Adventure Media

By Texas Tech University

April 4^th, 2023

Day 1: White Gap Pass, 20.81 miles

We spent months preparing and learning how to overcome the various doubts that presented themselves along the way. Questioning physical aptitude, mental strength, and the grit of riding long hours on two wheels, we wondered for this week — a week of making a temporary home, pitching tents and mediating a life ‘remote’ – would we be able to handle it?

It was time.

Before we knew it, we were in the heart of New Mexico, stuffing saddlebags with sleeping bags, filling our lunchboxes full of sweet treats, and preparing for the week to be.

There was some level of hesitation and uncertainty in our spirits before the transition to confidence and comfort came. The practicalities of normal life — water, food and shelter — were the biggest concerns. The physical task of hiking our bikes up the notorious White Gap Pass of the Monumental Loop lived in the forefront of our minds on day one. “Are we there yet?” In fear of the terrain, we remained until we stood in reverence at its array.

The rich light brought warmth to our weary souls, initially dreading the humility of paused pedaling and hiking instead. Yet, with the outpour of kind words, fist bumps and encouraging sentiments, we did it. We made it up White Gap, sometimes with creased foreheads and other times with big grins.

Now, it was time to descend.

Day 2: Down from the Pass, 28.26 miles

After walking down the other side, under pink and periwinkle skies, we made it to camp. Darkness came over, as did sleep. We were cozy and cocooned.

Then came morning.

Between visiting petroglyph sites and filtering water from cattle tanks, we were doing much of one thing still — learning. Enriched in an education that expanded beyond four walls, we were immersed in something truly hands-on.

Through the desert scape of ocotillo and yucca plants, rubber hit the road. It was not merely pavement; it was sand, rocks, gravel and all that one could imagine — a test of endurance for ourselves and our tire tread.

Day 3: The day of burritos, 31.98 miles

Las Cruces, New Mexico, was on the horizon, with a day of brief climbs and sand standing between us and town. Yet, the fear of a flat tire became reality, as sealant starting spewing from one team member’s tread. What was projected to be a quick 15 or so miles into civility turned into a tiresome day of waiting — waiting for what had kept our spirits high from the start of the day: burritos.

Eventually, we made it. Our stomachs growling, our hopes high. We devoured burritos bigger than our heads and sat around content. Then came round two, an order to-go. We would surely rejoice in not having to prepare a freeze-dried meal after riding into camp around dusk. Long days call for quick eats.

We topped off our waters at a local gas station, in preparation for the next day without sources. And so, the anxieties began to well once again. As for that tire, it was converted to tubeless with makeshift items found in the convenience store line. Some worries lessened while others arose.

Lethargic and tired, the latter half of the day was somewhat of a struggle. Yet, we powered through, setting up camp amid the ocotillos, munching on burritos and reflecting on the day. From afar, a circle of headlamps could be seen while the music of laughter played. This class was turning strangers into friends.

Day 4: Organ Mountains, 16.84 miles

The sun put on a show, peaking above the Organ Mountains and casting warm tones on the ground below. Subtle smiles came of the tents, unzipping the flaps and letting the light in. Sleeping off our burritos from the night prior, we were prepared for the single track and long hours.

Through the cycle of ascent and descent, we journeyed. While some biked, others hiked – embracing comfort while simultaneously accepting discomfort.

Rocks surely differ from that of a paved road. One minor hiccup and you might end up on the ground or with your hair stuck in a thorny ocotillo. We embraced these inconveniences, an intricacy to the greater story unfolding.

Up, down and around we voyaged — stopping at a cave to learn more that day — before gaining momentum into camp. Swoops, straights and our hair flying in the wind, it was a cinematic moment to be in.

Picture it; the sun setting off in the distance while the clouds illuminate gold. And, out of the East, a partial rainbow of iridescent hues.

It was bittersweet and full of emotion, thinking of one day left to ride. We gathered in our routine circle to reflect, sharing our “happies and crappies.” Surreal did it feel, reminiscing the days prior. We were almost 100 miles in — making it, doing this ‘thing.’

To end the day and start 45 miles the next day, rain. A pitter, a patter, some things got soaked.

Yet, our spirits were far from drowning.

Day 5: Dealing with the rain, 48.74 miles

Sometimes it rains. It is melancholic, somber, and at times — dreaded like a 45-mile bike ride. Though we were ready to meet our milage, the day felt like a storm. There were moments of sunlight and joy and moments of grey, struggle galore.

We packed up, hit a brief stretch of road and ‘parked it’ at a truck stop to air out our gear and fuel our bodies with too many carbs.

Looking in the mirror for the first time in a long while felt foreign. There was a freckle more in the mix, or perhaps it was just dirt.

Following was 15 miles across the state line. Strong pedaling, powering through our deep sighs for the greater reward: more burritos. Vinton, Texas, was a dwelling of sorts— a place to rest, a place to be.

Then came the uphill climb into a headwind, entering the cool blue front. We huffed and puffed. Climbing, surviving — a cycle that felt like eternity — especially after we were full.

We pushed on.

Sprinkles greeted our faces as only a handful of miles were left in the day. We stopped for portraits, a nostalgic trip down memory lane, thinking back to our weary day one photos.

The homestretch was at hand.

Distant storm clouds were rolling in while the rich light kissed our salty skin. Rainbows popped up here and there, like banners reading “Welcome Home.”

It was a reward for the past week spent in the saddle, pedaling and learning what it truly meant to ‘let go and be present with the ground below.’

Texas Tech’s Adventure Media class “offers students practical, creative, and strategic insight and experience in assessing and producing media associated with outdoor adventure,” according to the course syllabus, and provides students with the opportunity to work in the field alongside industry professionals. Adventure Media has been co-taught by College of Media and Communications professors Jerod Foster and Justin Keene since 2017. The 250-mile Monumental Loop was created by Matt Mason for cyclists and runners to traverse the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument in southern New Mexico. During the spring break of 2023 one hundred and forty miles of it served as a classroom for thirteen Texas Tech students as they bikepacked across the Chihuahuan Desert.