tcmedara
November 6th 03, 02:59 AM
What I did on my Moab vacation.
I have a brother who lives in Moab, so it made great sense to take advantage
of free lodging and local knowledge for a spur of the moment mountain bike
vacation. I'm still somewhat amazed my wife agreed to the idea. I must
admit to some guilt at the fact that I had five days of glorious bike riding
in Utah while my wife was at home on the east coast with two kids. The fact
that I was meeting up with old friends from Washington State and Colorado
softened here up a bit.
Day One: On the advice of one of our AMB denizens and my own big bro, we
decided to check out Bartlett Wash. This turned out to be my favorite
location in Moab. It's a giant slickrock mound covered with bowls, ledges,
ramps, and just a tiny bit of sand. Freeform possibilities are endless. We
parked just off the highway and rode the 5 miles or so into the wash before
climbing the mound. The road in is pretty boring, but okay if you want to
add some miles. I would recommend driving into the Bartlett Wash campground
and starting from there, though you'll likely need a high clearance vehicle.
Bottom line: Bartlett Wash is everything slickrock is supposed to be. We
finished the day with a quick run around the practice loop of the Slickrock
trail just before the sun set in prep for the next day.
Day Two: The world-famous Slickrock trail. Details abound elsewhere, so I
won't belabor this ride. I will say that it was much more physical than I
imagined. The short, steep climbs required repeated bursts of max effort
again and again. I was pretty beat by the time we finished. You can take
the sting out by getting off the bike now and then if you're so inclined,
but that was too much like giving up for me. This is a must do ride, but
having done it, I can't say as I'm dying to do it again. It got old after
the first few miles. We finished off the day with a sightseeing ride out to
Klondike Bluffs. Mostly gravel road, some level, rocky 4wd track, and a bit
of slickrock. Pretty casual all around. Make sure you stop and see the
dinosaur tracks - that's the main attraction of the ride.
Day Three: Opted for an easy day by doing a shuttle supported ride to
Gemini Bridges. We had two vehicles so shuttle ops was easy. Nice start
as the first 5 miles are all downhill. Trail starts on a wide gravel road
that lets you get up to speed pretty easily. I was over 30 mph on a few
occasions. The spur down to the bridges was a little more challenging in
that it consisted of some stair-step ledges which made you watch what you
were doing and work the bike a little. Bridges were cool, well worth the
ride. We made a snap decision to add another 8 miles and trek around to the
bottom of the bridges by way of Bull Canyon. A bit of a sand slog going up
the canyon, but the view from the bottom was cool, particularly after being
at the top only an hour prior. A family was there having a picnic and
managed to talk us into eating a few of their burgers. Beat the hell out of
the Cliff bar I was planning on for lunch. We climbed our way back up from
the canyon floor and back to the parking lot without much drama. Overall,
this was a fun day of exploring and sightseeing. The distance and climb at
the end ensured we didn't take it completely easy for the day.
Day Four: Short day as one of our group had to leave by noon. Went back to
Bartlett Wash for a few hours of play time. This was even more fun than the
first time.
Day Five: The ride of the week. Spirit crushing climb combined with the
most spectacular view I've ever seen. All uphill on the way out -- 2000 ft
over four miles of rock and ledge - but all downhill back home. Wow!!
Location withheld by request.
Observations:
- October in Moab is supposed to be a zoo, but we managed to avoid the
masses. Mid week we hardly saw a soul. Plan right and it works out fine.
- Lots of gravel road and 4wd track. If its not that its rock or sand. If
you yearn for singletrack, go elsewhere.
- Took my bro and his wife to the Desert Bistro for their anniversary. Good
chow, but be ready to drop some coin.
- Shipped my bike out via FEDEX Ground and home via UPS. $40 and $48
dollars respectively. Got a box from my LBS and used it both ways. Cheaper
than renting a bike, plus I had my own ride. I'd definitely do this again.
- Your bike will take a beating. Lots of rock. I destroyed a chain and
needed BB and headset adjustment after 3 days. Two thumbs up for Chili
Pepper Bike shop. No BS, and they had my in and out in 2.5 hours and under
$50 (parts and labor). I normally do my own wrench work, but had no qualms
paying these guys for the job they did.
- Lee Bridger's book and the Latitude 40 maps are great resources for Moab
newbies. We wore them all out in only 5 days.
