I've been thinking that I'd like to take an extended 4 or 5 day weekend early this year and get out to see Mesa Verde National Park and Monument Valley on a motorcycle in the 21-25 April time frame.  Initial plan would be to fly into Albuquerque, secure a rental ADV bike on the order of a Triumph Tiger 800, and then over the course of 3 or 4 days ride a loop from there to visit Mesa Verde National Park, the Four Corners monument, Monument Valley, and back to Albuquerque to return the bike and fly home.




Knowing the terrain and elevation throughout this route, and obviously weather can't be predicted - I'm wondering if any of you who live in that vicinity have some insight as to whether late April might be just a little too early in the season to avoid snowy and icy roads.

Does the "typical" late April weather out there support this agenda, or is it too early in the year to invest in a bike rental out there?

Thanks,

Shawn





 
 
 

Thanks!  Appreciate the info.

The only sure thing is some wind.  How much wind depends on the year.  I spend a lot of time in northern New Mexico between April 15 and May 10.  I cannot think of a year when Cuba, NM did not get some snow during that time frame.

The wind.  The sand.  My brother called it New Mexico Rain.  It's brown and falls sideways.

Nice reminder about the wind - I grew up in Montana and definitely know what that can be like. I left MT in 2000 and have been living in more temperate places, with the last 9 years in central VA.  While it might get a little windy breezy out here sometimes, it doesn't get WINDY like it does out West, and it's easy to forget. I'll definitely consider that in my planning.

Thanks,


Shawn