails safe for…
I don’t like to stop riding in winter. Over the years I have explored the west looking for winter and spring riding opportunities. You might be surprised about some of these areas that I have come across… I was. When looking for ideal places to ride, some of the considerations I took into account included:…
As we are looking forward to 2020, we thought it prudent to review our accomplishments of 2019. Last year TMBA members and volunteers stepped up, participating in a wide variety of actions directly related to creating, enhancing and protection the MTB opportunities in Northern New Mexico. Check out a list of the highlights below, and…
In an effort to help inform the voters of Taos in the upcoming Town Council elections (Mar 3rd), TMBA asked each of the four candidates a series of questions about where they stand on trails, mountain biking, and recreational tourism for the Town of Taos. The questions were sent out to all four candidates Sunday…
Siler and Los Pandos Intersection TMBA Board and member representatives attended the NM Departments of Transportation public meeting to advocate for the continued inclusion of bike lanes on all highway and road improvements in the Taos area. Held at the City Council chambers in Taos, TMBA was joined by representatives of ECTA, and other area…
As we approach the end of winter and the onset of Spring, Horse Thief starts clearing of snow. On Wednesday, we were able to complete the entire loop, with only a couple of sections of walk-able snow. If you ride early, getting off the trail by 10:00 am, the ground is generally frozen. However, three…
Deadline to comment is November 7. The Carson National Forest (CNF) is nearing the end of the comment period regarding its Revised Forest Plan. This is the first update in thirty years, so not only is this update long overdue, but it is desperately in need of updates regarding Mountain Biking – a sport that…
This Saturday, October 12th, 12:30pm, volunteers are needed to do some trail cleanup on the Rift Valley Trails in preparation for Ride the Rift. We will meet in the Slide Trail Parking lot (the end of CR 110) and head out to do some cleanup and light maintenance on the trails. If you have portable…
Join us at Garcia Park Friday Sept 20 thru Sunday the 22 This will be a perfect time to enjoy the company of fellow MTBers in the setting of the changing aspens at our 2nd Annual Party in the Woods. The fun includes camping, riding and camp games. All mountain bikers (along with friends and…
On my way to Wisconsin, i had the opportunity to ride trails in Nebraska and Iowa. Of course, my expectations were limited, but i was intrigued to see what cow country had to offer. As i began my entry into Nebraska from Colorado, i was first struck by the fact that its not as flat…
TMBA has launched a new initiative involving riding and trail maintenance. The idea is for all of us to have ownership of the trails we ride everyday by taking a few minutes each ride to restore and maintain them. If we all spent five minutes a ride kicking rocks off the trail, or moving fallen…
We’re bringing back the classic Tony Marquez Trail (TR 41)! Created by the Chuckwagon Trail Riders of New Mexico, this route has been long forgotten, but we’re bringing it back. The full loop is bisected by the CDT and while the west section has the views, the east loop has the solitude and ample opportunity…
On Sunday, August 11th, 9:00 am, TMBA will host another GIF Group Ride on the Talpa Trails. We will meet at the Taos Youth and Family Center parking area. This is a “No Drop” ride that is rated for Blue and above skill level. All are welcome, so if you are not sure about your…
