Moab during Jeep Safari

I am mountain-biking in Moab during the start of the Easter Jeep Safari (13th April). How much of a
problem will this be? Is there an itinerary showing where the focus will be on different days? I
have the list of the 2003 trails from the Red Rock website but live in the UK so I don't want to
phone around. Any recommendations for good spots to have a quick look at the action? (Well, I might
as well have a gawp!) I guess the weather will be variable but is there anywhere to avoid at this
time of year? (or anywhere improved by "dampness") - Standard? - I thought Porcupine Rim Loop from
Moab was tough but good fun. Thanks, Pat.

 

We "accidentally" spent a mountain biking weekend in Moab during Jeep Safari weekend. It was fun!

It was pretty fascinating. Imagine bumper-to-bumper traffic on Moab's main strip, with half hour
waits at gas stations, as a great mix of people (old folks with families sitting on lawn chairs in
the backs of their pickups; younge punks who are barely old enough to drive) cruise up and down the
strip in a wide variety of contraptions. Food fights at the Pizza Hut, etc. The noise is deafening,
24 hours a day, and the smoke is thick.

We biked the Gemini Bridges trail on the first day. Not only was this a boring ride, but it was a
bad choice as it was filled with 4x4's kicking up dust that we could taste after about an hour.

We biked Slickrock the second day. This was an excellent choice! I hardly saw anybody on the trail
-- most mountain bikers had been scared away by the Jeep Safari, I suspect. I only saw two
motorcycles on the trail, and couldn't really complain, as the Slickrock was originally designated
as a motorocyle, not mountain bike, trail. Another bonus: the Slickrock is somewhat intertwined with
4wd roads where you can watch the bolder folk attempt the seeming impossible (e.g., drive up a 45
degree rock ramp in their Jeep) and sometimes fail dramatically.

All in all, it was an amazing cultural experience (almost like a real life "Mad Max" situation). I
would stick to singletrack trails and expect that you would be okay. I would expect that you would
enjoy LESS crowding than normal on the singletrack trails.

Depending on your frame of mind, the scene can either be enjoyable or unbearable.

> I am mountain-biking in Moab during the start of the Easter Jeep Safari
(13th
> April). How much of a problem will this be? Is there an itinerary showing where the focus will be
> on different days? I have the list of the 2003 trails from the Red Rock website but live in
the UK so
> I don't want to phone around. Any recommendations for good spots to have a quick look at
> the action?
(Well, I
> might as well have a gawp!) I guess the weather will be variable but is there anywhere to avoid at
this time
> of year? (or anywhere improved by "dampness") - Standard? - I thought
Porcupine
> Rim Loop from Moab was tough but good fun. Thanks, Pat.

 

Thanks for your reply, Stephen. It sounds to be an interesting spectacle - so long as I can get away
from it when I want to!

Pat.

"Stephen Younge" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> We "accidentally" spent a mountain biking weekend in Moab during Jeep Safari weekend. It was fun!
>
> It was pretty fascinating. Imagine bumper-to-bumper traffic on Moab's main strip, with half hour
> waits at gas stations, as a great mix of people (old folks with families sitting on lawn chairs in
> the backs of their pickups; younge punks who are barely old enough to drive) cruise up and down
> the strip in a wide variety of contraptions. Food fights at the Pizza Hut, etc. The noise is
> deafening, 24 hours a day, and the smoke is thick.
>
> We biked the Gemini Bridges trail on the first day. Not only was this a boring ride, but it was a
> bad choice as it was filled with 4x4's kicking up dust that we could taste after about an hour.
>
> We biked Slickrock the second day. This was an excellent choice! I hardly saw anybody on the trail
> -- most mountain bikers had been scared away by the Jeep Safari, I suspect. I only saw two
> motorcycles on the trail, and couldn't really complain, as the Slickrock was originally designated
> as a motorocyle, not mountain bike, trail. Another bonus: the Slickrock is somewhat intertwined
> with 4wd roads where you can watch the bolder folk attempt the seeming impossible (e.g., drive up
> a 45 degree rock ramp in their Jeep) and sometimes fail dramatically.
>
> All in all, it was an amazing cultural experience (almost like a real life "Mad Max" situation). I
> would stick to singletrack trails and expect that you would be okay. I would expect that you would
> enjoy LESS crowding than normal on the singletrack trails.
>
> Depending on your frame of mind, the scene can either be enjoyable or unbearable.
>
> > I am mountain-biking in Moab during the start of the Easter Jeep Safari
> (13th
> > April). How much of a problem will this be? Is there an itinerary showing where the focus will
> > be on different days? I have the list of the 2003 trails from the Red Rock website but live in
> the UK so
> > I don't want to phone around. Any recommendations for good spots to have a quick look at the
> > action?
> (Well, I
> > might as well have a gawp!) I guess the weather will be variable but is there anywhere to
> > avoid at
> this time
> > of year? (or anywhere improved by "dampness") - Standard? - I thought
> Porcupine
> > Rim Loop from Moab was tough but good fun. Thanks, Pat.

 

Pat wrote:

> Thanks for your reply, Stephen. It sounds to be an interesting spectacle - so long as I can get
> away from it when I want to!

There are an awful lot of out of the way places in Canyonlands. If it seems too crowded, try
entering the park way down south - about 40+ miles south of MOAB - PAST the Needles Overlook to
highway (road?) 211 - Newspaper Rock is in there - and just go exploring. Ask the local bike shops
about trails down there.

Canyonlands is a huge awesome accessible wilderness (unlike the Grand Canyon, which requires permits
and has restrictions out the wazoo). Canyonlands is open to you. Go anywhere you want. You could get
yourself lost for months.

The Needles Overlook is my favorite spot for wilderness camping in that area - on BLM land (no
restrictions) - right next to an endless awesome canyon overlook that is ALL mine while I'm there.
Canyonlands and its surrounding area abound with spots like that. There's no real rides at my spot,
though - unless you like bushwhacking across rock expanses (staying off the "black stuff" - the
cryptobiotic soil). That can be fun, but it's not "a ride."

If you want a change, ask the LBS's about trails in the south part of the park.

--
**********************************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO http://www.CycleTourist.com Tolerance is recognizing that other people
have different ideals and needs than you. Compromise is acting on that knowledge.
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