Explore Outdoor Activities: Mountain Biking and Cycling

Doug Pickett couldn’t remember how he finished in any of the three times he competed in the Chile Challenge mountain bike race at the Angel Fire Resort.

He was simply happy to finish.

“Those are some tough courses,” said the owner of Taos Cyclery, who competed in the cross-country and the Super-D events. “The courses are very technical. I’ve even seen some pro riders have to stop and pick up their bikes.”

But it’s exactly because of the difficulty of the trails that more than 2,000 competitors — amateurs and professional alike — will descend upon Angel Fire today to compete in the three-day Chile Challenge, the third event in Mountain States Cup Championship Series.

After years of making the daily drive from Madrid to Santa Fe, Frank Clifanger can attest to all the beautiful sights found along N.M. 14 — most of which, he said, are not found sitting in a car.

But they can be easily spotted while riding a bicycle.

Still, the 36-year-old avid cyclist and employee at Bike-N-Sport doesn’t suggest making the trek along the mostly two-lane road by yourself.

I have daydreams about ancient civilizations and secret government bases housing the latest technologies, that I am on an archaeological expedition or that the mountain underneath my feet contains a subterranean laboratory, or that I might turn a stone over and find a semi-precious mineral from a nearby mine. This usually happens while I'm riding my bike. Sure, I have an overactive imagination, but this is all closer to reality than you might think.