LOE BMW 2023 Riding Challenge

[dogman dan]

Since the ice cream ride is coming up, the road to Kingston and Hillsboro from Silver city is currently closed, and no date set for its opening. So those two bridges can only be approached from the east side.

The best motorcycle road in NM over Emory Pass is closed.

[maryputnam]

Hi, everyone!

At Jens' recommendation, I plan on ticking some of the bridges off of the list on my way to the Hill Country Hangout Rally (Kerrville Schreiner Park, Kerrville, TX, 14 - 16 April) so just to be sure .... no need to sign up anywhere, we just email our pics in and that indicates our joining the challenge?

Thanks!

~m

[KARLZ01]

Riding challenge Riders - Challenge rider extraordinaire, Jeff Foster, has found an error in the coordinates for the Nogal Canyon bridge site. It has been corrected on the map. If you find any others, please let me know.

[garytalda]

Thanks! Looking forward to getting to a few of these places!

[KARLZ01]

The 2023 LOE BMW Riding Challenge is ready to be challenged! As soon as the winter weather stops its current hissy fit.
This year’s challenge is bridges, more specifically, old bridges. It is designed to get you out and riding to places you may never have been, or have not been on a long time, and enjoy the wide variety of beautiful scenery the Land of Enchantment has to offer. Many of the bridges are “grouped,” by a category so you can plan a ride to get several in a day ride. They are all accessible by paved roads, unless otherwise marked in the description.

2023 Riding Challenge Rules
1. Ride to the location, get a pic of you, or your bike, with the bridge.
2. Email your pictures to ridingchallenge@loebmwr.org along with a description of the bridge you visited.
3. The scoring sheet is available online to check your progress (see the link below).
4. There is a maximum total of 89 points. The members with the top 10- point totals get ride awards. A minimum of 25 points gets a ride pin.
5. All locations are accessible on paved roads unless otherwise noted
6. The challenge runs from now until November 30, winners will be announced at the Christmas party.
7. Most of the bridges listed are on light traffic roads, off the beaten path. Ride to some place you have never been, explore a bit, have fun, and ride safe!
8. We've included 3 Extra Credit Rides at the bottom of the list...Enjoy Your Ride!

CLICK HERE to see all the locations with GPS coordinates and pictures

CLICK HERE to see your scores and view progress on the spread sheet

CLICK HERE to download a PDF file listing all the bridges.

2023 LOEBMWR Riding Challenge Bridges
1. Pecos river flume Carlsbad, NM “Where the river crosses over itself.”
2. Pecos River bridge, Villanueva , NM

3. Pecos River bridge, San Jose, NM Close to the Santa Fe Trail crossing. Pre 1937 Rte 66

4. Abandoned Pecos River Bridge Terrero, NM

5. Green bridge, former Pecos River Bridge at Las Cruces Farm & Ranching Museum

6. John Dunn Rio Grande Bridge, Easy Rider movie shooting location. (GS dirt) El Prado, NM
7. The Taos Gorge Bridge was built in 1964 to replace the John Dunn Bridge

8. Rio Grande bridge at Lyden on NM 582- Ride slow on the road south past many Mesa Pietra Petroglyphs.

9. Ohkay Owingeh Rio Grande bridge, 10-ton limit. I know from personal experience that it would hold more!
10. Espanola bridge with streetlights from the 1930’s.

11. Otowi bridge. Many large, and heavy pieces of equipment crossed this bridge for the Manhattan Project.
12. Old Alameda Ave Rio Grande Bridge Now a walking bridge. From the dirt parking lot. Freebee to all who participate in the Challenge because of traffic concerns.

13. Old Rio Grande bridge at Radium Springs
14. Old Iron San Juan River bridge, Shiprock, NM. Take your pic from the Burger King parking lot. View the murals on the other side of the river!
15. Animas River, Cedar Hill bridge
16. Old Rte 66 Wooden Bridge, San Jon, NM (GS dirt?)
17. Rte 66 bridge, over Plaza Larga Creek on the Frontage Rd
18. Pre 1937 Route 66 bridge over Santa Fe River, La Bajada, NM (easy dirt)
19. Route 66 Rio Puerco bridge, have a Laguna Burger while you are there, and stay out of the casino.

20. Route 66 bridge over the BNSF RR tracks. Ride over it!

21. Route 66 concrete bridge, Laguna Pueblo. Dirt, but you can get a pic from the pavement.
22. Rio San Jose Pony Truss Bridge, cute little baby bridge.

23. D&RGW RR Navajo River bridge & water tank. Enjoy the scenery!
24. Rio Chama C&TS RR bridge, Chama, NM from Cemetery Rd (hardly any dirt)
25. Lobato Trestle Cumbres & Toltec Scenic RR NM 17
26. Mexican Canyon RR Trestle Cloudcroft, NM Cloud Climbing Railroad. You can hike out to one end of the bridge.

27. BNSF RR bridge Black River Bridge Malaga, NM

28. BNSF RR Bridge, south of Bosque del Apache. Do this in combination with #44
29. EP & SW RR Concrete Arch Bridge Rodeo, NM (GS dirt)
30. Pecos River RR bridge, Ft Sumner, Meadow Ave. Some easydirt.
31. Old US 60 Bridge over the Rio Puerco, Bernardo, NM
32. Taos Jct, Rio Grande Bridge, Pilar, NM Who was governor when it was built?
33. Historic Rio Felix Bridge, Hagerman, NM
34. Red, Iron Gila River Bridge, Cliff, NM Take a hike across it.
35. San Francisco River bridge, Glenwood, NM
36. 5 Mile bridge over Largo Canyon (GS dirt)
37. Grant Avenue Concrete bridge, Santa Fe, NM “Bridge of the Hidalgos.”
38. Mora River Bridge, Watrous, NM. Stop at the Watrous coffee shop on your way to the confluence of the Mora & Sapello Rivers.
39. High Canadian River Bridge, Logan NM
40. Nose Rock Canyon bridge, interesting name! A little GS dirt.
41. Red Willow bridge. A little more dirt. Take a ride up to the top of Nabrona Pass while you are in the neighborhood.
42. La Jara Arroyo bridge US 64 – Great view of the bridge coming down the hill eastbound
43. Old US 84 abandoned concrete bridge, (dirt or very short hike on dirt)
44. Nogal Canyon bridge, I-25 from the vantage point listed on the map.
45. Old Percha Creek bridge, Hillsboro, NM scenic turnout.
46. Middle Percha Creek bridge, Kingston, NM
47. Variadero concrete bridge, Rio Conchas, NM 104, sort of art deco style.
48. Stark Weather Canyon, Love the name, old & new bridges Reserve, NM
49. Bridge over Omega Canyon from the vantage point listed, or from here 35.880279, -106.324506
50. Rio Hondo Bridge, Lincoln County

EXTRA CREDIT BRIDGES - 5 points each
51. Chevelon Creek, slot canyon bridge, west of Joseph City, AZ
52. ½ mile long Canadian River wagon bridge, Canadian, TX
53. Gila River concrete arch bridge, Threeway, AZ