Preface: I spent 9 incredible days of riding in back-to-back exotic (for me) locations famous for their mountain bike trails. I’ll lay them out in the manner that makes sense to me with liberal bragging thrown in for good measure. Week 1 was in Copper Harbor, Michigan for a work retreat that included daily riding. For week 2 I got on a plane to meet up with old friends on a desert adventure we’d been planning for 6 months. I posted about the first part of week 2 here.

This is the final installment of my ride report from a lucky 9 days of glorious mountain bike travel. My ride report from week #1 and the first day of week #2 are linked above. As I mentioned in the Slickrock ride report, we hit the sandstone with optimism, hoping we would get to ride some terrain very different from what we were expecting on the White Rim. Then we’d spend a night by the campfire just outside of downtown Moab and hopefully be reunited with our missing luggage (containing my badass new titanium spork) and do the trail in three days instead of four. So with some rocky miles under our chamois we regrouped and drove to the airport.

Huzzah! Our bags were there! The above picture in no way represents the Canyonlands Field terminal (think high desert lodge with two TSA screeners, a vending machine and a few Kokopelli-inspired objects d’art). In any case, my wife and I did a little dance of joy, thanked the airline employee and jumped in the truck on our way to the rally point. We met the rest of our patient and flexible crew and saddled up. Sunscreen, tire pressure, plenty of water, and ride food and we were ready. We hit the gravel for the first leg of day one, a long, fast roll from the parking lot at 313 to the switchbacks that would drop us into Mineral Bottom.

That first leg was a great way to get started, especially since we needed to make up some time. The eight of us roared down the mostly flat, smooth gravel road at a good clip. We were surprised to realize our first 10 miles ended so quickly at the top of the switchbacks that descend into Mineral Bottom. It took a little less than an hour to verify all the bike adjustments and that pack straps were tight. Our legs were warmed up and we entered the mindset of riding out the next 90 miles of this incredible trail in this alien landscape.

Our first steep descent went down without drama, unless you count the spectacular views as dramatic. They were! It was at this point that I realized the true extremes of altitude, terrain, trail conditions, and nature itself. We almost didn’t get to ride the trail due to a severe flood that washed out these very switchbacks a couple of weeks earlier. But all got repaired and we all made it down, including our intrepid support crew of Annie and Kirsten. They were driving the rented pickup that carried everything we would need to survive and be comfortable on our three day trek. Since there’s no potable water sources we had to bring all of our drinking, cooking, and bathing water. I’m damn glad we had plenty, since the combination of red dust, sunscreen and sweat are really nice to wash off at the end of each day’s ride.

Jake was 1st on every climb

10 million Singletracks points to whoever can identify the MTB legend I stole this pose from

At the foot of Mineral Bottom we cruised along the Green River on a trail that showed evidence of the recent heavy rains. Almost all of the mud was dried, but the momentum-sapping sand pits were everywhere. Soft, fine red sand that made me want a Surly Pugsley or one of these concept bikes. There ended up being a good deal of hiking in the last leg before we hit our campsite on the first day. No matter; we were in good spirits, good shape and we had two more days of gorgeous mountain biking terrain to enjoy. Plus there was cold beer in the bed of the truck…

Day 2 started out with delicious bagels, cream cheese and smoked salmon. We didn’t skimp on any of the details on this trip; Jim put as much thought and effort into the meal planning as any other aspect of the trip. Sufficiently fueled, we set out on a cool morning for the next segment from the level of the Green River up to the crest at Murphy’s Hogback. The riding was rocky but we were having a great time. I believe somewhere in this section we fixed one flat, our first mechanical. After some heroic climbing on everyone’s part we stopped for lunch.

Chris shows fine climbing form and his disdain for long sleeves.

Jim Sr. showed us how much ass a man over 60 can kick.

Jake, Norm, and Al at the top of a damn satisfying climb.

At Murphy’s Hogback we met two brothers who were doing the entire 100 miles in one day. They were making great time and I was really impressed by their casual description of starting out at sunrise and admission that neither of them had done the White Rim before. We wished them luck as they rode off and we set up our lunch station on the truck’s tailgate. A couple sandwiches later we reapplied sunscreen, filled our water, and got geared up to set off for the second leg of our ~40 mile day. Before we could set off we had a little fun. Jake let the air out of Chris’s front tire during our break and when he saw it was flat we told him of a “pro secret” to fixing flats: without taking the tire off the rim one should smear a paste of Gold Bond powder and water around the junction of the tire and the rim. Not sure if we were on the level, Chris got to work.

Photo credit: Al Howard

“How can this work?” was the thing Chris said that made it the hardest to keep a straight face. Nevertheless we got out the pump and would you believe it held air! We would let him believe in this powdery wizard magic for the rest of the trip.

The descent down Murphy’s Hogback was the gnarliest of the trip. Huge rocks, sharp turns and the whole time gravity wants you bad. Well, gravity got me in a spectacular manner. I was in the lead and went full boogie. The loose, rocky trail took a turn to the right but the bike and I stayed straight. Knowing it was wrong but with no other option I grabbed both brakes, lost the front end and when ass over teakettle into a Very Big Rock. I smacked it with authority leading with my face, and the speed of my get-off carried the rest of me across the top of this chunk of pain. Wadded up a few feet below the edge of the trail in a cloud of dust I sat down, took inventory of my assets and liabilities and waited for the rest of the group. Cut across bridge of nose, ear full of dirt, scratched down my neck and all across my chest. To complete the set I had a cut on my forearm and knee. Nothing serious enough to stop the ride but all together it was sufficient cause for a 10 minute clean and first aid stop.

Our two kickass support drivers with food, water, gear and medical supplies.

