The North Long Loop

The spring weather was glorious after work today.  I couldn't resist the opportunity to take a long ride to the north before dinner.  Armed with Glass, I took plenty of photos and videos.  As Google Glass sync's with their photo service, I'll include them below.  Here's the map.

Heading north from Matthew Meadow, the paved bike path takes you as far as Campbell.  After that, it's good gravel for a couple miles along side the Griegos Drain.  Candelaria and Griegos are minor cross streets that require a bit of caution, but Montano at rush hour is the bugger.  Farther north the ditch bank turns to hard packed dirt and the riding is smooth and fast.  

Finally, just south of Chavez Rd. the Gallegos Lateral peels off to the northwest, crossing Rio Grande Blvd. and curving westward to meet the Griegos Lateral.  This is the farthest point of the North Long Loop and a good place to take one's pulse... 127. 

The Griegos Lateral (dotted orange in the map above) is fraught with sugar sand.  I followed it once and wallowed in the terrible stuff for about a mile.  Instead, now I take Eakes Rd. southward until it intersects Rio Grande Blvd.  But rather than using the highly traveled boulevard, turn sharply right and head west again on Rio Grande Pl.  This scenic road passes behind Los Poblanos and turns south as Rio Grande Lane through a lovely if little known neighborhood.

As the lane curves east to rejoin Rio Grande Blvd, one crosses the Griegos Lateral free of the dreaded sugar sand.  Follow the east ditch bank a few hundred yards south and then take the dirt track across the field to the east.  (To continue south will bring you to a sandy, crumbling unrideable hillside down to Montano with an equally messy foot-climb up the other side.)  The dirt track brings one to Rio Grande Blvd for a quick sprint for a hundred yards over the bridge above Montano.

On the south side of the bridge just short of Dietz Farm Plaza and the Flying Star, cross to the east side of the street to pick up the Griegos Acequia.  That runs southeast until it passes over the Griegos Drain, which you were following on the way north earlier.  Return along side the drain as you came.  Total distance: 7.73 miles.