- If you're looking for a some non-bike activity in Moab, check out
http://www.moabdesertadventures.com/
Regards,
Tom
I have a brother who lives in Moab, so it made great sense to take advantage
of free lodging and local knowledge for a spur of the moment mountain bike
vacation. I'm still somewhat amazed my wife agreed to the idea. I must
admit to some guilt at the fact that I had five days of glorious bike riding
in Utah while my wife was at home on the east coast with two kids. The fact
that I was meeting up with old friends from Washington State and Colorado
softened here up a bit.
Day One: On the advice of one of our AMB denizens and my own big bro, we
decided to check out Bartlett Wash. This turned out to be my favorite
location in Moab. It's a giant slickrock mound covered with bowls, ledges,
ramps, and just a tiny bit of sand. Freeform possibilities are endless. We
parked just off the highway and rode the 5 miles or so into the wash before
climbing the mound. The road in is pretty boring, but okay if you want to
add some miles. I would recommend driving into the Bartlett Wash campground
and starting from there, though you'll likely need a high clearance vehicle.
Bottom line: Bartlett Wash is everything slickrock is supposed to be. We
finished the day with a quick run around the practice loop of the Slickrock
trail just before the sun set in prep for the next day.
Day Two: The world-famous Slickrock trail. Details abound elsewhere, so I
won't belabor this ride. I will say that it was much more physical than I
imagined. The short, steep climbs required repeated bursts of max effort
again and again. I was pretty beat by the time we finished. You can take
the sting out by getting off the bike now and then if you're so inclined,
but that was too much like giving up for me. This is a must do ride, but
having done it, I can't say as I'm dying to do it again. It got old after
the first few miles. We finished off the day with a sightseeing ride out to
Klondike Bluffs. Mostly gravel road, some level, rocky 4wd track, and a bit
of slickrock. Pretty casual all around. Make sure you stop and see the
dinosaur tracks - that's the main attraction of the ride.
Day Three: Opted for an easy day by doing a shuttle supported ride to
Gemini Bridges. We had two vehicles so shuttle ops was easy. Nice start
as the first 5 miles are all downhill. Trail starts on a wide gravel road
that lets you get up to speed pretty easily. I was over 30 mph on a few
occasions. The spur down to the bridges was a little more challenging in
that it consisted of some stair-step ledges which made you watch what you
were doing and work the bike a little. Bridges were cool, well worth the
ride. We made a snap decision to add another 8 miles and trek around to the
bottom of the bridges by way of Bull Canyon. A bit of a sand slog going up
the canyon, but the view from the bottom was cool, particularly after being
at the top only an hour prior. A family was there having a picnic and
managed to talk us into eating a few of their burgers. Beat the hell out of
the Cliff bar I was planning on for lunch. We climbed our way back up from
the canyon floor and back to the parking lot without much drama. Overall,
this was a fun day of exploring and sightseeing. The distance and climb at
the end ensured we didn't take it completely easy for the day.
Day Four: Short day as one of our group had to leave by noon. Went back to
Bartlett Wash for a few hours of play time. This was even more fun than the
first time.
Day Five: The ride of the week. Spirit crushing climb combined with the
most spectacular view I've ever seen. All uphill on the way out -- 2000 ft
over four miles of rock and ledge - but all downhill back home. Wow!!
Location withheld by request.
Observations:
- October in Moab is supposed to be a zoo, but we managed to avoid the
masses. Mid week we hardly saw a soul. Plan right and it works out fine.
- Lots of gravel road and 4wd track. If its not that its rock or sand. If
you yearn for singletrack, go elsewhere.
- Took my bro and his wife to the Desert Bistro for their anniversary. Good
chow, but be ready to drop some coin.
- Shipped my bike out via FEDEX Ground and home via UPS. $40 and $48
dollars respectively. Got a box from my LBS and used it both ways. Cheaper
than renting a bike, plus I had my own ride. I'd definitely do this again.
- Your bike will take a beating. Lots of rock. I destroyed a chain and
needed BB and headset adjustment after 3 days. Two thumbs up for Chili
Pepper Bike shop. No BS, and they had my in and out in 2.5 hours and under
$50 (parts and labor). I normally do my own wrench work, but had no qualms
paying these guys for the job they did.
- Lee Bridger's book and the Latitude 40 maps are great resources for Moab
newbies. We wore them all out in only 5 days.
- If you're looking for a some non-bike activity in Moab, check out
http://www.moabdesertadventures.com/
Regards,
Tom