Patched up and back on the trail we rode on. My new goal was to get to the end of our day 2 ride to wash away the five pounds of desert dirt I accumulated during my gravity check. The ride was tough but we were rewarded with a fast final few miles with tons of whoops to jump. We arrived at the campsite pumped from a great day of riding and looking forward to beer and dinner. Tonight was pasta primavera, and we could all use the fuel. Plus this guy greeted us upon our arrival:

As day 3 dawned and we broke camp, Jim gave us the rundown of what to expect: a little more flatland riding before the final climb. It was going to be a big one. Getting to the top of Schafer Trail would be the cherry on top of the adventure, but to get there we had a morning of beautiful views and lunch at Musselman Arch.

My lovely wife and I made very small by the immense beauty of Canyonlands.

So after lunch it quickly became all about UP. Not before one last mechanical, but at least it was one we were ready for. A broken chain only took a few minutes to fix; thankfully we had a ten speed power link at the ready. I must have taken my own advice about trail-side repairs. Once we were back in motion we took on this:

Yes, we’re going to the top of that.

Without going into the gory details it was steep. And hot. I pushed my bike a bit, and I’m not ashamed to admit that. We had a few in our group who rode the whole thing, which to me is a true feat of athleticism. Emily crushed it, our female destroyer and the only rider on a hardtail 29er. She was consistently one of the first three people to the top of anything the entire ride. Everyone finished it without too much drama, and the payoff was worth every ounce of sweat.

Oh that? No Big Deal.

We came from waaaay down there.

So 100 miles later, countless photos taken, days of fun spent with great friends old and new, salty with dried sweat, dusty, tired, and with the satisfaction of a gnarly challenge taken on and completed, we rolled the last few miles to the parking lot. My awesome wife Kirsten handed out Swedish Fish as we crossed into the lot and they tasted so good! We loaded up the gear and drove back into town to return the rentals, devour lunch and get cleaned up. A great time was had by all and no matter what was thrown at us we kept rolling…

…and rolling, and rolling…

Photo credit Jim Howard

For most of the country the first week of October is usually knee deep into fall and everyone’s MTB season is slowly switching gears. If you’re in Anchorage, fall has all but landed on the ground and old man winter is charging down that newly cut singletrack like an angry Grizzly. “Outerbike in Moab? Sign me up! By the way, what’s an outer bike?”

Now in its second year, Outerbike is an annual event that brings dozens of bike manufacturers to Moab to let regular riders demo the latest bikes. For one price anyone can get admission to the 3-day event and the opportunity to ride any bike they choose on a network of trails ranging from novice to highly advanced and everything in between. Of course you also get the chance to talk with bike and component manufacturers and get your hands on a bunch of cool new stuff.  For those who got in town early, there was the option to choose from several scheduled shuttle rides with Western Spirit Cycle Adventures on trails around the Moab area for the 3 days leading up to the event. Free skills clinics were also held during the week in a park located at the brand new Aquatic/Rec Center in Moab – all you had to do was sign up & show up.

I can’t think of a better location for this event. The Moab Brand trails area has adequate space and parking for the event plus it’s right at the edge of a full range of trails. The paved bikeway from town through the Moab Canyon runs right past the front gate creating not only hotel commuting options but also a place to test ride the road and urban bikes that were available for demo. The event itself was very well organized and is a benefit for IMBA among other MTB-related organizations. The event staff were ever present, friendly, very helpful and seemed to pull this off without a visible hitch. I estimate there were 20 different bike companies there with a huge selection of bikes to choose from. Getting the exact bike you wanted to ride could require a bit of a wait, however the chance to try something you had never seen before was always there. Along with major bike companies there were booths from several component companies like Fox and Shimano.

Continental Tires kicked off the event Thursday night with a showing of Klunkerz at the Star Hall in Moab. This is a must see movie for anyone even slightly interested in how we got where we are today – good stuff. Each day there was a different free shuttle destination from the event; on Friday it was the Mag Seven trails. On Saturday there was a shuttle to Amasa Back and on Sunday the shuttle dropped riders at Slickrock Trail. Check out a bike you want, and get on the shuttle – as many times as you want. Yeti Bikes had the largest selection of demos and was probably the busiest booth there. Want to ride an $8,000 Ibis? Or an Orbea? No problem, getting there early will help. Turner, Elsworth, Kona, Niner, Pivot, Giant, Intense and many others were there too. Spot had a selection of their belt drive hardtails that were very popular.

My friends from Alaska even showed up with the Fatback bikes just to kind of introduce them to the folks here. They brought four bikes since the bikes aren’t really ideal for this type of terrain however they couldn’t seem to keep them on the rack – everyone wanted to try them. Pete even threw in his personal bike as a demo so they could have one more in the rotation – go figure.

Lunch was served for several hours each day so no one missed it and consisted of fresh, locally baked breads and a full selection of cold cuts plus pasta salads, drinks, etc. After a few hours of hard riding the DIY Dagwood sandwich is pretty awesome! The steady stream of riders and bikes coming and going was almost dizzying and kept that constant buzz of excitement heavy in the air. Saturday was actually overcast and unseasonably cold for Moab but that didn’t seem to slow anyone down – the down coats and ski hats came out and everyone kept right on riding.

I noticed at around 4:30 everyday the crowd thinned out dramatically – then I realized this is when the Beer Garden opened for those who wanted to partake. For myself it gave me a chance to talk with the manufacturers and others about their products in a more relaxed manner. I met Maurice Tierney, the original mastermind behind Dirt Rag Magazine. We talked for a bit, swapped stories and that led to an invite to a semi-private party at Poison Spider Bikes including some awesome tacos and several locally brewed beers. It was great having dinner and conversations with some of the industry’s movers and shakers and finding that no matter where you are from and what you do, we all just love to ride.

