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RR: Kokopelli's Trail - Day One

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01 / Original postRR: Kokopelli's Trail - Day OneRide-A-Lot · 10 May 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–14Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #14Paladin · 12 May 2004

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Mountain Bikes
Published
10 May 2004
Last activity
12 May 2004
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Ride-A-Lot
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  1. Original post
    Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #1

    I'm splitting this into five parts with some video by the
    weekend (hopefully).

    This ride report includes an equipment report and a tour
    company report. It 's long, but it's detailed.

    I signed up for the Kokopelli's Trail tour back at the end
    of 2003. My goal was to get into shape to handle the bug
    climbs and long distances. The tour company I chose was
    Escape Adventures and as you'll read, it was a great choice.
    I really had no idea what to expect other than 28 - 38 mile
    days with what was described as an Intermediate/Advanced
    tour. I knew I could probably handle the technical downhill
    and distance, but I had no idea what would happen with the
    long climbs and technical uphills. I figured I could always
    hike-a-bike the stuff over my head and sag-wagon it on the
    steeps. I did hike-a-bike a few times, but never set foot in
    the wagon because of a
    climb. Before I get to the daily grind, a word about Escape
    Adventures. I chose them on the recommendation of
    another club (JAR) rider. Mark and Pete were the
    guides for this trip. I have to say they are the
    most professional, intelligent, understanding,
    personable, adventure nuts I have ever met. Not too
    mention, they also cook up some great food. They
    always made me feel very comfortable and were
    driving force in getting me to continue when I felt
    like giving up. They knew I could do it when I
    doubted my ability. Escape actually ran this tour
    for me and a fifty-something couple (Evan and Sandy)
    from Indiana. This was good and bad. Good because
    the guides were able to give us all personal
    attention. Bad because they were much better riders
    (and fit) than me, which often left me trying to
    catch up. I also rented an Ellsworth Id from Escape.
    I think I have fallen in love with this bike! It's
    amazing what six inches of travel can do. Yes, it
    was the bike going over the drops and step-ups. This
    bike is on my final list for purchase this summer.

    Aside from this being the longest and most technical ride I
    ever did, it was also my first time camping (unless a sleazy
    motel-6 is roughing it). I figured this was an easy way to
    be introduced to "roughing it" since they took care of the
    campsite and cooked all the meals. It was cool, and I now
    have my own gear to venture out this summer.

    The Kokopelli trail starts in Fruita, Colorado and continues
    for 142 miles of climbs and descents until it reaches the
    end in Moab, Utah after riding along the La Salle mountain
    range. I stayed the day before the tour in Grand Junction,
    CO to get acclimated to the altitude. GJ is a wonderful
    quant town with a very impressive renewed downtown. I
    recommend a visit.

    Day 1 (5/3/04)

    The van picks us up in Grand Junction as we're off to Fruita
    where we are prepped to what's ahead.

    pchospital.netim
    g_0906.jpg

    I'm already nervous as I look at the surroundings and say to
    myself, "Mitchell, we're not in Jersey anymore".

    pchospital.netimg
    _0909.jpg pchospital.netkok
    opelli/img_0910.jpg

    I may get the order of this wrong, so don't fault me. I
    think we started out on Mary's Loop where after 10 minutes
    of riding, I draw first blood.

    pchospital.netim
    g_0912.jpg

    You'll see what happened in the video. Simply put, I tried
    to do a step up of maybe one foot and failed.

    We then drop down onto Steve's loop with some very
    interesting technical sections.

    pchospital.netimg
    _0913.jpg pchospital.netkok
    opelli/img_0914.jpg pchospital.netpa
    photos/kokopelli/img_0915.jpg

    We had to climb up some steep rock sections to get to the
    jeep road into Rabbit Valley which would be our first
    campsite. Obvious hike-a-bike here!

    pchospital.netimg
    _0918.jpg pchospital.netkok
    opelli/img_0919.jpg pchospital.netpa
    photos/kokopelli/img_0920.jpg

    So, we came from the other side of this mountain: ww-ww-
    w.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0921.jpg\
    and descended in to Rabbit Valley for the night.

    pchospital.netimg
    _0924.jpg pchospital.netkok
    opelli/img_0937.jpg pchospital.netpa
    photos/kokopelli/img_0941.jpg

    Some great stuffed shells for dinner and I was so beat, I
    fell asleep instantly. Although it was only twenty miles,
    it was the hardest and most rewarding 20 miles I had ever
    attempted. By the end of the day I had finally gotten the
    knack of how to use the cushy suspension on the ID to get
    up and down the drops. It was so much fun and this was
    only day one!

    Continued..

    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
    www.schnauzers.ws

    Report
  2. Slacker
    Archived post
    #2
    Ride-A-Lot said:

    I'm splitting this into five parts with some video by the
    weekend (hopefully).

    This ride report includes an equipment report and a tour
    company report. It 's long, but it's detailed.

