The DRY Run…

Well, there's nothing like a test I'll let you see what you know and how you're feeling.

This weekend was the annual WeedSac/SacWeed bikepacking event held in and around Cloudcroft, NM, and organized by Matt Mason and Phil Simpson.

So, it is each of them that will either get credit, or blame, for how I feel today!

Covering over 119 miles with over 11,250’ of climbing, much above 8000’ in elevation, this was decidedly NOT an easy Tour Divide shake down ride.

Luke and I were accompanied by Lee Cunningham this weekend. I understand why Luke and I were riding, though I'm not sure why Lee wanted to put himself through such an arduous event! It was fantastic having him and his sense of humor along though!!

Opting out of the event group start on Saturday morning, Luke, Lee and I decided to start with a little 10-mile introduction to SacWeed 2026 that took us almost 3 hours of hiking and pushing our bikes in addition to the rough and rocky riding that we did! Lucas Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains of Southern, NM is no joke. The altitude and steep and rocky climbs afforded us a great night’s sleep!

Saturday morning saw bright and sunny skies as we started out the day with a great descent before we tackled a 17-mile climb with over 2700’ of elevation gain. After that it was a glorious 20ish mile downhill towards the little “town” of Weed, NM. By time we arrived in weed, the sun was beating down, and temperatures were in the 80’s.

One of the most challenging parts of riding in the Sacramento mountains is the scarcity of water! So, when we rolled into Weed, we were all almost completely out of water after having ridden the 57 miles from our departure spot near Cloudcroft.

There is an adage in bikepacking: Never pass up the chance to get water. We ignored it!! We decided not to filter in any one of the few little trickles of springs or streams (very few!) we passed on the way to Weed, and we almost paid dearly for it.

After we left Weed, we rode the next few miles, with more climbing, to the similarly small NM town of Mayhill. In previous years, Mayhill had a great little café, but that is now closed. Thank goodness for the small general store that remains!

At this point in the ride, despite having finished almost 5 liters of fluid including water, sports drink, and a coke in Weed, I was severely cramping (mostly in my hands, which Luke and Lee seemed to derive great pleasure from, as my hands twisted and contorted into what they began to refer to as my “claw”!) So, I bought and finished, among some beverages, an entire jar of pickles as we enjoyed the shade afforded by the general store in Weed.

After a bit we were back on the road. At this point, about 3:30 in the afternoon, the sun was hot as we began an unshaded climb out of the valley and higher into mixed conifer country. We only biked about 10 miles and gained over 1000’ in elevation before we decided to call it a day, around 5:30 in the evening. It was the perfect place to stop and camp for the night. Day two saw us ride 70 miles and gain 5,400’ in elevation. Plenty for the rough and rocky roads we were riding.

Day three didn’t get any easier. We got on the road about 8:30 and started climbing again. With only 25 miles or so to get back to Cloudcroft, we didn’t think it would take us the 4.5 hours it did get there!!

The gradients on day 3 were simply ridiculous. Lots of quiet suffering was had up 10%+ roads and even steeper trails, where we had to resort to pushing our 50-ish pound loaded bikes. There were also sections of the route that took us onto single-track that I think was buried in grass and rocks somewhere!!

We arrived at a campground just outside Cloudcroft out of water. A quick refill of bottles at the campground and a couple of miles of trails and we arrived in town. We made our way directly to Cloudcroft Brewing for a couple of pizzas and beer! What a great reward after a couple of tough days!!

After our quick lunch, we began our ride back to the start at Waterfall Lodge. We were not expecting the incredibly steep road through the little town right after lunch, and quite frankly, it sucked!! I thought I was going to resort to walking up a small, paved hill. Luckily, I had my two rabbits to chase (a theme from the entire weekend was watching Luke and Lee as they disappeared up the climbs on the route). After a few paved miles, we turned left on Russia Canyon and a fast and fun descent before the final grueling little climb back to the lodge we had parked at. SacWeed 2026 completed!!

Just a little hill to go! Photo cred Lee Cunningham

The weekend was filled with riding, suffering, camping, and laughter. You find out who somebody really is on tough days like we had, and I am happy to say I look forward to more time on the trails with these guys. Good times!

Until next time.

Ride On!

Shane

It’s the doubt that kills you.