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Ruidoso, NM (9.5 hours from Austin)


hurronnicane
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Has anyone spent much time in Ruidoso, New Mexico?  It has proximity going for it (a little over nine hours from Dripping Springs).  We went through there last summer on our way to Yellowstone and managed to get in one ride at Grindstone Lake which was fun.  Just wondering if anyone has more thoroughly explored the area.  I know Shane at Canyon Cycles used to live there and has talked it up.  Twenty five years ago we used to travel to the Cloudcroft area (just down the road from Ruidoso) for mountain biking, but my understanding is that Ruidoso has a more developed mountain bike trail system.

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I'm going on June 20 and will report.

There are two trails systems, Grindstone Lake and Cedar Creek. MTBProject and TrailForks have details.

There are quite a few videos on the downhill flow run at Cedar Creek.

Here's one of them

 

Ski Apache also offers lift service to three trails on Sierra Blanca. Not sure whether it is a good value and I have no plans to ride it while there.

 

Edited by Ridenfool
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Was checkin' out the forecast for Ruidoso and Santa Fe for the coming week and they have arranged for a cool front to greet me bringing highs in the 70's and 0.1-0.2 inches of rain every day to knock the dust down and provide a bit of humidic comfort for Central Texas visitors.

Simply enchanting how they aim to please Texan tourists venturing to the Land of Enchantment.

Edited by Ridenfool
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I checked out Grindstone trails today, before the arrival of the exterior AC. The plan was an 11.something mile route I had worked out on TrailForks. The reality was that 2 hours in, I had covered 4.5 miles and rode up for about 550 feet of positive elevation per TF. By now the bike computer was showing the temps cresting 94F and after consulting TF for alternatives the only reasonable choice was to turn around, or die, as Doors number 1, 2, and 3 that Carol Merrill was standing in front of all offered another several hundred feet of up before I'd start going downhill again.

After flipping a U, I was back in the parking lot in 20 minutes.

As for the trail I rode, Grindstone Ridge, it was nice. with some embedded rock a lot like Austin trails, and plenty of good flowing singletrack, well worth the trip as long as you are have the fitness and lungs for the climbing job at altitude, and the temperatures are more cooperative.

Trailhead elevation is 6900 feet and it is all uphill from there.

The exterior AC arrives tomorrow with highs in the 70s.

Edited by Ridenfool
corrected some numbers
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