That's what the owner of the ‘Bike Doc’ in Carlsbad, New Mexico was saying as we asked how to get a local trail. The guys at ‘Bike Doc’ are good people. They set us up with a very good map and directions to a secret out-n-back. With some advice on the way out, “Make sure you slime! “. We said thanks, and proceeded to the trail- head. I really enjoy the experience when I know can lay down some new tracks on new trail! Here we are two brothers in crime Ron and myself trying to find were the trail starts from the parking lot. This trail is the Standpipe Trail found on south side of town. The trail is an inner and outer loop that can be combined for 12 miles. The area has an elevation around 3100’ +/-. The trail has a gain of two-three hundred feet. This is semi-arid desert country, with prickly-pear cacti and some mesquite trees (no shade here). We started on a beautiful day; 75 degrees (what suffering. . .). The trail is not overly technical, but enough so, to keep you honest. It has some rock step moves and will take you down in some technical creek-washes, (man those are a lot of fun!) The switchbacks were spot on! You could tell bikers helped in the design of the trail, not straight up and down. A rider can be a ‘middle-ring-king’ on this loop, if so inclined. We covered two third of the loop and the texture of the trail changed to some hard-pack twisty. Step on the gas! (a big :-). We wrapped up with a couple hours of riding time and decided to celebrate with some ice cold Tecate’s. ‘Hey, we are damn close to the border here.’

The next day we hit the trail about two-thirty. The temp is close to fifty while the wind is howling with gusts up to 50 miles an hour. We are riding directly into the wind for a four-mile out-n-back. I say to myself, “what the hell . . .?”. I had to stop and break out the wind shell, the sun was falling, the temp was dropping, the wind was blasting, with wind-chills in the low thirty’s. I am a little spoiled to tree lined 1- track back home, suck it up baby! ‘This trail is out-n-back and your are real close to the out.’ One of the Trail Gods was listening as we turned around and all was answered. The wind was to our back and my wind-shell was starting to feel in like a sail. I had a quick moment to reflect before I shifted into the big-dog ring. ‘Damn it feels good to ride with the wind.’ We did our version of Zoom, Zoomm, Zoommm. It did not take long to wrap up another good day of riding!

We also made are way over to San Angelo and rode San Angelo State Park it was also a sweet ride, but that is another story. Back to Carlsbad, the Standpipe Trail does not suck!! Stop and see Carlsbad Caverns, it’s worth the six greenbacks. It will cost ya! Carlsbad not bad, Carlsbad good!!!

James Perry.

1.Standpipe trail, Carlsbad NM

2.Standpipe, hardpack and twisty

3.Standpipe, creek washes. I liked!!

4.Ron, standpipe climb

5.Ron. Standpipe cacti

6.Ron, Potts area, San Angelo State Park TX