Vermejo Charcoal Burner

I headed down to New Mexico with teammate Matt Wright for my first gravel race of 2025. The race was just over the border, and a few miles west of Raton, on a private ranch called Vermejo. The property is one of the reserves owned by Ted Turner and is a working ranch and outdoor getaway vacation spot for adventure seekers.

Unfortunately, it snowed a lot earlier in the week in this part of the country. The result was that things got really muddy, and then torn up by cattle, trucks, ATVs and whatever else made its way through the course. It dried out just in time, but it made the race really rough and rutted out the entire way. I also lost count how many times I had to cross a small stream during the race, I think there were around 5 - 7, but they were shallow enough to be able to ride through.

I ended up taking second overall to a teenage phenom, but won the overall Masters category. The course was so rough that I ended up with some blisters on my hands from the non-stop pounding. Overall it was a great event and fun. I will definitely do it again if the conditions are better, since it's a small race and a good one to start off the season.