Moab Trip Report: A Tale of Obsession

[watersnowdirt]

So on June 5, Arty50, lph and I all piled into Arty's sweet new ride with only 600 miles on it and began to head East. With 4 bikes on board, a DVD player, one very handy Bluetooth PDA, and lots of good snacks from Ikeda's in Auburn ("that Swedish FURNITURE store sells snacks???" said lph at one point...), we set out for the promised land.... Moab, Utah.

After 15 or so hours in the car, many pitstops (I have a small bladder, what can I say?), one wrong turn, and one game of Name that Tune (I crushed Arty ), we rolled into Moab, where at 1:30 am it was 75 degrees... Aw yeah....

lph had set us up in a great condo facing West, so we could catch some sweet sunsets. Despite the fact that the living room was so small we had to take turns sitting on the couch, it was a far cry above the camping we usually had done.

Tuesday morning, after a killer breaky at Jailhouse cafe, we set out for Flat Pass, a ride we could embark on right from the condo. "This will be a good starter ride", we all thought.

The beginning of Flat Pass is about 7 miles on the road. Into the wind. I drafted lph and thus it was pretty pain free for me (ironic that I got the free ride, since I have the lightest bike of the three of us ). We pulled up to the gravel road, and after a fairly pain free climb, started our descent.

Imagine our surprise when the trail dead ends to a river. "Where's the trail?" I asked. lph pointed to the river. Turns out we had to do a little river crossing to get back on the trail. That was the first of many....

Flat Pass turned out to be a very fun trail - lots of little ledges to hop off, plenty of challenge, and some good fast sections. I was working on bunny hopping off of ledges, though with mixed success. About 10 minutes after we put our armor on, I took a nice endo off a ledge that was far too big to roll off of. Bruised my knee right through the armor, knocked the wind out of me, and basically gave me a good reality check on where I was.

After dusting myself off, we continued on. Three more river crossings later, we were flying down the road back to our condo. We took a much needed dip in the pool, headed into town for some equipment issues, came back and mixed up some gin and tonics to check out our first Moab sunset of the week.

I already knew I wouldn't want to leave at the end of the week...

(to be continued).

[Telenater]

TPIWWP...

Looking forward to the rest (with pictures please).

BTW, The Check is actually in the mail....

[Particle]

I really enjoy Flat Pass...but riding the full loop with road? no thanks! shuttling is the way to go...

[Arty50]

You're all a bunch of Sallies. I hadn't ridden since November and that road ride wasn't that bad. Oh wait, I forgot about the headwind...nevermind, it sucked. Patiently awaiting the rest. An excellent start so far...except for mentioning Name that Tune.

(thanks for writing this WSD, I'm all tr'd out after this winter)

[watersnowdirt]

On Day 2 we figured we'd go right to the goods - Porcupine Rim.

I'd only ridden Porcupine Rim once - 4 years ago when I'd only been mountain biking for 2 months, and I did it on a hardtail with brand new clipless pedals. This time was a far more rewarding experience.

The climb up is a good test of technical climbing skills. Lots of sections that require a bit of finesse and a lot of power to get up and over some rocky ledges. After several miles of climbing with extraordinary views, you arrive at the lookout, where you load up on clif shots and get ready for 10 miles of pretty thrilling downhill.

What can be said of the Porcupine Rim downhill? In my mind, it just doesn't get much better. Your brains rattle around in your head as you fly over the less than smooth terrain. You have so many different lines to pick - it's a true luxury for those of us used to Northern California riding where there tend not be to a variety of lines through technical downhill.

We played around a bit on some double drops. We took our time - revisited the "Diving Board" where Arty apparently crushed himself the last visit.

The final section of Porcupine Rim is simply breathtaking. Very technical singletrack cliffside. Several sections are vertigo inducing, and the thought of a wrong move turns your stomach as you consider the tumble- 300 or so feet into the river.

The final descent into Jackass Canyon is not rideable for mere mortals. As we hoofed our bikes into it, we contemplated what lines someone would actually take to manage the several frightening drops and awkward lines.

The bottom of Porcupine Rim drops you to the road, where after a long day, you still have to ride back to town. After filling up with water at the spring fed spigot, we wearily rode back to town, a bit wiped out, but all smiles.

(to be continued).

