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2nd Annual Tour of Socorro |
April 19-20, 2008 Socorro, NM, USA |
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Socorro to Escondida Bridge |
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2nd Annual Tour of Socorro |
April 19-20, 2008 Socorro, NM, USA |
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Socorro to Escondida Bridge |
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This is one of the most straight-forward paths to the Bridge, which serves as the starting point for several other rides. You might choose this route if you will take one of the rides that starts at the Bridge and heads east (see BARITE MINE, CERRILLOS DEL COYOTE, etc.).
Take I-25 to exit 150, marked Socorro. At the traffic light, the offramp becomes California Street, the main strip in Socorro. Go straight on California Street until the fifth traffic light, marked Manzanares. Turn right onto Manzanares. You will see the plaza in front of you. The plaza is a one-way street, flowing counterclockwise. Park anywhere along the street, or in one of the side lots.
Take I-25 exit 152, marked Escondida. The exit ramps dump you out onto NM 408; turn east (toward the valley floor). After about a 1/4 mile the road will make a sharp turn to the north, and start paralleling an irrigation ditch; continue for 1.4 miles to the intersection with Pueblito Road. Turn right onto Pueblito Road. After 1/2 mile you will encounter the mighty Escondida Bridge over the Rio Grande (don't blink!). Park in the dirt lot on the southeast side of the bridge.
To get there by bike from Socorro, see the trail Socorro to Escondida Bridge.
| Mileage | Surface | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | PAVED | Starting at the Plaza, go east on Manzanares and turn left onto California Street at the traffic light. At the next light turn right onto Otero, go under I-25, over the RR tracks, and continue straight as the road turns to dirt. |
| 1.0 | DIRT | Turn north (left) onto the first ditch road that you come to |
| 2.6 | DIRT | ...end of Jaral Ditch; continue north (left) on the west bank of this larger ditch. |
| 3.8 | DIRT | Go up the hill, over the bridge, bear slightly right, and continue north with the ditch on your right and fields to your left. |
| 5.4 | PAVED | Turn right onto the paved road. The road climbs slightly to cross over a Low-Flow Channel before you reach |
| 5.6 | PAVED | ...the Escondida Bridge over the mighty Rio Grande (which appears less than majestic at the end of a dry summer when all the water is diverted into the system of irrigation ditches along the valley). |