Not having been there last year I didn’t have anything to compare this event to but this year there were over 850 registered riders. According to the locals Outerbike was at least 3 times bigger this year than last. Nice. With any luck next year will be even bigger, and I really hope they don’t change a thing.

*Disclaimer: I’m not really in the market for a new bike so I wasn’t shopping very hard. Nor am I very qualified in giving the high tech reviews on bikes as some of you are. I did, however, love getting to see the newest frames outfitted with components I have only read about. Outerbike is about the bike, but really, there’s so much more to it. I finally used a 2×10 drivetrain and can see some of the advantages. I also used a 3×10, several new forks, shifters etc. that were all incredible. After my first ride on a bike with new brakes I was compelled to drop my personal bike at Chili Pepper Bikes for a bleed and tune up.

I was disappointed in one bike that I was really anxious to ride but then completely surprised by one that I rode ‘just because.’ That’s the whole purpose here I guess. Of all the bikes I rode the Santa Cruz Blur TRc stands out as light and just a whole lot of fun to ride. I have to say that the Pivot Mach 5.7 is the most amazing trail bike I have ever ridden – this will be the one the industry chases, within this category anyway. It ate up everything I could possibly throw it at and seemed to taunt me asking for more – ‘is that all you got old man?’ I’m very impressed.

Bottom line is this was one cool event and a real bonus if you’re in the market for a 2012 bike. I can only see the popularity of this growing over the years – I know I will be here just to soak up the excitement if nothing else!

Here is part two of my mountain bike immersion experience from last month. As I posted previously  I spent a week in Copper Harbor Michigan for a work retreat and riding extravaganza. Before I left for that trip I had to pack up all my gear for a trip to Utah, since I was scheduled to drive 7 hours from Copper Harbor to Madison, get a shower and a (short) night of sleep, then catch a plane to Moab with my wife in the morning. We had been preparing for this trip since our good friend and my #1 riding buddy Jim got the camping permits for the White Rim Trail in March. So that made it all the more challenging when we landed in Moab without our checked bags. We each had our carry-ons, but no tent, sleeping bags, camp clothes, mess kits, toiletries, etc. I was lucky enough to have packed my helmet, shoes and riding kit in the bag I did have. We met up with the rest or our group and got to improvising.

Our original plan was to ride the White Rim Trail in four days. Once we landed in Utah the gang would pick us up at the airport, we’d load our gear into the rented pickup that would be our support vehicle and hit the trail. Since the trail was a 100 mile loop, once we started there was no backtracking. Therefore, it was not an option to start the ride and then go back to the airport the following day (when the next flight would come in with our bags). So a compromise had to be struck. We would camp that night near town right above the Slickrock Bike Trail. We’d have the opportunity to ride there that day and the following morning, then (hopefully) pick up our gear at the airport and hit the trailhead on the second afternoon, turning a four day trip into a three day rip. Win win right? It’s more riding, and now we had a chance to ride Slickrock, which has completely different terrain compared to the White Rim. So I’ll break the reports apart; White Rim ride report coming soon.

Slickrock is like the moon, at least to this east coast guy. Not many trees, just scrubby little bushes, sand and rocks. Big rocks. Huge, steep rocks that are like riding on sandpaper. The climbs and descents are not long but they are so steep there are times when you simply can’t believe physics will allow you to ride up/down/across the terrain. Slickrock Trail has a short practice loop in addition to the main route. On our rented Fuel EX 8s and GF Superfly 100 ALs, (thanks, Poison Spider) eight of us hit the practice course. Just follow a spray-painted white line out onto the rocks. And up the rocks. And down the rocks. And across off-camber sections of rock with nothing below you but a short, cruel lesson in gravity. I confess to getting a mouthful of sand when I “misunderestimated” the force with which I would hit the ground at the bottom of one tricky section.

These guys: no sand eating

After the practice loop the number interested in trying the main loop was smaller. I understand the sentiment; we had four days of riding ahead of us and there was no need to go all-in on the first afternoon. The rest of us followed the white arrow into the unknown. It was unlike any riding I’ve ever done. You simply cannot run out of grip. The surface of the sandstone is gritty and mostly free from debris, which is good for riding across but bad for falling upon. Avoid it if you can. The angles that you can attack are amazing due to the grippy nature of the rock. Drop down into the granny ring if you must but if you can keep spinning you’ll get to the top. Getting back down is another story. This trail proves the point that it is usually safer and more controllable to descend with a bit of speed; go down too slow or grab too much brake and you’re in for trouble. Just make sure your fork is up to the task when you get to the bottom of your drop and use a little finesse, otherwise you may become intimate with the earth in a bad way.

Constant happy for 10 days straight

Surprisingly after I became adjusted to the unique feel of the rock and the different techniques needed to traverse this strange land the riding became much easier. We came back to the trail the following morning after breaking camp and before attempting to reclaim our delayed luggage. The second time around the Slickrock was as gentle as could be, if you knew where to roll. We finished Part One of Moab mashing with no injuries or mechanicals. And we had a great time and built up a powerful thirst for getting onto the White Rim and starting our 3 day, 100 mile loop through this starkly beautiful desert playground. Part Two coming soon…

Photo courtesy Granny Gear Productions, Inc.

Last fall I rode 24 Hours of Moab as my first mountain bike race ever. Seeing a tent city pop up in the middle of the desert, riding a fairly technical course at speeds I didn’t think I had in me, and doing it again in the dark while hanging around the start/finish area with my teammates eating food and watching the other racers was collectively the highlight of my mountain biking experience last year.

As a former participant, I am now on their mailing list and I just received a rather disturbing email from Lance Knight, the race director.

After 16 Years, This Year May Be The Last 24 Hours of Moab
In recent years there’s been a trend towards teams signing up later and later. Distressing as this has been, taxing our ability to anticipate and plan for the size of the event, we’ve been gratified to see late registrations consistently pour in, and “save the day.”

This year, going into the last two weeks before the race, our pre-registrations were only slightly down from previous years. That was a little un-nerving but not alarming, given the trend we’ve observed. In previous years we’ve seen 40-60 teams sign up two weeks before the event and fully 75-85 teams sign-up in the final week leading up to the race.

This last week we have seen only 10 additional teams sign up. Now that’s alarming. It does not bode well. While in recent years we have seen fields of well over 350 teams, at the rate things are going, even 300 teams would appear to be an optimistic expectation.

There is no doubt that the economy plays a huge part in how we spend our recreational dollars. For my part, I am purchasing a new bike and taking the family on a much needed vacation. With gas still over $3 a gallon, plus registration and camping fees, 24 Hours of Moab is just not feasible for me this year. “I’ll go next year,” I told myself, and apparently I am not alone. But unless something changes, next year may not happen.

24 Hours of Moab is a tradition among mountain bike endurance races and to see its demise would be tragic. With the race occurring this weekend, it is very short notice for teams to pull together an entry, but there are some things you can do if you’d like to help:

What can you do about it?
a) If at all possible, sign up and field a team in this year’s race.
b) If you can’t race this year, put a shoulder into making 2012 happen
c) If you’d like to make a contribution on behalf of your team, register a “phantom” team.
The Men’s or Women’s Solo Singlespeed class is the lowest entry fee ($162 total).
An inordinately large “turn-out” for the solo singlespeed class would certainly send a clear message about the support for the continuation of the event. (Even if you don’t show up, we’ll mail you this year’s T-shirt!)

Let’s see what we can do to save this iconic mountain bike race. If you’ve ridden it in the past and loved it, if you plan to do it “someday,” or if you just hate to see traditions die, please consider helping out.

You can read the race director’s complete message here.

And you can register for the race here.

Editor’s note: It’s nearly impossible to ride all the Moab area mountain bike trails in a single trip and fortunately Maddslacker has made enough trips over the years to recommend the best of the best. This article should get you seriously pumped to go to Moab so also be sure to check out Maddslacker’s “Affordable Moab” article to help you plan your trip.

5. Gemini Bridges/Gold Bar Rim/Golden Spike/Portal

I know this is four trails but they connect into one awesome ride. Leave a drop vehicle at the end of Portal, drive to the parking lot at the beginning of Gemini Bridges Rd and start riding up the dirt road switchbacks. The climb is not bad at all. When you get to the top of the cliff, look back. Yeah, you just rode a bike up that! Across the flats is a left turn onto Gold Bar Rim, which is a jeep trail with lots of slickrock, ledges, and boulders. Hang out at the rim for a bit and then head south along the ridge until you hook up with Golden Spike. This fairly short section connects up with the infamous Portal Trail. Ride some of it, walk most of it, but either way, be careful and you’ll get down just fine.

4. Amasa Back

I haven’t actually ridden this trail yet – it seems like something always comes up when it’s on the schedule. Talking to people who have, I know that it is fairly short, really close to town, and has plenty of rocks to play on. A popular option is to do it in the afternoon after finishing Slickrock or Klondike Bluffs. There are a lot of jeepers on this trail so be nice to them – they have air compressors and extra water.

Photo by calebwi

3. Klondike Bluffs

Many people write off this intermediate trail as not being worth riding. They don’t know what they are missing! First of all, don’t park by the highway – drive in another 5 miles and park at the large parking lot by the gate. Not riding that stretch of boring dirt road definitely helps. The trail starts out with some of Moab’s signature tire-sucking sand. This quickly gives way to some doubletrack that alternates between hardpack and exposed ledges.  The longest portion of the trail climbs up an angled slab of slickrock. Along this section you’ll find dinosaur tracks and interesting rock formations to check out so definitely explore a little if you have time.

After the slickrock there’s more doubletrack that passes some historic mining ruins, terminating at the boundary of Arches National Park. There is a bike rack here so park your bike and do the 1/2 mile hike into the actual bluffs. Think scenery from old Wile E Coyote cartoons and you’ll know what to expect. When you’re done sightseeing, you can either head down Baby Steps or back the way you came; either direction ends up where you parked.

2. Slickrock Bike Trail

Mountain bikers come from far and wide to bag this Mecca of mountain bike trails. The scenery is amazing, the traction is so good that you can ride up and down impossible inclines, and it is all arranged in a convenient 10-mile loop. There’s even a 2.5 mile ‘practice loop’ to give riders a feel for what the rest of the trail has in store. This trail is definitely a must-ride, but I can’t give it the top spot because after riding the trail a half dozen times it starts to lose its mystique.

1. Porcupine Rim

Porcupine is the other trail that every trip to Moab must include. Whether ridden as the classic version starting in Sand Flats or including the UPS section, this trail has it all: fast singletrack, huge ledge drops, precipice-hugging sections, amazing scenery, and best of all, very little climbing! XC types and freeriders both will find stuff to love, and it’s well suited for group rides with plenty of photo ops all along the way. Don’t forget to catch some big air off that last berm and smile for the dude in the lawn chair: he’s taking your pic, a copy of which can be purchased in town later in the evening.

Honorable mentions: Poison Spider Mesa, Bartlett Wash and the Whole Enchilada.

Which Moab trails are in your top five?

The weather is warming up and the trails are drying out here in the southeast which can only mean one thing: mountain bike season is on the way! Here are a few mountain bike news items we’re digging this week.

2012 London Olympics MTB Course

photo courtesy news.bbc.co.uk.

We’ve written about the 2012 Olympic mountain bike course a couple times already but this week BBC News posted more details about the new trail. The overall loop is just 5K (about 3 miles) – much shorter than we imagined – which means the men will ride about 8 laps or so. That also means the race will be super spectator-friendly for up to 20,000 fans and tickets will cost between 20 and 45 pounds ($32 to $72).

The course itself appears to be mostly done and workers have covered the rocky course with a layer of sand to protect it from erosion before the games. Since there weren’t enough rocks on site, 1.1 billion pounds of rock (that’s right – with a B) was brought in to armor the trail and provide a more technical challenge. There’s about 230 vertical feet between the high and low points on the course, though there’s no word on the actual ascent per lap. Check out more pics here.

DH Race at Cape Verde Benefits Children

On February 14 the Urge Cabo Verde DH event wrapped up at Cape Verde off the west coast of Africa. Here’s how one press release describes the race:

The concept for the event is simple: take a handful of the world’s best mountain bike riders and drop them into an under-privileged part of the world for an event that is more about helping the local children than a finishline at the bottom of a mountain (or volcano in this case).

On the womens’ side, Tracey Moseley took top honors while Rocky Mountain sponsored rider Sabrina Jonnier of France took second. From what we’ve seen the trails and conditions were epic but don’t get your hopes up about racing next year: the race is invitation only. Find out more about the event and the charities it supports.

Honey Stinger/Trek Mountain Bike Team

The Honey Stinger/Trek mountain bike team announced its 2011 roster yesterday and offers an impressive list of who’s who in mountain biking. With 37 amateur and pro riders, including Jen Gersbach and 24 Hour national champs Max Taam, Sari Anderson, and Len Zanni, we’re bound to see the honey-combed jersey on the podium this season. The team will compete in several high profile Colorado mountain bike races including the Firecracker 50, Leadville 100, and the Breck Epic Stage Race.

With Lance Armstrong’s (second) retirement announcement yesterday, perhaps this means he’ll find some time to coach the Honey Stinger off-road team. After all, Armstrong is a part owner in Honey Stinger and is (was?) sponsored by Trek so he’s (David Puddy voice) gotta support the team!

Pro Photographer Hosts MTB Photography Course

Nationally acclaimed outdoor photographer Scott Markewitz is hosting a mountain bike photography course in Moab this spring and you’re invited! Western Spirit will take care of the logistics so all you need is your DSLR camera and a mountain bike! Oh, and the registration fee – $1,995 which includes four nights lodging and all meals and instruction. Contact Western Spirit at 800-845-2453 or biking@westernspirit.com to reserve your space and check out Scott’s MTB photo gallery here.

Any serious mountain biker who hasn’t been yet probably has Moab on their wish list. However, most don’t realize how affordable it can be to get there and they never end up going. Right now is the perfect time to plan your trip, and this is the year to use that tax refund and stimulate the Utah economy a little!

I’ve been mountain biking in Moab 2 or 3 times a year since moving here to Colorado and over the years I’ve learned a few things about planning great trip.

When to Go

Moab has two riding seasons: April-May and Sept-Oct. As a destination for other things besides mountain biking, lodging tends to fill up quickly. NOW is the time to book your trip for this spring! If you can’t squeeze a whole week of vacation into your schedule, a Wednesday through Sunday trip allows for 2 travel days and three solid days of riding.

Getting There

Moab has a small airport and there are two flights in and out per day (from Denver). If you plan ahead, you can score a pretty good deal, especially if you book your own connecting flight to Denver, rather than using code share from another airline.

The next most convenient flight option is Grand Junction, CO which is about a 2 hour drive from Moab. As a bonus you can also bag a few mountain bike trails in Fruita on the way. American, United, US Airways and Delta all have flights into Grand Junction.

Most travelers grab a cheap flight to Denver, rent a car and drive from there. It’s a 6 hour drive on I-70 and there are towns all along the way for pit stops.

It can be tempting to fly into Salt Lake City and drive, which is about a 4 hour trip, however there aren’t as many flights into there and I have done the drive: it is 235 miles of NOTHING.

Where to Stay

Moab has lodging options ranging from 5-star resorts to wilderness camping. For me, the trip is more about the activity than the lodging, but I don’t want to stay in a dump either.

All of the major hotel chains are there, but they cost more per night than they would in a major city. If you have reward points to use up or just want to stay in a known place, these are for you. I have stayed at the River Canyon Lodge, where the prices are reasonable. The suites are roomy and have a stove and full size fridge. The regular rooms are pretty small, but they have a desk, microwave and mini-fridge. All of the rooms are clean and functional, and as an added bonus, they have free WiFi, locked mountain bike storage, a huge hot tub, and a heated pool.

Another option is to rent a house or condo through vrbo.com or similar. If you have a large group, this can greatly reduce the per person cost, as well as provide all the amenities and privacy you would have at home.

Camping or renting a cabin at an established campground is a great bargain and is what I usually do. KOA is a couple of miles south of town and they have cabins for about $68 per night for 4 people. All the cabins have electricity, a heater and a swamp cooler. Canyonlands Campground is in the middle of town, but once you enter their gate you’d never know it. Their cabins sleep 6 for $58 per night, and they have heat, AC and a TV! Both campgrounds are clean with friendly staff and access to free WiFi. They also both have tent sites in the $25 to $30 per night range, if you’re into that.

If you like to rough it, there is backcountry camping all over the place. The most convenient backcountry camping is in Sand Flats Recreation Area, along Highway 128 next to the Colorado River, or here. These will run you $10, $7 or $0 per night, respectively. Also check out this list of Moab area campgrounds for more options.

Bring My Bike or Rent

Most local bike shops will pack a bike for shipping for $75 or less. Then you need to either pay to ship it, or pay the airline a baggage fee to bring it, and either way, pay a shop on the other end to pack it for the return trip. You can pack it yourself, and ship it to where you are staying, but it’s still one more thing to have to deal with.

There are a handful of bike shops in Moab, all with decent rentals. A ‘regular’ rental will cost you $40 for the first day and $35 per day after, and a high end demo rental will run $65-$70 per day. I live in Colorado and drive to Moab, so I always take my own bike, but if I was flying, I would rent. It’s just easier and offers a chance to ride something new.

Speaking of Bike Shops

All of the bike shops in town are competent, friendly and knowledgeable about the local riding scene. Here are some specific observations:

Poison Spider: Great shop, excellent service, lots of merch, BUT they are the first shop you see when you come into town. This is reflected in their prices and how busy they are.

Uranium Cycles: Hole-in-the-wall shop, hardly any merch. Marshall, the owner, is friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the local trails, does fast and competent service and rents out Ibis Mojo’s and Niner RIP 9′s. They also have the best priced shuttle service in town.

Rim Cyclery: I’ve not had an opportunity to deal with them, but I hear they’re ok. They finally redid their website. Until recently it said “2006 season”

Moab Cyclery: Center of town, good service, fair amount of merch. Their rentals are reasonably priced and they offer a shuttle and guided tours.

Chili Pepper: This is my personal fave. Lots of merch, great service, supercool atmosphere in the shop, and next door to Moab Brewery so you can grab a pint while they tune up your ride. They have reasonably priced rentals and are actively involved in the Moab scene.

What About Food?

If your accommodations allow you to cook, there are two grocery stores in town: a City Market (King Soopers) and a smaller, independent store. Both are well stocked and the prices are about what you’d pay at home.

All of the fast food places are represented, if that’s your thing. For the more adventurous, here are some local restaurant recommendations.

Pizza:
ZAX pizza is good, but the buffet is a rip-off. Order a whole pie…it’s cheaper and tastes better.

Paradox Pizza has decent prices and awesome pizza; almost as good as back east! Next door to Chili Pepper Bike Shop, and they deliver.

Restaurants:
Pasta Jays has great Italian food, and is reasonably priced.

Moab Brewery has excellent food, micro brews on tap and home-made root beer, all at surprisingly affordable prices. (This is a favorite of mine, my wife and kids, and the guys I ride with)

Eddie McStiff’s, in my opinion, is overrated. I found the prices high, the service mediocre and the food so-so. Make a second trip to Moab Brewery instead.

Miguel’s Baja Grill is highly recommended by the locals, but I haven’t eaten there yet to confirm it.

There are a number of other restaurants around town, so if anyone has any personal favorites, please share them in the comments.

Can We Ride Yet?

For your first trip to Moab, Slickrock Trail and Porcupine Rim should both be on your list. Both are located in the Sand Flats Recreation Area and are subject to a $5 per vehicle day use fee, which is good for three days. Slickrock is a loop, so no shuttle is required. Porcupine requires at least a drop-off, but riding from the end of the trail back into town is not a big deal.

If you arrive early enough, it’s a great idea to hit something like Monitor/Merrimac or the Slickrock Practice loop to get a feel for Moab riding.

Three full days of riding could go something like this:

Travel Day: Slickrock Practice Loop or Monitor/Merrimac

Day 1: Slickrock Trail in the morning, and Amasa Back or Klondike Bluffs/Baby Steps in the afternoon.

Day 2: Gemini Bridges -> Gold Bar Rim -> Golden Spike ->Portal (shuttle required)

Day 3: Porcupine Rim (upper and/or lower, shuttle required) If you still have legs left, mess around at Bartlett Wash

Travel Day: Arches National Park sightseeing in the morning, time permitting. ($10 entry fee)

Of course there are many more trails than this in and around Moab, but the above hits the highlights and is realistic for any average rider capable of moderate physical exertion. You can make it as expensive or as frugal as you like, but even a modest tax return should be enough to cover everything you need for a great trip.

I’ll be there April 27 – May 1, and I’ll be looking for other Singletracks jerseys out on the trails!

Although this is the final trip report, I’ll be posting additional articles over the next few weeks covering packing strategies, gear reviews, logistics, and more. For those following the saga of the tire tubes this week here’s the spoiler: I made it to Moab with my last spare and a patched tube – no more problems. In fact, I even rode this week on the front tire with the missing valve plunger and it’s still holding up great!

Day 6: Paradox Valley to Geyser Pass

This was the day we had all be anxiously awaiting: 5,300 feet of climbing over just 25 miles. None of us had ever climbed that much in a single day so we really weren’t sure what to expect. On the one hand, it was day 6 which meant the trip as almost over. On the other hand, we had a LONG way to go before all that downhill in Moab. After 5 days of riding we figured we were at least in better shape than when we started.

Paradox Valley is basically surrounded by mesas on three sides so we knew we were in for a steep, early climb to get out of the valley. We didn’t realize it at the time but we would actually be following part of the 105-mile Paradox Trail that links the Tabeguache and Kokopelli’s trails. Just a mile from the hut we began a 2,000 foot ascent with incredible views of the valley below. One member of our group had been suffering knee problems over the past several days and was luckily able to find a local to shuttle him to Buckeye Reservoir about halfway to the next hut.

The top of the first climb of the day.

After about an hour and a half we made it to the top of the mesa and the scenery quickly changed from scrub and cacti to tall pine forests. The ground beneath us was still dry but at least it was cool and shaded. After another 1,000 feet of more gradual climbing we made it to Buckeye Reservoir and eventually the Colorado / Utah state line.

