Had to fly out to Albuquerque yesterday early to retrieve my older sisters car from ABQ airport and return to the Houston area near Galveston Bay. I am the youngest and said yes to help her out. I dislike flying.
Have ridden many different routes from the area thru the last several years, including taking US 285 from I-40 to I-10 if in any time crunch or wanting to swing toward Big Bend region. Our typical route is further to the east and on bikes, usually as fast. I have not owned a car in years and am used to trucks and bikes, so, this was an unusual trip sitting low in a car.
I wanted to be home around dark and have made the 700ish mile run a few times back to Middle Texas. Hit the go home button on the Garmin I took with me and went with the 285 to I-10 route since i was in a CAR and had not been that way in maybe 3 years. The stretch is 85 miles in length from Carlsbad to Pecos on I-20.
Anyways, have ridden/driven thru the oil patch in several states and wasn't expecting to meet the mother of all US highways in overused condition I have been on in the last ten years. Found it. The Delaware Basin oil patch
https://bnhspine.com/delaware-basin-county-map.html
This from a 2012 map, there are rigs still everywhere
You get the sense of seeing all the new construction in Carlsbad,NM that there is new money flowing. You are surrounded by oil related business light and heavy trucks not far from the city limits heading south and start crossing drilling rig sites, pipeline construction, deep disposal well sites,makeshift rv camps, and all the support businesses...which is a lot of trucks and activity. Have seen this area during prior booms, this takes it to 11 from a 4 on the Spinal Tap scale.
So, back to the road. Bumper to bumper averaging 5mph under the posted limit, which in NM is 55 and parts of TX 65.Trucks turning, entering if any gap is perceived is the norm for miles. The road surface is full of potholes just to the center of right wheel track...would eat a motorcycle in a heartbeat if you fail to see in time.The road is being widened in places, however it does not appear to be heavily funded or a big priority.
Had two boneheads in seperate personal pickups passing at same time regardless of lane markings or oncoming traffic. They passed the line of maybe six vehicles ahead of me and ran two oncoming trucks off the road throwing a cloud of dust our way and luckily not back into our path...then they did it AGAIN to the next line and the truck they scattered was still trying to gather it in as we passed. My palms were even sweatier by now!
I passed when it was safe, a passing zone, and prudent, which did not present itself many times. I had folks so close to my rear bumper I thought NASCAR had gone on the road. I was as fast as the multi vehicles in line ahead of me and there is no freakin' place to go...so WTF?. Wondered if I was in my 3/4 ton Dodge would it happen as often Or how being on a bike would have been.
I can not imagine riding this under this condition or dark, rainy...The local first responders have to be a busy group.
So, if you have ridden this...sorry For those who might look at a map or use a GPS...Don't!
Did the Google and found a few warnings on rv forums and the Carlsbad newspapers story with sobering statistics
https://www.currentargus.com/story/...oad-repairs-us-285-crashes-deaths/1084760001/
Have ridden many different routes from the area thru the last several years, including taking US 285 from I-40 to I-10 if in any time crunch or wanting to swing toward Big Bend region. Our typical route is further to the east and on bikes, usually as fast. I have not owned a car in years and am used to trucks and bikes, so, this was an unusual trip sitting low in a car.
I wanted to be home around dark and have made the 700ish mile run a few times back to Middle Texas. Hit the go home button on the Garmin I took with me and went with the 285 to I-10 route since i was in a CAR and had not been that way in maybe 3 years. The stretch is 85 miles in length from Carlsbad to Pecos on I-20.
Anyways, have ridden/driven thru the oil patch in several states and wasn't expecting to meet the mother of all US highways in overused condition I have been on in the last ten years. Found it. The Delaware Basin oil patch
https://bnhspine.com/delaware-basin-county-map.html
This from a 2012 map, there are rigs still everywhere
You get the sense of seeing all the new construction in Carlsbad,NM that there is new money flowing. You are surrounded by oil related business light and heavy trucks not far from the city limits heading south and start crossing drilling rig sites, pipeline construction, deep disposal well sites,makeshift rv camps, and all the support businesses...which is a lot of trucks and activity. Have seen this area during prior booms, this takes it to 11 from a 4 on the Spinal Tap scale.
So, back to the road. Bumper to bumper averaging 5mph under the posted limit, which in NM is 55 and parts of TX 65.Trucks turning, entering if any gap is perceived is the norm for miles. The road surface is full of potholes just to the center of right wheel track...would eat a motorcycle in a heartbeat if you fail to see in time.The road is being widened in places, however it does not appear to be heavily funded or a big priority.
Had two boneheads in seperate personal pickups passing at same time regardless of lane markings or oncoming traffic. They passed the line of maybe six vehicles ahead of me and ran two oncoming trucks off the road throwing a cloud of dust our way and luckily not back into our path...then they did it AGAIN to the next line and the truck they scattered was still trying to gather it in as we passed. My palms were even sweatier by now!
I passed when it was safe, a passing zone, and prudent, which did not present itself many times. I had folks so close to my rear bumper I thought NASCAR had gone on the road. I was as fast as the multi vehicles in line ahead of me and there is no freakin' place to go...so WTF?. Wondered if I was in my 3/4 ton Dodge would it happen as often Or how being on a bike would have been.
I can not imagine riding this under this condition or dark, rainy...The local first responders have to be a busy group.
So, if you have ridden this...sorry For those who might look at a map or use a GPS...Don't!
Did the Google and found a few warnings on rv forums and the Carlsbad newspapers story with sobering statistics
https://www.currentargus.com/story/...oad-repairs-us-285-crashes-deaths/1084760001/