After meeting at Roadrunner Travel Center a small group of four rigs headed out for an easy to moderate ride along the Quebradas Back Country Byway in east-central Socorro County. After a short drive on the byway, the group detoured to Arroyo del Coyote rock crawling trial, a moderate route, north of the byway. This trail follows the arroyo and includes a few rocky sections. At times the trail is narrow with brush on either side ensuring pinstripping/brush marks on your rig. The trail exits up to Flagstone Road and returning south to the byway.
The crew continued along the byway enjoying amazing geology including sedimentary beds sitting almost vertical. Rough topography in the area is the result of faulting associated with the Rio Grande Rift. After a mostly easterly course, the byway shifted to more southerly. The group explored a two track road to the east that went to a windmill and corrals. The two track has a couple of step parts where it crosses deep arroyos, sandy sections and a couple of high points with good views of the Rio Grande Valley and mountains to the west.
About two-thirds the way along the byway, the route again turns easterly. At this point, the group took a two track road that heads south off the byway. The two track crosses undulating desert landscape. Shortly before noon, the terrain level and open to an area with satisfying view of the Black Range, San Mateo, Chupadera, Magdalen Mountains to the southwest and west and the Rio Grande Valley and Socorro Peak to the west. The crew enjoyed a leisurely lunch under clear skies with light breezes and warm temperatures. The two track continues east over rugged, 4-low terrain, traversing pass along a shelf road and returning to the byway.
After returning to the byway and heading south, the group again decided to explore a few two-track roads to the east and west. These two tracks lead to high points, with great views, that have been used as campsites. At this point the byway crosses open desert with view of WSMR Stallion Range and Oscuro Mountains to the east. After a several miles along a graded dirt road, the byway ends at Highway 380. The group aired up tires at the intersection and turned west along 380.
Since is was mid-afternoon, the crew turned north on Bosquecito Road, east of San Antonio. This route starts out paved and turns to graded dirt and sand, loose at times, at the north side of the community of Bosquecito. The road traverses along the transition from valley to high desert reaching within a 1/4 mile of the Rio Grande. The road travels through desert, cottonwoods, large meadows, salt cedar tunnels, and the Otero Fire burn scare. There are places along the road that when wet, become very muddy. An hour or so later we returned to the start of the Quebradas Back Country Byway.
While on dirt roads, we only encountered two other vehicles. This was surprising since the weather was fabulous. It was a great day traveling the desert and Rio Grande Valley,
