Darren

I won't make the rest of you hold your breath any longer, here are the pictures.

Jayson, thanks again for finding a spot for us to meet up, and one that has a trail! It was great meeting you and is always nice putting a name with a face. The internet is a wierd thing like that but is pretty neat like we were talking about--being able to hook up with other 4Runner owners from anywhere.

I tell you what, Red River lies in a beautiful setting. Not your stereotypical New Mexico image that comes to mind at all--the desert southwest, the adobe and all that stuff. As I entered the town from high above on the highway from the east, I thought, "Man, this is awesome! I can dig this!" Surrounded by ~2,500' forested hills/mountains, I was very impressed with this resort town.

The trail was pretty easy (about a 3 or a 4 on Colorado's 10-scale) with just some shelf road sections at the beginning and 3 to 4 small, rocky sections. It was a fun drive 7 miles back in and beautiful the whole way. At the end was Goose Lake, which is your typical high mountain lake/tarn--gorgeous. We ended up making a whole day out it that we also incorporated a vertical 1,000' hike up to an adjacent ridge. All in all, it was an absolute blast. Mountains are good!

Adrian, when I got back earlier today, I found an email from Scott (JadeRunner) stating he has my CB mic! I'm such an idiot, when I returned his handheld Alan used on our last run, my mic was somehow included in that juxtaposition. :pat: I bet it never strays from my sight again!

Had a good time guys, thanks! I look forward to meeting the rest of the NM boys on a later date.

loosehead

Great pics, Darren. I finally got mine downloaded to my Webshots album . I was showing the pics to my wife and after viewing this one:

...she said "I sure wouldn't want to meet up with these guys in a dark alley!"

Darren

Nice pics, Jayson!

Oh, and the color of my 4Runner is known as "ash" or "dust!" :pig: A lot of it came off during my road trip back though.

Flygtenstein

It was a blast this weekend gents, a really good time in deed.

Thank- you Jayson for showing us around your state and Darren, I think that the image of your truck may be etched in my mirrors by the end of the summer.

The hike was a good one, plenty steep but fun.

The funniest thing of the weekend for me was saving those people from their own stupidity.

It was a fun, close trail that let me get my mind off work here, and that was a well needed break.

Look forward to hanging with you guys again.

Brown

You know fellas, the whole time growing up in NM, I never went to the Taos area. That is truly a beautiful area, and holy crap-- am I ever sick to get out there. Seriously, looking at your pictures Darren and Jayson, I got really really homesick.

That is a really neat little area, too-- I like how the lake just kind of pops out of nowhere.

There's water in NM? LOL

Great pictures, guys!

loosehead

There is water, just not quite enough...

I grew up in the southerns part of the state and now that I live in the mountains, its gonna be hard to ever get me to leave...LOL!The mountains around Taos and Red River are quite nice. Sounds like you need to plan a trip out this wat sometime, Jeremey

Brown

Shoot, If I come out, we should get another crew together to go. Then you guys could start an official New Mexico Yotatech Trailride Guide business.

Didn't I already ask you where you grew up in NM? My mind is slipping me today, it's definitely Friday.

loosehead

Maybe you did, but I can't remember either...
For the record, I grew up in Truth or Consequences, and went to college at Tech in Socorro

I've been in the state most of my life, minus a few years as a young lad living in Houston, TX and a couple of years in Michigan while the wifew was in grad school.

I can't remember where you said you grew up either...TGIF!

Brown

Jayson, I grew up in Alamogordo. It's been a couple years since I was back there, and I actually left there about 8 years ago when I went to college in TX. I almost went to Tech, and actually spent a day there "previewing". Met a professor there in the engineering dept. (*I think*) who played rugby, and invited us to come watch-- he had long hair, so I don't know how he got away with playing rugby. Actually, that's probably what scared this skinny white boy away from there--- I knew I would get crushed by all you rugby guys. So I went to Longview, TX instead, but would always come back in the summer, though. You know, it's funny-- I was talking to another guy in another thread ( https://www.yotatech.com/forums/show...threadid=13751 ) about NM-- goes by the name "Elnip" on here and also on the NM TTORA board I believe. He lives in Las Cruces, and wheels a lot near Alamogordo up in the mountains. The dude made me crave green chile like I crave a locker for my truck! Now I know what it's like to be pregnant... I guess.

loosehead

Now I remember about Alamogordo...I have grandparents out behind the Alamorosa Truck Stop...

So, you prolly don't want to hear about the big, juicy green-chile cheesburger I just had for lunch

The prof. you met was Dr. Richardson. He's a regular NM rugby icon, if there ever was one. He mostly coaches and referees now, though. When I was there, he played and coached, now the Tech rugby team is more of a college team than a club team, we had profs, students, and "townies" on the team.

If you and your wife are seriously thinking about relocating out this way, be sure to look at the job postings on the Los Alamos and Sandia Labs webpages...We actually have a few really cool machining facilities out here. Use your imagination as to what they process...

Brown

No I don't!!!!


Just kidding. You're a bastard for doing that to me though. But-- being a bastard is a good term-- in my book, BTW.

I gotta get me wife out there on vacation first before I can convince her to move! Thanks for the heads up-- I didn't realize they did machining there at the labs.


And now I recall the Alamorosa conversation..... heh

loosehead

Like I said before, TGIF...

YOu can actually get red and green chile shipped to you from Bueno or there are a few good links Here . Just a thought...

Brown

That rocks!

Sorry for pirating this thread, but since your trip is over already-- oh well!

I just showed the pictures to Dee, and she thought they were pretty cool. So then she asks me, "When are we going to go out there?" I said, "Next year, let's go out there next year for vacation!" (we already have plans set for this year)

So then I sez, "We can fly out there and rent a 4runner to drive around in (while thinking: *and get some wheeling time in with the X-REAS setup*)." And she adds, "What are we going to do with the dogs? Hey, we can rent a 4runner and drive out there." She's pretty cool for being from New York, I must say-- especially because that 4runner would give us room to throw a couple of coolers full of food in. :pig: