Editor Note: The 2014 IronWorks Magazine Chile Pepper Rally is Sponsored by Bikernet
I got on the horn with Marilyn Stemp, Editor of IronWorks Magazine, and explained that I couldn’t make Indian Larry’s Block Party in Brooklyn, New York, because I was heading West to New Mexico to get the gears turning on the 2014 IronWorks Magazine Chile Pepper Rally to be held in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Marilyn, being the multitasker that she is, put the arm on me to cover the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally in Ruidoso, New Mexico, too. So I added that to the list of duties.
I also told Edge, Promoter of the Chile Pepper, that I was heading to the Land of Enchantment, and he decided to hop a flight and meet me out there to assist in the ground campaign.
I landed at Albuquerque International Sunport at noon on Tuesday and hustled up to Santa Fe Harley-Davidson®. I met with Tina Reeves, the shop’s Marketing Manager and a Marine, and received the update on the Harley community in the state. In quick secession, I met with Albuquerque Harley-Davidson and then met up with Edge, loaded his gear and set off for Santa Rosa.
But before we put the hammer down, we needed to fuel up. We found a Hooters-style restaurant and secured a table where the waitress was “working” the local military guys… she designated each guy at the table as an animal and would only talk with them if they barked like a seal, barked like a dog or roared like a lion. Those types of restaurants are normally loud, but this one was a zoo.
After our tanks were topped off, we hit the road to Santa Rosa. It’s a city where the 1950’s are still alive and well. Situated on old Route 66, the architecture, neon and friendly people harken back to a much simpler time.
While in Santa Rosa, we met with the Albert Campos, Mayor; Raymond Mondragon, City Planner; Angelo Romo, Chief of Police; M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Publisher of The Communicator; Jose Campos, Joseph’s Bar & Grill Owner; local hot rod builder “Bozo”; Robert Chavez at Angry Wife Brewery, and our city liaison, Richard Delgado. It takes a village to put on a rally.
During our time in Santa Rosa, we found out that the 2014 State HOG Rally is in Clovis, New Mexico, and is scheduled for the same date as the Chile Pepper in 2014. Once Edge learned that, he gave me one of those hairy eyeball looks. With him being a Green Beret Special Forces guy, you could almost see the steam pump out of his ears. So, selecting a new date became Job 1.
In between appointments we had thirty minutes to kill, and I wanted to see the bullet holes left by Billy the Kid in a house about 10 miles out of town. We found a church and a few dilapidated houses but no bullet holes. We didn’t have enough time for a thorough search, so we left it for another adventure.
The next day we met up with Dan Stoddard, a Clovis City Commissioner, and talked about events, music and timing. Dan hooked us up with the local High Plains Harley-Davidson® Dealership General Manager, Joe Borem, and their sister dealership in Roswell, New Mexico, as well, giving us as a personal tour of the Buddy Holly museum.
After we concluded business in Clovis, we headed towards the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally. It’s enjoying its 44th consecutive year, and motorcyclists from all over the Southwest and Mexico rumble into the quiet mountain town of Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ruidoso is tucked in among the mountains of the Sierra Blanca range and is gorgeous.
Over 35,000 bikers make their way to the mountains, but it’s hard to tell because the biggest activity is riding. Golden Aspen conducts tours and poker runs, and the guys and gals are always in the saddle and making tracks. And if they aren’t riding, they are trying their luck in the casinos. As you can imagine, touring bikes of all ilk are present and accounted for, with about 60% of them being Harley-Davidsons.
HQ for the rally is The Inn of the Mountain Gods, Resort & Casino. It’s situated high in the picturesque mountains of Mescalero, New Mexico, and sits next to a lake. It’s an Indian gaming casino owned by the Mescalero Apache tribe. The usual amenities are provided, with an addition of big game hunting with some of the finest elk, bear and turkey in North America.
“When I attend rallies, I don’t often stay at 5 star casinos,” said Edge, “but when I do, I choose The Inn of the Mountain Gods, Resort & Casino; this Casino is just that good!”
