The forested mountains and wide-open spaces of southeastern New Mexico will be the setting for riders in New Mexico State University’s fifth and final annual Ride for the 4-H Clover motorcycle tour Aug. 25-27.
Participants will experience the past, present and future of the area during the ride, ranging from the Wild West history of Lincoln, where Billy the Kid once roamed, to the high-tech astronomical observations currently taking place at Sunspot, known internationally for its work viewing the sun, stars and planets. The ride also will be a chance to learn about programs in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and an opportunity to support the New Mexico 4-H Program.
The Cooperative Extension Service is the non-formal, educational component of NMSU.
“We believe the Cooperative Extension Service serves as the ‘front door’ to NMSU through our presence in all 33 counties,” said Jon Boren, director of NMSU’s Cooperative Extension Service. “Our mission is to provide the citizens of New Mexico with practical, research-based knowledge and programs that improve their quality of life. Through our 4-H programs, over 60,000 New Mexico youth gain knowledge and skills in the areas of science, citizenship and healthy living.
“This is a chance for people to have some fun and learn about the ways we serve New Mexicans, all at the same time. We are excited to share information with participants about all the ways we make a difference in the lives of New Mexicans.”
Ride for the 4-H Clover is an awareness-building campaign first envisioned by NMSU Board of Regents Vice Chair Mike Cheney as a way for people to learn about the many opportunities New Mexico’s youth can experience through the Cooperative Extension Service 4-H program. Cheney and NMSU Chancellor Garrey Carruthers, invite motorcycle riders and non-riders alike to participate in the ride.
On Aug. 25, riders and other participants will get together for an evening reception from 6-7:30 p.m. at MCM Elegante Lodge & Suites, 107 Sierra Blanca Drive in Ruidoso. On Aug. 26, the group will have an opening ceremony from 7-7:30 a.m., also at MCM Elegante Lodge & Suites.
The group will depart Ruidoso on U.S. 70, bound for Roswell. They’ll arrive at Champion Harley-Davidson, 2801 W. Second St., Roswell, for a break and program at 9 a.m.
Next, they’ll head south on U.S. 285 and N.M. 13, climbing out of the desert and entering the Lincoln National Forest. They’ll arrive at Mayhill for a short break, then continue on to Cloudcroft for a lunch stop at the Village of Cloudcroft Pavilion at 1 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., the riders will leave the village and head south on scenic N.M. 6563 to Sunspot, where they will have a program at 3 p.m. The final leg of the journey Saturday will begin at 4 p.m. when riders will retrace their ride on N.M. 6563 back to Cloudcroft, then on to N.M. 244, through the spectacular Ponderosa pine country of the Mescalero Apache Reservation.
They’ll arrive back at the MCM Elegante Lodge & Suites at 5:30 p.m. and will reconvene for a dinner and program at Cree Meadows Country Club, 301 Country Club Drive in Ruidoso.
Events Aug. 27 will begin with a church service at MCM Elegante Lodge & Suites from 8-8:45 a.m. Riders will depart for Lincoln at 9 a.m., driving east on U.S. 70 to Hondo, where they’ll turn west onto U.S. 380, arriving in Lincoln at 10 a.m. for tours of the historic sites and the official conclusion of the ride.
All proceeds benefit Cooperative Extension Service 4-H youth programs. Registration fee of $75 includes reception on Friday evening, lunch in Cloudcroft, dinner in Ruidoso, activities along the way, a “Ride for the 4-H Clover” commemorative pin, a long-sleeved commemorative T-shirt and access to reduced rates at the host hotel.
Hotel arrangements in Ruidoso can be viewed at www.ridefortheclover.nmsu.edu.
For more information or to register for the ride, visit www.ridefortheclover.nmsu.edu or call 575-646-3015.
Information from NMSU