Many years ago a friend and kindred spirit in the admiration of all things BMW had acquired a non-USA certified version of a 1977 BMW 320i. It was actually a 320 (the “i” which was missing from the model identification designated fuel injection, which this car did not have. Instead, it had a hot Weber carburetor setup.)
The car also did not have many emission controls, safety barriers in doors and other weight inducing safety and compliance additions, which made it very lightweight, very fast and nimble on curves.
My friend announced that he was going to “test the limits of adhesion” with that car on the twisty and challenging Emory Pass road on New Mexico highway 152 between Hillsborough and San Lorenzo through the southern tip of the Black Range.
My friend and the car (which was imported illegally from South America to Austin, TX,) survived what I’m sure was a thrilling and harrowing drive along the route, complete with multiple hairpin turns, switchbacks, blind corners and occasional wildlife suddenly wandering across the road.
(Ironically, I ended up owning that car which my daughter drove all through high school and college. It served us well until the engine threw a rod going over “The Grapevine” or Tejon Pass on Interstate 5 north of Los Angeles on a return trip to Las Cruces right after she graduated from college. But that’s another story for another time.)
Anyway, my post today is not about cars but about that section of road in southwestern New Mexico which is worth a drive.
I had not been on the road since my children were very young. My wife and I (and faithful dog Chester) decided to take a trip along NM 152 this weekend, traveling slowly in our pickup truck to appreciate all the sights rather than zipping along the highway in a BMW to “test the limits of adhesion.” We discovered that many of the forests along the route had been scorched by multiple wildfires, but there are still many stands of trees still there and other vegetation is making a strong comeback.
Emory Pass tops out at almost 8,200 feet, with pine, fir and spruce trees covering the steep canyons where past fires have not burned. Spectacular rock formations appear all along the route and there is a great view from the top of the pass to the east to the Rio Grande Valley and the west to more Gila wilderness.
As I mentioned, multiple wildfires have wiped out sections of forest in recent years, the worst of which was the 2013 “Silver Fire” which affected much of the southern tip of the Black Range.
Whether you choose to zip through the Black Range in a fast car or chose a more leisurely drive in a lumbering pickup, the drive along New Mexico 152 is well worth it. Our drive took a little over four hours. You can picnic at several campsite along the route, or stop for lunch at the Hillsboro General Store Cafe (one of our long-time favorites), either way the drive is worth the time.
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