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
moabdesertadventures.commoabdesertadventures.comOpen ↗
Regards,
Tom