Loyd Sanders at Guadalupe Pass
My buddy Loyd Sanders, no relation, and I had a really nice ride to El Paso last Thursday–he to try his luck at the slots at Sunland Park and I to attend an El Paso High School Class of 1965 reunion committee meeting.
We left Lubbock about 7:15 a.m. on Thursday under almost perfect riding conditions and headed to Brownfield where we topped off the motorcycles. From there, we rode to Plains to have a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito at Amigas Restaurant.
After that break, it was on to Lovington and Artesia, where we had the opportunity to buy some of the most expensive gas in the state of New Mexico, before resuming our journey to Cloudcroft.
The ride to Cloudcroft was pleasant–the roads are fairly twisty and the surface was excellent. Riders have to use caution, though, and be on the alert for critters–there was one small doe right by the road just a few miles east of Cloudcroft.
After gassing up in Cloudcroft, we began the hardest part of the trip–down the mountain and into the desert where the temperature was beginning to rise.
We were sweating pretty good when we finally stopped on the Northeast side of El Paso to call my buddy and get something to drink. After the refreshments, we took off over the mountain where Loyd stayed at a Holiday Inn and I went on to my classmate’s home.
The next morning, we both slept in a little bit, then hoped on the bikes for what was to be a pretty warm ride back home.
It wasn’t too bad until after lunch in Carlsbad, but it really started to warm up as we approached Hobbs and the South Plains of Texas. In Hobbs, Loyd used a water hose to dampen his jacket and I used it to spray off my clothes.
Even though it was hot, it wasn’t unbearable, and we were back home about 5:15.
Both Harleys performed perfectly.
