May 6, 2023

Off for an adventure into the Lincoln National Forest today to hike to a Nogal Summit. It isn’t a long hike nor does it have a high elevation gain; however, the only way to the hike is over a rocky, tippy, and bumpy dirt road with sharp switchbacks up the mountain. The hike doesn’t even start until over 8,809ft.

A very happy man ready to put the Rivian to the test!

Grazing cattle along the very dusty dirt road through private property and into Lincoln National Park – cattle country for sure!

There were a few ranches along the dirt road leading up to the entrance to the forest. My favorite sign along the way read – Close the Damn Gate! and the one below. It is Smoky Bear country after all.

In 2022, there were two devastating fires in this area – These signs are a reminder and a warning!

The devastation is real along this dirt way – While the fire was managed – it still took several homes and hundreds and thousands of acres of ponderosa pine and other hardwood trees. How did the fire start? There was a lightening strike, but there was also a power line that went down. It really does only take one spark; it is so very dry around here. Onto the climb.

There are several spots along the way designed to accommodate disperse campers in the area. We did see one tent and truck along the road by a small running stream. It was Saturday and fairly quiet as we made our way up to the trailhead.

Looking at the terrain and a little view of the road, which is not visible on the navigation screen in the truck.

Pictured is the efficiency screen of the climb. Ideally the truck consumes 1mi/kwh every two miles. As you can see by the screenshot, the Rivian’s efficiency was greatly reduced to less than one at .64 mi/kwh.

Made it to the trailhead and the Rivian’s performance on the road was impressive. It felt smooth and effortless with exceptional traction. Not one misstep or slip!

The hike was challenging for me because of the steep elevation gained over such a short distance. Rob would characterize my hiking style as “Gollum like“ – thanks honey! Well, I do have an aversion to heights or should I say edges? Rob had to support me on several occasions when my knees got weak!

Snow covered peaks of the range – the weather was windy with gusts of 20 to 30 mph but the temperature was mild in the low 70’s.

The view of the Valley of Fires from the trail really captures how far the Malpais Lava Flow reaches. At first it looks like a cloud shadow or a lake. Pictured is just a fraction of the actual flow from the eruption of Little Black Peak over 5,000 years ago. The flow covers over 125 square miles and is up to 160 feet thick in some places. Truly an amazing natural wonder to see.

Here’s the contrast of the Rivian’s efficiency as we made the climb down the mountain. What an amazing contrast with over 4 mi/kwh! We put over 8 miles back into the “tank”. We are off to Taos tomorrow for some sightseeing, hiking and mountain biking.

Keeping the rubber side down, Julie and Rob