Recent Moab Trip

[brentg]

Well I just got back from my trip to Moab. My only advice for those who have not yet been to Moab is get there! Trails are everywhere, the scenery is like riding on Mars, the town is very cool, and the trip is actually very inexpensive. We drove to Salt Lake City the first day, and then got to the first riding area at about noon on the second day. Our first ride was Monitor and Merrimac. This is a good warm up for those of us who have not been on a bike in a couple of months. It has great views, some slickrock, some ledgy climbs, some sandy whoops, and a lot of incredible views. The next day was Fins N Things. This is a lot of slickrock fins and climbs with amazing views. Slickrock is petrified sand dunes. If you have never ridden on it, it’s a totally unique experience. It looks smooth, but it is not. It looks like a relaxing ride, but it is not. If you ride fast, it works you. If you ride slowly, it works you harder. The traction is insane. You almost can’t slip or slide on it. Riding on a cross hill or up a steep hill is actually easy, as long as you don’t loop out. From Fins N Things we joined onto Porcupine Rim. This was the most difficult trail we were on. Lots of rocks and ledges and big chunks of the trail had a sheer drop on one side. Kind of freaked me out in a few spots. Mountain bikers have taken over part of the trail, so you get to a point where you have to turn around and go back. If you decide to take this route bring lots of gas and water and be sure to sign in and out at the porcupine rim trailhead. The third day was Hook & Ladder. This area is a must for dirt riders. We rode hard all day and probably covered a quarter of the available trails we rode through high desert, sand valleys, slickrock, rocky hills, tree lined singletrack, and even snow. This was a great day and I came back to town very tired. The fourth day we started out in an area called White Wash Sand Dunes. This is an area where sand has been swept along and dropped along the edge of the cliffs. The sand is soft and deep and a ton of fun to ride through. You can also climb up onto some of the Buttes that dot the area for a different challenge. There is also a trail that leads back into a box canyon that you can ride into. It is a fast trail with some fun and lots of opportunities to try climbing sandy hills. Everywhere you look around this area looks like you are in the middle of a western movie and the sand dunes make it worth the drive. We rode this area for the morning and then headed to the sovereign trail system on the way back to town. More great riding here. We found some really cool singletrack trails here. It would be fast flowy trails, then slickrock, then some climbing, then more of the flowy rocky stuff. Great trail system and I highly recommend the area. There were so many areas to ride it would take months to see it all. That is why I am going back every year. Last week in February is a great time to be in Moab. The weather is great, the trails are almost empty, the hotels are half price, and it is way too cold in Calgary.

[brentg]

[brentg]

[brentg]

[brentg]

[brentg]

[brentg]

I will try and get some video up in the next couple of days.

[Rod]

Sounds like a great trip! Thanks for the report, I'm definitely going to hit some of those areas in April!

[brentg]

Rod, you will have a blast. There are so many places to ride that the toughest part of the trip is choosing. I'll bring my latitude 40 maps to the next meeting for you. They give descriptions and directions for all of the most popular areas. Very helpful for planning your days.

[Rod]

Sounds great! I have a couple of older Lat 40 maps here Moab West (with a copy write date of 2008) and Moab East (2006). Are those the ones you used?

[brentg]

Those are the same ones I have. Ill bring mine anyways, just in case they have added anything.

[brentg]

Bit of video if you are interested. This is the Hook & Ladder ATV trail system.

http://vimeo.com/20720215

[AJRJ]

Looks awesome, thanks for posting

[Fordwheeler]

Nice video, looks like a fun place to ride.

[Shibby!]

Great stuff!


Someday I hope to ride Moab. Looks like a tonne of fun!