Bikes, Music, Camping

So this past weekend, Ben and I rode with members of Gravellrxs, a cycling group that prefers the trails and paths along the irrigation ditches to road riding.  Left Saturday afternoon for the 14 mile ride from the Mud Shack to Leasburg Dam State Park.  I had pretty much loaded the bike Friday:

The only add was a collapsible cooler---First rule of camping: get to the site and have a beer before setting up camp.

The ride took us through mostly agricultural land.  We all stopped at this field:

The Group

The Warning Sign

The Field

See, it's not all chile and cotton here!!!!

We arrived at the campground about an hour after starting out.  Leasburg dam is next to Fort Selden, a bunch of adobe ruins from a fort that once housed Buffalo Soldiers in the 1800s.  The three pictures below are of the dam area and the Rio Grande, still with water, taken from the group campsite facing west and south.

And here is the eponymous dam:

Now this area is surrounded by the Desert Peaks Organ Mountains National Monument which also incorporates the Dinosaur Trackways National Monument. The Dona Ana Mountains are part of the monument and as the sun was going down, I got lucky and captured this beautiful lighting on them:

On Saturday evening, there was a performance by a duo called Jackal.  She was solo at first and later joined by a male guitarist.  Some very good interpretations of Fleetwood Mac as well as one of my favorite songs, "Angel from Montgomery." She had special thanks for those of us who rode our bicycles to hear them!!

There was a party atmosphere and even pups enjoyed it:

Night time temps get down to the mid-60s and there was definitely dew and mist Sunday morning when we got up.  For example, the two pictures below are the same mountain, the clear one shot Saturday dusk followed by a shot on Sunday morning:

Saturday

Sunday

It was a great time in a wonderful and special location.  Thanks to Matt Mason and Monumental Loop for making the arrangements.