With the weather behaving in a way that is still conducive to riding, I managed to get some inspiration in me this past Sunday, take on one of the routes from the Gravel Adventure Field Guide (Santa Fe County Edition…) and see what I thought about it.
A route does not really “start” until you reach its departure point, which is the parking lot at Fort Marcy Park. I already knew it was going to be a bit longer as I had to ride from home, adding another total of about 8mi. additional.

The folks at GAFG design two routes, one consisting of 10mi. and the other of roughly 22mi., both called “Zozobra’s Wick”, an homage to the annual Burning of Zozobra tradition.
I chose the 22mi. option hoping I would enjoy some new roads I have not been on yet. The route did not disappoint.

 
While the beginning portion was easy to navigate thanks to my Garmin GPS, the second half was a bit trickier since it puts you on the La Tierra Trail Network. I believe I may have gotten lost in this section as at certain points I had a hard time trying to navigate the route, even with my GPS. Perhaps it was just my unfamiliarity with the area. (I got to explore La Tierra Trails more!)

Nonetheless, I had an excellent time on my trusted Surly ECR monster gravel bike. A bit heavy, but who’s checking. The oatmeal I had in the morning sustained me throughout the ride and I brought along a PB & J sandwich as well a tasty coconut smoothie from Trader Joe’s. What I was not counting on was the fact that I would get a little lost and fade in the energy department.

Excellent route from the folks at GAFG! I”ll definitely go back and tackle this route again and not make the mistake of not bringing enough food. Highly recommended depending on your fitness and your off-road skill level. The Santa Fe County Field Guide has gotten plenty more rides to choose from, but I was glad enough to complete one of them with the others in my sights.