    <<snip>>

    Quoted message said:

    Some great stuffed shells for dinner and I was so beat, I
    fell asleep instantly. Although it was only twenty miles,
    it was the hardest and most rewarding 20 miles I had ever
    attempted. By the end of the day I had finally gotten the
    knack of how to use the cushy suspension on the ID to get
    up and down the drops. It was so much fun and this was
    only day one!

    Continued..

    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o

    Great write-up and pictures. Now I know where you got your
    name. I also know that you can ride, so let's stop the false
    humility BS ;-)

    Looking forward to the rest of your report :-)
    --
    Slacker

    Report
  3. Dave W
    Archived post
    #3

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> had this to say
    "]news:[email hidden]

    Quoted message said:

    Continued..

    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o www.schnauzers.ws

    Very Cool. Great Shots! Looking forward to the rest of the
    journey 🙂

    Report
  4. Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #4
    Ride-A-Lot said:

    I'm splitting this into five parts with some video by the
    weekend (hopefully).


    <SNIP>

    Oops. Forgot to add Horsetheif Canyon Trail, which is where
    the next three pics were from (I think).

    Quoted message said:

    We had to climb up some steep rock sections to get to the
    jeep road into Rabbit Valley which would be our first
    campsite. Obvious hike-a-bike here!

    pchospital.neti
    mg_0918.jpg pchospital.netpaphotos
    /kokopelli/img_0919.jpg pchospital.netphotoal
    bum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0920.jpg


    <SNIP>

    Quoted message said:


    Continued..

    Report
  5. Jd
    Archived post
    #5

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    I really had no idea what to expect other than 28 - 38
    mile days with what was described as an
    Intermediate/Advanced tour.

    Their marketing really is something.

    Quoted message said:

    Mark and Pete were the guides for this trip. I have to say
    they are the most professional, intelligent,
    understanding, personable, adventure nuts I have ever met.

    That's a riot.

    Quoted message said:

    I also rented an Ellsworth Id from Escape. I think I have
    fallen in love with this bike!

    Fallen in love with "brake jack" on steep descents?

    Quoted message said:

    Aside from this being the longest and most technical ride
    I ever did

    That's a shame.

    Quoted message said:

    The Kokopelli trail starts in Fruita, Colorado and
    continues for 142 miles of climbs and descents until it
    reaches the end in Moab, Utah after riding along the La
    Salle mountain range.

    Wrong. The eastern terminus is in Loma, Colorado. Then
    again, I'm sure Mark and Pete didn't even know that beacuse
    they don't live here.

    Quoted message said:

    I may get the order of this wrong, so don't fault me. I
    think we started out on Mary's Loop where after 10 minutes
    of riding, I draw first blood. pchospital.netpchospital.net
    photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0912.jpg

    Your professional and intelligent guides should have told
    you that was Horsethief Bench you were on.

    Quoted message said:

    We had to climb up some steep rock sections to get to
    the jeep road into Rabbit Valley which would be our
    first campsite. Obvious hike-a-bike here! pc-pc-
    hospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0919.jpg
    pchospital.netkokopelli
    /img_0920.jpg

    Obvious to whom? Don't kid yourself, that move is rideable.

    Quoted message said:

    So, we came from the other side of this mountain: http:-
    //www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_-
    0921.jpg\

    That's a ridge, not a mountain. I guess now we get to hear
    about all of the jeep road riding until a tiny piece of
    singletrack just past Fish Ford.

    JD

    Report
  6. crazy6r54
    Archived post
    #6

    Come on live up to your name Sir ride alot.

    I MTB 2004

    Report
  7. Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #7
    JD said:

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> wrote in
    message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    I really had no idea what to expect other than 28 - 38
    mile days with what was described as an
    Intermediate/Advanced tour.

    Their marketing really is something.

    Quoted message said:

    Mark and Pete were the guides for this trip. I have
    to say they are the most professional, intelligent,
    understanding, personable, adventure nuts I have
    ever met.

    That's a riot.

    Then again, what do you know about being any of the above?
    I've got a t-shirt slogan for you...

    Ride fast, die alone.

    Quoted message said:


    Quoted message said:

    I also rented an Ellsworth Id from Escape. I think I have
    fallen in love with this bike!

    Fallen in love with "brake jack" on steep descents?

    Quoted message said:

    Aside from this being the longest and most technical ride
    I ever did

    That's a shame.

    Not to me. Now I have something greater to shoot for.

    Quoted message said:


    Quoted message said:

    The Kokopelli trail starts in Fruita, Colorado and
    continues for 142 miles of climbs and descents until it
    reaches the end in Moab, Utah after riding along the La
    Salle mountain range.

    Wrong. The eastern terminus is in Loma, Colorado. Then
    again, I'm sure Mark and Pete didn't even know that
    beacuse they don't live here.

    Actually, they live in Moab. Which was the end of my jouney.

