Mesilla Valley Tour (Fri., Sept. 28, 2018) – Tin Lizzies of Albuquerque

Tour activities, history, and points of interest by Paul and Marilyn Duncan; editing and photos by Mark Wing (unless otherwise noted)

Tour Day 3: Drive from Las Cruces to White Sands National Monument or White Sands Missile Range Museum

The tour on Friday was a drive from Las Cruces to White Sands National Monument, a round trip of 136 miles. Of the thirteen Model T’s that made the trek to Santa Teresa the previous day, this tour was composed of eight cars. Many tour participants had withdrawn due to personal reasons or lack of confidence that their cars could make the long and rigorous drive. This was especially true of the assent up San Agustin Pass which included a 6% grade to an elevation of 5,699′ at the summit. This, combined with warm temperatures in the mid-80s, made for a challenging tour.

Excerpt from the tour instructions:

“We will be driving from Las Cruces to White Sands National Monument via the Bataan Memorial Highway a one-way frontage road and US Hwy 70. The drive from the Hotel to the Monument is approximately 60 miles each way PLUS 16 more miles of driving within the Monument on the Dunes Drive. The total drive is nearly 140 miles round trip. A group picnic lunch (BYO) is planned at the Roadrunner Picnic Area within the Monument where there are tables, toilets & parking. We will allow time to explore the sand dunes and take photos. Daytime temperatures in the Monument are forecast to be 84 degrees with SSE 7 mph winds. Take plenty of water and sun protection. Also, if you are planning to drive to the Monument, every Model T driver will need to carry extra gas. The only gas available on the outskirts of Las Cruces. The Trouble truck will accompany the group driving to the Monument. A shorter Mini-Tour (58 miles) drive about half the distance and visit the White Sands Missile Range Museum and then return to Las Cruces on their own.”

Of the Model T’s on this tour, Vern and Pat Willan, and Jeff Richards and Linda Riel, both in 1926 Model T touring cars, decided to take the shorter tour to the White Sands Missile Range Museum.

History and Points of Interest:

We leave Las Cruces (elev. 4,039′) and then travel north and east along the route of US Hwy 70/Bataan Memorial E frontage road to White Sands and the Tularosa Basin. The drive climbs into the San Augustin Mountains (elev. 5,699′), through a pass and then dips down into the Tularosa Basin and the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). The main Tour will drive to White Sands National Monument (138 miles RT). An optional shorter (58 mile RT) Mini-Tour group may visit the WSMR Museum turning off of Hwy 70 after 25 miles and driving an additional 4 miles into the base security entrance.

The Tularosa Basin is a geologic formation that is 60 miles across from west-east and extends 150 miles north-south. The white sands in the Basin are gypsum crystals picked up by the prevailing winds and then deposited into dunes. The eastern side of the Tularosa Basin was initially settled by the Spanish but the Apaches controlled the area until the 1850s. At that time the U.S. established several military forts in the area including Camp Comfort (1858-1859) at White Sands. The first permanent settlement in the Basin was founded in 1862 when Hispanic farmers from the Rio Grande Valley moved to Tularosa. For many years, perennial grasslands in the Basin supported large herds of cattle (1890s-mid 1940s) but years of drought and overgrazing led to soil erosion and transition to a barren desert shrub land. During the cattle-days ranchers pumped groundwater from a fresh water aquifer underlying the Basin. However, fresh water was depleted over the years and the aquifer became contaminated by salts. By 2004 a national research center was established in Alamogordo to study new desalinization technologies.

San Agustin Pass

Part of the Friday tour included a steep climb up San Agustin Pass (max. 6% slope). Over half the cars on this day had Ruckstell Axles. Mark and Susan Wing’s car (non-Ruckstell) struggled up the hill but began making familiar squealing noises once it reached the top of the pass. Past experience indicated that this was a transmission triple gear bushing galling problem. Marilyn Duncan was graciously driving the trouble truck for this tour and the Wing’s 1924 coupe was loaded on the flat bed trailer. The coupe did see White Sands National Monument, if not under its own power! Once this day’s tour was over, and the car had cooled down and was on level ground, the noise went away the the coupe was driven the next day.