Paintings and sculptures were on display throughout the facility. Edge and I were riveted by a painting of a warrior on a Mustang with a Winchester in his hand.
As we discussed the picture and the rifle, Celeste, a woman of Apache descent, stopped and inquired about the Winchester market as she was considering selling a few guns. Since the firm had gone under, she believed that her 3 bolt action and 1 lever action rifles would be increasing in value. The law of supply and demand would support that supposition, except that Winchester had made nearly 5 million copies, according to Edge. So the prices aren’t as high as you would expect.
Ruidoso, New Mexico, is the perfect location for motorcyclists to enjoy beautiful weather and breathtaking scenery. In addition, this is an American Motorcycle Association (AMA) National Road Riding Convention, though it’s not clear what this means as the AMA was not represented at the rally. The rally also boasts an 84,000 square-foot trade-show facility.
Besides gambling, one of the highlights of the rally for enthusiasts is participating in the parade. Bikers and non-bikers alike lined the parade route to see and be seen. Who knew that not one, but two Batman’s, along with an Uncle Sam, would be riding proud and happy. Riders also enjoyed bike games, bike shows and a new bike giveaway from our friends at Barnett’s Harley-Davidson.
Back to Job 1. We stopped and talked to vendors to find out what dates would work for them for the Chile Pepper Rally. After much research and discussion, we now have an official date for the rally: September 12-13, 2014 .
For six days we ate every meal on the road, and it felt like we were eating our way through Eastern New Mexico. To keep it lively, we set as our objective to have the waitresses raise their right hand and swear… One swore that the Chile Relleno was the best the meal the restaurant offered, another swore that she had instructed the cook to make the shake thin enough to sip through a straw (even though you couldn’t) and still others, well, they just swore at us.
Before I knew it, it was noon on Saturday, and my compadre was itching to get to our room in Albuquerque to see the Auburn Tigers/LSU game. And as soon as he got into the car it was SEC this and SEC that and how the conferences stack up and how the Auburn Tigers are going to get spanked… but on any Saturday, any SEC team can win if they are on. Oh, my god, he wouldn’t shut up. So I’m trying to distract myself, can’t find a radio station because we are nowhere, and I end up counting cows. Angus cows get two points and Herefords get one. I’m in the middle of my first 100 mile tabulation when he sez, “I’ll bet you $20 the Tigers will win.” I’m thinking that he needs a bet just to keep him interested in the game, because it is going to be a blow-out. I’m also thinking that I’m never going to let “him” live this down, ever. So I said sure. He sticks his hand out, and I give it a hardy hand shake.
Then he gives me the look… My first thought is he has gas, but nooooo. Turns out that both teams are named Tigers and the only way I can win is if they tie. Do you know the odds that that will happen? I’m more likely to die of an infected toe nail. He spent 2 hours to set me up. Son of a gun!
The climate of New Mexico is generally semi-arid to arid and is mostly covered by mountains, high plains and desert. New Mexico has the highest percentage of Hispanics in any state, and they range from descendants of Spanish colonists to recent immigrants from Latin America. It also has the second-highest percentage of Native Americans after Alaska. The tribes in the state consist of mostly Navajo and Pueblo peoples. As a result, the demographics and culture of the state are unique for their strong Hispanic and Native-American influences.
In these wide open spaces it takes hours to get from city to city. After 3 hours of driving, I decided to get off the highway for some tea and to stretch my legs. And when I got back on the Interstate, I accidentally took the frontage road. At the next intersection, I made the mistake again. After riding about 7 miles and 50 feet from the Interstate, Edge turns to me with a straight face and says, “You really can see more off the main drag.” I couldn’t stop laughing. After my 20 minute / 14 mile detour, we were once again ripping down the highway.
In the end, our trip was successful. We made friends, secured firm dates and municipality support for the 2014 Chile Pepper Rally, and experienced some of the most unique and dramatic land that our United States has to offer. Put September 12-13, 2014 on your calendar so you can do the same when you come out for the Chile Pepper Rally.
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