On Tue, Nov 23, 2021, I plan to start for a 1st self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) attempt of the 300mi/483km long Monumental Loop in southern New Mexico. An extended turkey trot, so to speak. Less turkey, more trot.
A 300mi extended turkey trot. Less turkey, more trot.
Ella Raff (7d 8h) and Peter Livingstone (5d 21h 19m) are the current supported FKT holders. A big thanks to Ella and Pete for sharing trail intel!
The route
Spearheaded by Matt Mason, with collaboration from Jack Kirby, Dan Carter, and other Las Cruces bikepackers, the 350 mile Monumental Loop route was first published in 2017 as a “full tour” of the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument. Watch an interview with the founders.
In March 2021, in an effort to increase rider accessibility, an updated bike loop, the Monumental Loop 2.0 (shown in yellow in the map below), was introduced. The new route is only 255 miles long, cuts out some sandy and rocky sections, but still visits all four units of the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument and passes by seven wilderness areas.
The original 355 mile route has been renamed “The DangerBird.” It remains an option for riders and runners.
The FKT runner route (shown in red in the map below), as established and completed by Ella Raff, Garth Reader, and Peter Livingstone, is a 300 mile variant of the original 350 mile bike route.
The map below shows all three routes. I will follow the 300 mile (red) runner route as Ella, Garth, and Peter did.
The three established Monumental Loop routes.
Dot watching
If you are sufficiently tired of turkey and/or your family, you can watch me trot in the desert in the embedded map below or at https://maps.findmespot.com/s/79B0. The planned start is sometime, somewhere on Tue, Nov 23, 2021.
Impressions
Resources
- Monumental Loop FKTs: https://fastestknowntime.com/route/monumental-loop-nm
- Monumental Loop page: http://monumentalloop.com
- Monumental Loop on Bikepacking.com: https://bikepacking.com/routes/monumental-loop
- Monumental Loop on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monumental_loop
- Monumental Loop on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monumentalloop