(and Arty and lph - anytime you want to pipe in or add pictures, be my guest!! hint hint...)

[altagirl]

I'd only ridden Porcupine Rim once - 4 years ago when I'd only been mountain biking for 2 months, and I did it on a hardtail with brand new clipless pedals. This time was a far more rewarding experience.

Aahhh... memories. I also rode it about 5 years ago when I'd only been mountain biking for a matter of months - mostly in Alabama. And Mr.AG looked at the guidebook and said "We'll start out with Slickrock in the morning and Porcupine in the afternoon" In August. Good God. Needless to say we didn't make it to Porc on Day 1. We did it on Day 2 and I think it took... 5 hours or so? (Because I pretty much walked anything techincal uphill or downhill.) Holy crap. I've never been so tired in my life - it was pure survival at the end and I was miserable for days afterwards. Now I get to the end and we're like - should we go for another ride tonight? Let's do that again tomorrow. It's so funny now looking back...

[lph]

Nice write up so far, WSD! I can't wait to hear what happens next!!

I will try to get some pics up as soon as I can to go along with these great descriptions.

I will say that contemplating this last trip to Moab made me realize that there is one negative to living in Tahoe and that is that I am a full days drive away from Moab.

[altagirl]

Ever hear of a shuttle?

They did once we showed up.

[Telenater]

I will say that contemplating this last trip to Moab made me realize that there is one negative to living in Tahoe and that is that I am a full days drive away from Moab.

Sooo, When do you want to go and explore the CA slickrock at Loon lake? It should be close to melted out....

[lph]

Ever hear of a shuttle?

Ah, yeah, of course we shuttled. But with only one car we didn't really have the opportunity to leave one at the bottom.

Nater, it is gonna be a while before this thumb lets me ride such a technical loop. The thumb is pretty loose, probably won't need surgery, but it still hurts like an SOB.

[watersnowdirt]

So Day 3 - we're starting to feel a teeny bit sore - but still amped up.

We decide it's a good day for Amasa Back.

Amasa Back is great because after a very short climb, you immediately get a good dose of hair raising technical downhill. It's a short section, but definitely one you need to pick your line down. I found probably the easiest and most manageable line for me, and lph found a tougher one. Following that, you ride across a little creek, and begin the ascent up technical sections - the same ones you''ll be riding down for the descent, since it's an out and back.

Again, this is a great test of technical climbing skills. Riding in Moab is unique in that your tires grip the slickrock "like paint to a canvas". You find yourself climbing sections that at least back in here in the Bay Area, would stymie you due to loose conditions.

Along the way Arty and lph pointed out the "CS huck" and various other tricky sections that were burlier than anything I'd ever do.

The top of the climb greets you with another great view, and then you turn right around and start back down. The down hill has sections that are screaming fast, technical, and lots of little sections that you can just play around on.

At one point, I came around a corner to see Arty sitting on the ground next to his bike, looking a bit dazed. I had a feeling he wasn't just resting. Turns out he'd dropped a ledge that he thought was a bit smaller, took a massive endo, smacked his head on a rock (wear your helmets, kids!!) and got his bike all in a twist (cue pic from lph's camera). After he caught his breath a bit, we were back at it.

Amasa Back is a great place to test out your ledge dropping skills and bunny hopping skills. Plenty of areas that are the equivalent of a jib park. You can mess around with different lines, double drops, triple drops, etc.

The end of the ride takes you back up the initial technical section, which would be an impressive climb for a superhuman. Then back to the car, and that's all she wrote.

(to be continued - Day 3 evening).

[CS]

Amasa Back is a great place to test out your ledge dropping skills and bunny hopping skills. Plenty of areas that are the equivalent of a jib park. You can mess around with different lines, double drops, triple drops, etc.

So true. I think I get more tired on the ride down trying to jump off everything possible and launch off every little rock ramp I see. Love that ride.

Very cool write-up WSD, I'm diggin it, but "CS huck"??? Wha??

And it also pains me to hear you got a condo in a place that offers up some of the best camping spots the world can provide. Bunch of California softies...

Keep bringin' it!

[lph]

So true. I think I get more tired on the ride down trying to jump off everything possible and launch off every little rock ramp I see. Love that ride.

Very cool write-up WSD, I'm diggin it, but "CS huck"??? Wha??