We ate a quick lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the line and continued to climb and the scenery changed again with rushing streams, placid lakes, and aspen trees all around us. At around mile 20 we veered off the forest road and onto a private ranch doubletrack for the final 4 mile climb to our hut.

The night before we had received updated directions to the Geyser hut because the hut had been moved just the week before. The new hut location was about a mile closer than the old one and the route was to be marked with red tape tied to tree branches. Now I’m not sure if exhaustion played a role here but we completely missed the flags and ended up just a quarter mile from the old hut location before we realized we were lost. Not only that, we were now in the middle of a herd of cattle with a snorting bull less than 50 yards in front of us. We could literally see the steam coming out of his nostrils!

Turning back down the trail, we retraced our steps and found the steep approach to the new hut location. Including our detour we had climbed 5,900 feet that day and were wiped out from the effort. At least we had 7,000 feet of descending to look forward to the next day!

Top-bunk view from the new hut location. Not too bad.

Day 7: Geyser Pass to Moab

Before we could enjoy our 7,000 feet of descending we needed to start the day with a push over Geyser Pass itself. This meant about 1,000 feet of climbing which actually went by fairly quickly (we walked a fair amount of it on the ranch roads). As soon as we left the property we saw groups of shuttle riders heading up to Burro Pass and passed shuttle vans parked on the sides of the forest road.

I won’t talk much about the change in scenery between Geyser Pass and the town of Moab other than to say it’s a stark contrast. Our minds were blown pretty much the entire way down.

We mapped a customized route for the day that included the Moonlight Meadows trail which turned out to be a high alpine, cow-carved singletrack through meadows and aspen groves. Moonlight Meadows fed into Clark Lake trail which was basically more of the same, though with more evergreen forest and stream crossings.

From the bottom of the Clark Lake trail we took a connector back up the mountain to get to the Hazard County trail. I was a little frustrated that we were still climbing and not making progress toward the town of Moab but that quickly went away as we started the Hazard County descent – banked turns, incredible views, and smooth singletrack. My favorite singletrack of the entire trip!

Hazard County dumped us onto Kokopelli’s trail which, at this point, is basically a forest road but it was fast and fun descending to UPS. The UPS trail reminded me of Gooseberry Mesa a bit – sections of slickrock, chunky rocks, and quick stretches of hardpack and sand. Most of us crashed at least once on UPS (including myself – twice) and to be honest I wasn’t happy with my bike handling on the technical stuff. I decided to skip LPS and Porcupine Rim and headed down into town on Kokopelli’s Trail while the others completed the gauntlet.

Just before 4pm we regrouped at the Moab Adventure Inn, changed out of our bike clothes, and scarfed burger and beers at the Moab Brewery before Jake and I took the Porcupine shuttle back to Durango. Our epic Moab singletrack tour put us into Moab a couple hours past our ETA but fortunately the super guys and gals at Porcupine waited for us and didn’t give us too much s%!t. We felt kinda bad about how dirty and stinky we were, especially sitting in such a nice new van for the 3 and a half hour ride!

While the trip was difficult and frustrating at times I felt a little bummed that it was over so quickly. Fortunately Jake and I had an extra day to relax in Durango before early flights Saturday morning. I even surprised myself by getting back on the bike the next day and tooling around the Telegraph trails a bit. This is one of those trips all of us will remember for a long time – at least until the next one!

On Thursday afternoon our group of four riders cruised down into Moab after 7 days of mountain biking from Durango to Moab. With limited cell phone service along the way (I only got a signal once) I’ll be sharing all my updates and pics this week along with articles on packing, gear reviews, logistics, and more.

Thanks to mudhunny for holding down the fort while I was gone. Look for pending GPS submissions and videos to be processed later this week.

Day 1: Molas Pass to Bolam Pass

Nate and Matt arrived at Durango Mountain Resort (DMR) early after parking the truck in Moab and catching the Porcupine Shuttle to Durango. The locals recommended skipping the fire road start out of DMR and shuttling to 10,800-foot Molas Pass to ride the Colorado Trail to the first hut. Since DMR sits at roughly 8,000 feet and the hut was at 11,400 feet we figured this would be a good way to skip some of the 3,000-foot climb to the hut. Bad assumption.

Our shuttle driver described the day’s route as “rolling” and the first part of the climb wasn’t too bad. We were passed early on by a group of day-trippers and later we passed another group of self-supported riders on a 4-day trip down to Durango. The trail eventually climbed above treeline and all of us struggled to adjust to the altitude since most of us had been at sea level just a day before. I crashed at one point on an easy section of trail and scraped a good bit of skin off my leg, a result of pure exhaustion. This part of the Colorado Trail eventually tops out around 12,500 feet and we were all anxious to descend off the windy pass. We lost 1,500 feet over the next 3 miles and then began another climb through a forest sliced with rambling creek crossings.

Nate beginning our first big descent.

Near the end of the descent I got a pinch flat, a result of not inflating my rear tire enough before we left. I brought 4 spare tubes for the trip and was a little pissed that I had to use one already but figured I wouldn’t make the same mistake again. But after just a couple miles I could tell I didn’t add enough air to my tire using the mini-pump so I decided to add more. Now I’m not sure if it was because of fatigue or if my pump was faulty but I ended up shearing off the valve stem on my presta tube, sending a blast of air toward the sky. Two tubes down, halfway through day 1.

