Moab 2022

 Blog of Moab May 2022

Wrote most of this on my flight home from SLC after 9 glorious days in Utah, 4 of which were on the White Rim Trail, and 3 additional days in Moab, where we rented bikes from Poison Spider bikes, and shredded some of the local trails that the area around Moab have to offer:

So, the bike trip is over, what an epic time with my dear friends Johnny Mac, and Tommy Kid, incidentally, the very guys who got me into the sport of mountain biking way back in about 1990.  At age 59, it feels great to still be bombing these world class trails, and the highlight of returning from this year’s trip, is that I DIDN’T GET HURT!

The 4 days on the White Rim Trail was mostly flat double track which roughly parallels the Colorado River and then the Green River in the Canyonlands National Park.  There were however, some pretty significant climbs and descents punctuating the ride.  We covered roughly 100 miles in 4 days.  

The first day was a shorter day, but the conditions were in a word, HOT.  It was over 90 degrees, and although we only covered 18 miles, we felt that heat with no wind and no overcast, so much so that our water bottles actually felt hot.  Our only relief was when an EZ up was finally erected and provided some much needed relief from the blazing heat.  We had a spectacular view of that evening’s full moon which was a “blood moon” that had a full lunar eclipse.  

The 2nd day of the ride was our longest, coming in at about 28 miles, however, in conjunction with an overcast and some light breezes, the 28 miles seemed much more manageable than the previous day’s 18 miles.  However, the last mile was the most grueling, which was a pretty significant climb out on a grade called “Murphy’s Hogback” I still did not complete it, nor did any of our riders, except the guide, Rob.  Grueling.

The reward of the “walk” up Murphy’s Hogback was the Murphy campsite at the top of the grade with grand views in 3 directions, and an RV sized boulder which provided very nice shade generation.  The sunsets and sunrises over this vantage point as the sunlight cast its illumination over the canyon walls and valley floors was nothing short of spectacular. 

Since we had climbed up on Day 2, Day 3 began with a rollercoaster like descent, beginning a day that was mostly “trending downhill” and ending in a campsite named Potato Bottom.  This campsite was purported to be at the site of a pioneer ranch where the rancher’s wife had an ample derriere, thus a Potato Bottom.

At lunch on this day we had a really cool hike through a classic Utah slot canyon.  

At Potato Bottom we camped alongside the Green River, and were able with the use of a raft strap secured to the shoreside vegetation to dunk ourselves in the water to cool off, 

I also witnessed a really cool phenomenon which I had never seen before, and that was of a bee swarm.  

Another of our riders had stated that one of the cottonwoods nearby had a bee’s nest within it’s trunk.  As I was setting up my tent close to that tree, I heard a buzzing, and looked up into the tree to see a black swirling mass within the branches. It almost looked like a solid form but was undulating and shifting in shape.  The swirling continued in an ever increasing circumference the bees beginning to spread out and enlarge the circumference of their airspace.  Additionally, they began to favor a direction and that direction was towards me.  I quickly realized that soon the swarm would be flying over me.  I stood statue like still and planned to dive UNDER my tent if this swarm noticed me as a threat and decided to turn its wrath upon me.  Luckily that never happened, and the swarm continued to migrate towards the river, and I never saw it return.  

On Day 4 of the White Rim Trail trip, the heat was back, and to get a jump on this short day, we got on the trail about an hour earlier.  We did start with a pretty significant grade up without much warm up.  The climb was about 400 feet and on a hill called “Hard Scrabble”. But as always what goes up must come down, and that is the reward of mountain biking efforts, is the fast and fun downhills.

Enroute to our final climb out was a “stashed” cache of artifacts, broken pottery, flints etc. that the Western Spirit guides had collected and hidden for the tours.  

Day 4’s significant feature was the 1000 or so foot climb out to end our ride.  Mercifully, due to our early start the walls of the switchbacks threw some shade our way, and the climb was long but not so so taxing.  It was great to be at the top, and we observed some 20 something year old “kids’  packing their parachutes, and then we saw these BASE jumpers run and dive off the canyon from a point within our view.  A fitting display to end our ride within the White Rim Trail.

That evening we had a cabin at the Moab KOA.  The showers were well received, and our cabin was a cozy affair, with one double bed and 4 bunk beds.  We all did laundry, and regrouped after 3 nights of camping in a tent.  Also got some good finds at the Moab thrift shop.  We ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant with Dave and Sad and had a small campfire at the cabin’s fire pit.  

Next morning we again went Mexican.  We met Syd and Dave at my favorite Mexican restaurant, Gillibertos.  True Baja Mex, chorizo burritos.  

Out Rt. 313, we went to a mountain biking trail area called Navajo Rocks.  We rode an absolutely killer downhill for 18 miles starting at the Chilsom Trail.  It was some of the best trails we’d ever ridden, and it made for a really cool Go Pro video, link to follow…

Day 2 in Moab:

Got an early shuttle.  Even though the name was Hazard County, our driver/owner, Geoff did not have a permit for Hazard County.  So, doing some quick rethinking, Mac and Tom decided to ask Geoff to take up to Mag 7, a good call as he said , yes.

Mag 7 was fun for the downhill sections, but although better, the wash/river bed was still at the bottom of Arth’s corner, as well as the dirt road climbout, we finished in the Outerbike location parking lot.  

Day 3 in Moab:

We have slept in the cabin at Rim Park Campground, and today we check out, and it was a short day of riding.  Slick Rock Rec Area where we shuttled to Falcon Flow, and bombed it’s 5.8 miles, ending near Slick Rock, and doing a little riding there.  It was our 7th day, and taking it slow and a short day was fine.

Pics and vids to follow, but what a great week plus in a world class mountain bike destination.