And it also pains me to hear you got a condo in a place that offers up some of the best camping spots the world can provide. Bunch of California softies...

Keep bringin' it!

Yeah, we ARE soft and proud of it! Almost every night we sat and watched the sunset from our patio with a Gin and Tonic and one of us (usually me) would say, "I am so glad I am not camping right now."

I think there was a picture posted of you hucking that ledge halfway up/down Amasa back a year or two ago, the one where all the jeeps get hung up on their ascent.

[altagirl]

Yeah, we ARE soft and proud of it! Almost every night we sat and watched the sunset from our patio with a Gin and Tonic and one of us (usually me) would say, "I am so glad I am not camping right now."

We may just be a group of pyromaniacs, but I can't give up the campfire. Or S'Mores. Camping kicks ass. (Though I have to admit, we're about as soft as campers get. Tons of blankets, chairs, tables, mixed drinks, grills, stoves, shower every day at Poison Spider... Though Darren took the prize for the biggest damn air mattress I've ever seen stuffed into a tent.)

[CS]

Yeah, we ARE soft and proud of it! Almost every night we sat and watched the sunset from our patio with a Gin and Tonic and one of us (usually me) would say, "I am so glad I am not camping right now."

I think there was a picture posted of you hucking that ledge halfway up/down Amasa back a year or two ago, the one where all the jeeps get hung up on their ascent.

Ha!

Ah, I recall that pic and know of the spot. Fun little drop.

Did you hurt your thumb trying to ride down that super steep rocky/tree chute section on LPS (I think that's what it's called)? My punk buddy flashed that section and the one into the little creek near the end of the Porcupine singletrack. Yeah, I hate that guy. Anyways, hope the thumb heals up fast.

Oh, and you guys should make plans to hit up Brianhead over the 4th of July. If you think the Altagirls are fast in Moab, you should see them ripping the sublime wooded singletrack at Brianhead. The riding is on par with Downieville.... yeah, it's that good.[/enddreamythoughtsofhighalpinesingletrackhijack]

[lph]

I contemplated 'trying' to ride that section of LPS with the rocks and the hard right turn, but decided it was 'not in my best interest' after watching Mr. AG struggle with the very first move on his AS-X. So, i walked it as did everyone else. I then got back on my bike for the steep non-technical S turn just below it. Watched Arty and WSD almost fall trying to walk it, then started down. Made the left hand turn, back wheel went over that tiny ledge, back end went up off the ground, managed to prevent endo, only to go endo almost immediately after making what would have been a great save. fell to the right into some dead logs and reached out to protect my face and chest and probably caught my thumb on one the branches. Thumb got yanked back tearing the Ulnar Collateral Ligament. Although injured, I am proud of the fact that it was rated as a 9 out of 10 fall by the AG's!

I had WAY too much front brake going, should've controlled my speed with rear brake and just feathered the front.

OK, lemme see what I got on the camera. Won't be much of the AG's as they ride too fast to be captured on conventional cameras.

[watersnowdirt]

After kicking it at the condo for a great lunch of sandwiches and seriously yummy potato chips (nothing like a good dose of salt after sweating in the Utah sun), I was itching to explore a bit more, so lph and I set out for SlickRock Trail.

I hadn't done it, and we didn't get there till about 7 pm, so we decided to play around on the Practice Loop. For those who haven't been there, Slickrock is an amazing collection of rolling hills, that are not traditional dirt hills, but all rock. Your tires stick to this stuff, and you find yourself doing hills that are steeper than you'd think you can do. It's very roller coaster like out there - up one side, down the other side, then up the other side, then down the other side.

On a personal note, while I found it challenging and fun, I wasn't sad that we didn't do the whole thing. Having been loving the technical stuff that Porcupine Rim and Amasa Back was throwing at us, I just couldn't get into the feel of Slickrock. Hanging there for an hour was perfect, but unless I have several weeks in Moab, I can't see giving up a whole day there.

We did find some fun stuff to play around on though - like a little rock that allowed us to practice our "trial steeze" and a good little puddle waterfall that I climbed up, earning me dinner after lph bet me I couldn't do it (I know - just a big brother's way of motivating his sister).