By this time most of us were walking our bikes anyway because we were spent and the trail was rocky and steep in places. We had a map of the area but weren’t quite sure how far we were from the hut. The hut outfitters provided us with GPS tracks for each day but unfortunately only the standard route had been mapped.  Eventually we came out at a fire road and seemed to lose the Colorado Trail completely. After about a mile down the road in the wrong direction we corrected our path and finally made it to the hut at 6pm after more than 8 hours in the saddle. Total mileage: just 24 miles and 4,200 feet of climbing.

Most of us drained our 100 oz. hydration packs & at least one water bottle on day 1. Good thing we brought along a water filter.

Each hut along the route is located just off a forest road and we had a key to open the doors and windows. I was the first to arrive at the hut and was shocked to find the door was completely wide open! The huts are stocked with food, candy bars, water, beer, sleeping bags, bunk beds, and other stuff and I was assuming the place would be completely ransacked with the door wide open like that. As far as we could tell the only group in front of us was about 4 days ahead which would have given someone plenty of time to clean the place out. Fortunately, everything was in place (though there were only 2 Snickers left ).

After devouring candy bars and pretzels we were all too tired to cook and to be honest I wasn’t sure how I could make it 6 more days. Our first day was supposed to be easy but we barely made it in before dark – what would longer days with more climbing look like? Soon after we arrived we spotted a group of deer grazing just outside the hut which was somehow calming after a stressful day.

Deer right outside our hut door.

We stoked the wood-burning stove and turned the lights out around 8:30 that night as the temperatures dipped into the low 40s, happy to be in our sleeping bags. Stay tuned for Part II, days 2 & 3 on the trail.

photo courtesy San Juan Hut Adventures.

On Friday I’ll be setting out on a week-long mountain bike odyssey from Durango, CO to Moab, UT on my mountain bike. The trip is organized by San Juan Hut Adventures which provides mountain huts along the 215-mile route, each stocked with food, water, and sleeping bags (among other items). Think of this trip as bikepacking lite – nothing to carry but extra clothes and spare parts.

Although I won’t be able to post about the trip while I’m out, I will be taking along a SPOT transponder that plots our group’s progress on this map. Five of us will be making the trip: Nate and Matt are driving over from SF and Jake and Dan are flying in from NYC.

While the default hut-to-hut route from Durango to Moab is mostly dirt road with some singletrack, most days feature an alternate singletrack route that we’re hoping to make use of. Here’s what we know about the route so far:

Day 1

Staring from Durango Mountain Resort (formerly known as Purgatory), we’ll head up FSR 587 to Hermosa Creek trail. Day 1 features some of the most climbing (3,590 feet) but it’s also one of the shortest days mileage-wise (just 18.7 to the hut).

Day 2

This route takes us from the Bolam Pass hut to the Black Mesa hut – 28.6 miles and 3,377 feet of climbing. There are two singletrack options along the way: East Fork of the Delores Trail and something called the Groundhog Stock Driveway Trail. Sweet.

Day 3

On the third day we finally get to do more descending (5,198 feet) than climbing (2,003 feet) which always makes for a fun time on the bike.

Day 4

This 34.6 mile section crosses through mining and gas exploration areas and we’ve been told to watch out for dust storms, hot sun, and/or nasty mud in the Dry Creek Basin area. There are 3 potential alternate routes on Day 4 but the description of multiple “bail out” points makes me think this may be one of the more uncomfortable days in the saddle.

Day 5

Our first taste of seriously technical singletrack on the main route. The “Catch-Em Up Trail” descends 1,100 feet in just a mile and our guides recommend hike-a-bike for all but the most skilled riders. 33 miles and 2,800 feet of climbing.

Day 6

Only 24.4 miles to ride but 5,320 feet to climb! Based on the pics, Buckeye Reservoir should be pretty amazing.

Day 7

Descending into Moab. The singletrack options for the last day include jaunts on the Kokopelli’s Trail and Porcupine Rim. 35.6 miles and nearly 7,500 miles of descending – every bit of it earned!

Can’t wait to get started, should be an epic trip!

If you’re bummed about being shut out from Interbike every year, the folks at Western Spirit in Moab have just the thing for you: Outerbike. From September 30 through October 3 this year, regular Joes can saddle up and demo the latest mountain bikes from big manufacturers like Kona, Trek, Santa Cruz, and Yeti (just to name a few). Perhaps best of all, the event takes place in a true mountain bike mecca, Moab, UT.

Putting on a large scale consumer event like this is an ambitious project but it’s one we’d like to see succeed. Interbike has experimented with opening Outdoor Demo East to consumers and the Sea Otter Classic in California has become the de facto consumer mountain bike show over the years but Outerbike just may have some legs of its own. Who’s in for 2010?

Slickrock MTB trail photo posted by Dave&Patti

My brother passed this article to me and I was stoked to see what Forbes had to say about the best mountain bike trails in the US. You can imagine my disappointment when I realized that Forbes’ definition of a “bike trail” is pretty generous and includes the 6.1 mile paved Central Park Loop in NYC as one of the 10. Maybe Forbes should stick to finance and mayoring because clearly he doesn’t know jack about bike trails.

The Forbes list did manage to give props to the Great Divide trail which the article claims is the longest mountain bike route in the world (didn’t realize that). The article also mentions Slickrock in Moab but it seems an odd choice since many of the other “American Bike Trails” are multi-day touring routes. The Deschutes River trail in Oregon is probably the shortest trail on the list (after the Central Park Loop of course) at just over 10 miles long, but at least it’s singletrack. The C&O canal trail is included on the list as well and although it is long and it is listed here on singletracks, it barely qualfies as a trail in my mind – more like a dirt road.

I was also disappointed that the Forbes list left off the Kokopelli trail that stretches between Fruita and Moab – an epic MTB route connecting two important mountain biking destinations. I’d be interested to hear what other epic US MTB routes real mountain bikers would recommend – what else belongs on this list?