When mentioning “Black Mesa,” my guess is that most Burqueños think one is referring to a western, one perhaps starring “The Durango Kid.” But we have a Black Mesa round these parts, down yonder in the far, far South Valley where the Mesa rises along with I-25 and the land of Isleta Pueblo.

Our Sunday ride took us down to Black Mesa in the typical curly-cue fashion, through large lot neighborhoods near Coors Blvd. and along the Isleta Drain before hitting the sign above and making our way to the Albuquerque Riverside Drain at I-25 where we saw this fabulous artwork:

Curly-cue became dead straight as we lollygagged our way back north up the ditch road between Drain and Rio Grande. Here’s the route map.

Along the way there was also some riding on another drain and a ditch or two. Down here, they tend to be the way to go, particularly north/south over Isleta or Coors Blvd. Lots of views like this:

Not many folks ride bicycles down here in the far, far South Valley, yet while there is the occasional and occasionally more than occasional dog, it’s most definitely some of the nicest (and flatest) cycling anywhere. Check it out sometime when you wanna get away and still be only a few miles away.