At the end of the trail, we ran into a guy who asked us for some info on the area. We got to talking about bikes - he was on some crappy old beater but mentioned he had just ordered a Blur and was about to pick it up. I ride a Superlight and mentioned that the Blur was a great bike, and sort of a beefed up version of the Superlight.

To which he responds "Yeah, a lot of women ride the Superlight since the Blur is really meant for more rough riding."

To which I responded .

Stay tuned for Day 4 - when we meet up with the bestest hosts ever -the Altagirls.

[altagirl]

Made the left hand turn, back wheel went over that tiny ledge, back end went up off the ground, managed to prevent endo, only to go endo almost immediately after making what would have been a great save. Although injured, I am proud of the fact that it was rated as a 9 out of 10 fall by the AG's!

I had WAY too much front brake going, should've controlled my speed with rear brake and just feathered the front.

OK, lemme see what I got on the camera. Won't be much of the AG's as they ride too fast to be captured on conventional cameras.

Ha! The secret was just that I wanted to get my wreck out of the way early so you couldn't get it on film... I slid out on one of those right hand corners - too much brake - you've just gotta let go and really commit to the turns and just hold on until the bottom. Way easier said than done.

You shoud come out for practice today if you want to see some wrecking. I literally feel sick thinking about it right now... Remind me why racing is fun?

(I do love it, the whole feeling of pushing myself to do something I thought I couldn't, etc... but damn.)

Anyway we did have a hell of a vantage point for your endo. Hope the thumb is better soon. Those suck! So fun riding with you guys!!! Can't wait to make it out to CA sometime!

[Arty50]

At one point, I came around a corner to see Arty sitting on the ground next to his bike, looking a bit dazed. I had a feeling he wasn't just resting. Turns out he'd dropped a ledge that he thought was a bit smaller, took a massive endo, smacked his head on a rock (wear your helmets, kids!!) and got his bike all in a twist (cue pic from lph's camera). After he caught his breath a bit, we were back at it.

Heh. This was a glorious crash. There's a section about halfway down I guess that splits into two descents. The right side is fairly easy, but the left is really rocky with a couple of small ledges leading into a tall overhang. When I rode up on this section, I recognized it immediately. Since I was feeling really on, I decided to tame the left side. Naturally, I decided to go for the absolute hardest line. I was dialed...I was set...everything was in slow motion...the bottom ledge looked small (it's actually about a 3 foot overhang)...I had it...or so I thought. Lost too much speed off an upper ledge, tried to hop the overhang, failed, front tire to ground, rear tire directly above front tire, Arty shits pants, and then turns himself into a human pogo stick.


Cracked helmet...check
Bruised ego...check
Laughed at on the internet...check

Seriously though, I'm really thankful for that helmet. If I had been wearing a normal XC bike helmet, I would have shattered the thing. My head pogo'd directly on a rock.

[lph]

Arty, shoes off, doing the river crossing at the top:



WSD at one of the 3 lower river crossings, which I attempted to ride, with mixed success.

[lph]

WSD working the descent ever so smoothly on her superlight. (chic bike )







Arty shooting the slot on the singletrack portion. Caught his handlebars on the rock last year.



Arty hitting the little kicker at the bottom

[surftb15]

sweet TR man. im not an avid biker by all means, but sweet pictures

[lph]

WSD at the start of the ride



Arty crashes on the way up, decides he needs some sort of padding on his head set as he lays weeping in the fetal position.



Arty killing a little open slick rock section and launching a couple small ledges.





Arty goes off a slightly too big ledge with not enough speed due to the technical terrain above. here are the results:

Scene of the crime:


Bike:


Helmet damage is in the pic above.

[Spats]

Nice. I wish I was back there right now.

Looks like Arty bailed near where I did. I was bombing down and saw a trail split: the right side was slickrock with a couple ledges, the left side was a narrow bouldery chute that looked like an escalator had exploded. I got about halfway when SLAM! Suddenly I'm staring at dirt from very close range and my elbows are bleeding.

I had wedged my front wheel between two rocks. Instant endo. My knee hurt even through my knee guards...I probably would have broken my kneecap without them.

[Big E]

I always wonder about the choice of helmet + shin/knee pads + elbow pads + sleeveless shirt. I think it makes an interesting statement. I'm not sure what, exactly, but it's interesting.

I do it all the time too