The Gallina Mesa ride on Saturday February 10th started out with dicey weather conditions and an unfortunate lack of accurate weather information, as the local nexrad radar was down. Our initial meeting was held at the 66 Pit Stop with increasing snow and wet conditions. After considering the option of canceling, some local information about the lack of recent moisture helped tip the balance in favor or at least starting out the ride. We decided if the conditions became unsafe, we could always stop and cancel the ride and return home. The first part of the ride was the most challenging because Interstate 40 [14 miles from exit 140 to exit 126] was very snow packed and icy. Thankfully, we all navigated this portion successfully. We aired down and aired up at the same location: an old, abandoned building at the intersection of Alamo Road and Sate Road 6. Fortunately for us, the snowstorm soon diminished. The slight bit of snow that was on the road was actually beneficial, as it helped keep the dust down, which we all appreciated. The variable cloudy conditions created shafts of sunlight shining down onto the beautiful New Mexico landscape, and it was truly worth experiencing. Thanks to Jeff Boggs, we were able to turn the out-and-back Gallina Mesa ride into the Gallina Mesa Loop. From our starting point, this new loop was approximately 65 miles long. We all completed the loop successfully [without any incidents or mechanical failures--yay]! In celebration, many in the group had a Laguna Burger after the ride was completed. At the end of the day, we were all happy that we took the risk to continue the ride in spite of the initial blizzard conditions, as it turned out to be a truly fun and enjoyable day.