    Quoted message said:


    Quoted message said:

    I may get the order of this wrong, so don't fault me. I
    think we started out on Mary's Loop where after 10
    minutes of riding, I draw first blood. pchosp-pchosp-
    ital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0912.jpg

    Your professional and intelligent guides should have told
    you that was Horsethief Bench you were on.

    Read my reply to this post. I forgot to mention it in the
    original post.

    Quoted message said:


    Quoted message said:

    We had to climb up some steep rock sections to get to
    the jeep road into Rabbit Valley which would be our
    first campsite. Obvious hike-a-bike here! pc-pc-
    hospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_0919.jpg
    pchospital.netkokopelli
    /img_0920.jpg

    Obvious to whom? Don't kid yourself, that move is
    rideable.

    Great. Love to see it done, sometime. I think I'll skip
    it for now.

    Quoted message said:


    Quoted message said:

    So, we came from the other side of this mountain: http:/-
    /www.pchospital.net/photoalbum/paphotos/kokopelli/img_09-
    21.jpg\

    That's a ridge, not a mountain. I guess now we get to hear
    about all of the jeep road riding until a tiny piece of
    singletrack just past Fish Ford.

    JD

    Only if you read me posts 🙂. I'm sure some people will be
    interested in the beauty of the place even though we were
    riding on Jeep roads. It was still a lot of mileage and
    something that I had never accomplished before. I guess you
    wouldn't understand that being such a perfect expert rider.
    Some of us are still learning. The key is is to have fun.
    Which is what I
    did.

    Later.

    Report
  8. Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #8
    Quoted message said:

    Come on live up to your name Sir ride
    alot.

    I MTB 2004

    LOL. I say Ride-A-Lot. I never said anything about riding
    well 🙂. I'll get there.

    Report
  9. P E T E F A G E
    Archived post
    #9
    (JD) said:

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> wrote in
    message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    I also rented an Ellsworth Id from Escape. I think I have
    fallen in love with this bike!

    Fallen in love with "brake jack" on steep descents?

    Despite being made by a company with a lying sack of [censored]
    for an owner, a bogus lifetime warranty, and a company that
    seems to have a talent for releasing poorly tested bikes
    onto the market and letting the consumer do much of the
    destructive testing, the Id doesn't brake jack on steep
    descents as it's a horst/4 bar bike.

    Report
  10. Jd
    Archived post
    #10

    P e t e F a g e r l i n <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    (JD) said:

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> wrote in
    message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    I also rented an Ellsworth Id from Escape. I think I
    have fallen in love with this bike!

    Fallen in love with "brake jack" on steep descents?

    Despite being made by a company with a lying sack of [censored]
    for an owner, a bogus lifetime warranty, and a company
    that seems to have a talent for releasing poorly tested
    bikes onto the market and letting the consumer do much of
    the destructive testing, the Id doesn't brake jack on
    steep descents as it's a horst/4 bar bike.

    It does more than any other 4-bar because of design flaws in
    the angles. HAHAHAHA@lying sack...

    JD

    Report
  11. P E T E F A G E
    Archived post
    #11

    "JD" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
    "]news:[email hidden]...

    Quoted message said:

    P e t e F a g e r l i n <[email hidden]>
    wrote in message


    news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    Despite being made by a company with a lying sack of
    [censored] for an owner, a bogus lifetime warranty, and a
    company that seems to have a talent for releasing poorly
    tested bikes onto the market and letting the consumer do
    much of the destructive testing, the Id doesn't brake
    jack on steep descents as it's a horst/4 bar bike.

    It does more than any other 4-bar because of design flaws
    in the angles. HAHAHAHA@lying sack...

    Uh, nope.

    Tony's ICT [censored] is very, very close to the
    Horst/Specialized patent.

    No brake jack at all, by its very nature..

    Report
  12. Sunastar
    Archived post
    #12

    Ride-A-Lot,

    Good stuff. Thanks for taking the time to show pics.

    Didn't you say something about video in your first post?

    T o m Dillon Lakewood, CO Z to S for email

    Report
  13. Ride-A-Lot
    Archived post
    #13
    Sunastar said:

    Ride-A-Lot,

    Good stuff. Thanks for taking the time to show pics.

    Didn't you say something about video in your first post?

    T o m Dillon Lakewood, CO Z to S for email

    I'm editing it right now. I should have part 1 (Steve's,
    Mary's, and Horsethief) by the weekend.

    --
    o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
    www.schnauzers.ws

    Report
  14. Paladin
    Archived post
    #14

    "Ride-A-Lot" <mitchell@[nospam]schnauzers.ws> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

    Quoted message said:

    I'm splitting this into five parts with some video by the
    weekend (hopefully).

    This ride report includes an equipment report and a tour
    company report. It 's long, but it's detailed. Continued..

    Hey,sounds like an awesome trip. Took courage, planning,
    organizing, money, and instead of just wistfully dreaming
    about rockin out west, you got your butt out here and did
    it! That's fantastic.

    you're welcome in Idaho any time.

    paladin

    Report

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