The Moab Trip Thread

[altagirl]

I was a little concerned about the weather heading down to Moab, but it ended up being perfect. I rolled into town at about 3:30, met up with Rotney and his wife. We found a campsite and headed out for a short dirt bike ride on Kane Creek while we were waiting for Mr.AG, who had been working down in St. George. Can't believe how much it's rained down there - the trail is totally different than it was a couple weeks ago.

Saturday morning we met up and did Porcupine. (No upper sections because the snow level is too low.) We had a total of like 19 people - biggest group I've ever ridden with out there, and miraculously, only had one flat in the group the whole ride. Lots of fast, talented riders (with sweet bikes to drool over) - it was a very fun group to ride with.

Loved my new bike - it climbs so well and took the drops no problem. It would be nice to have a bigger bike when you're barreling over the rocks, but it handled it well and I was able to climb sections I've never made it up before, go into technical sections with more momentum, and I had no problems riding anything downhill. I'm definitely happy with my purchase.

Yesterday we stopped and rode Sovreign on the way home. I had heard it's pretty uncrowded, but I guess the word is out - it was packed - which on a multi-directional singletrack got a little old. Fun trail though - just technical enough to keep things interesting, with some nice flowing sections.

Anyway, we had a great weekend and it was great riding Porcupine with you guys!

[CS]

Ahhh, yes, it's always good to see the red rock of southern Utah. Unfortunately, the rock showed a deeper hue of red due to rain saturation upon our arrival early Thursday morning. A quick nap, rain on the tent, blue skies?, mad dash, crank some boulder problems, realize a winter spent away from the rock is not a good idea, here comes the rain (again), there goes the rain, slickrock meanderings, 2 broken chains (f-ing shimano), dinner in the tent, pitter patter of rain lulling me to sleep. Rain, rain, rain. All night long. And then...........

As night fades to day, so a unusual silence brings me out of slumber: it's not raining anymore. Hell, yes.

Telephil and flykdog arrive sometime at night. More friends roll in. It's off to Sovereign we go. The rain has actually helped us, wetting the sandy trail just enough to make it fast and smooth. As a trail, it's nothing real spectacular, but fun, with enough fast sections and jumps and drops to keep it interesting. As expected, Telephil sets a ridiculous pace. As promised, I don't even try to keep up.

After lunch and a quick nap for some, it's determined Amasa Back is in order. Once again, Telephil went aggro, and was soon out of sight. The boy charges, plain and simple.

Amasa and Porcupine are two of the best rides around. Technical climbing to kill the drudgery of going up, and fast, technical decents, with tons of drops and jumps to keep it spicey. Basically, these two rides were the inspiration to the puschase of the Bullit. And dammit if I don't love that bike even more. After severly cramping in both quads on Sovereign, I call it quits 2\3 the way up Amasa, feeling the same vice grips start to creep into my legs. Flyk and a couple buddies did the same and we were treated with a show only Moab can provide. Sun low on the horizon, lighting up the rims and buttes, casting shadows in the fins, gold rock set ablaze in the warm light.

Then, it was on. Down, down, down. Drop this, jump that. Pillage, plunder. Turn around and see all the fellas doing the same, and if not, getting a good heckling for their lack of, uh, gumption.

Saturday, dawns blue and pure, the white of the La Sals a perfect contrast to the red desert below. Meet up with the Altagirls, Particle, and some friends of theirs. As told, a solid crew of 19 or so. We bid goodbye to Telephil in now typical fashion, as he mashes the gears and goes up, as if a normal person would go down. In due time, we all make it up, gasp at the crowds, gawk at the views, and revel in the awaiting melee. Another short climb awaits, then it is on, again.

And dammit if these guys don't ride fast. Mr. Altagirl and Rotney leading a pace that has us just killing the downhill. So much fun to follow those guys and do all that I could just to keep up. In typical fashion, the ride gives it up in ample quantities with enough drops, jumps and rock gardens to keep anybody on a big squishy happy. One flat, many bumps, and multiple grins later, the road is reached, the end found.

Dammit if that's not one of the best rides ever. Was sweet to meet and ride with the Altagirls and Particle, as well as flykdog and Telephil.

See you all back there in October.

[homerjay]

Tell me more about Soveriegn (sp?). Where is the trailhead? How long is it? PM me if it's supposed to be secret or something.

Porcupine is a classic...surprised Phil didn't loop it from town.

[altagirl]

Sovreign's not secret - it's just new. There are two trailheads for Sovreign - you can get to it from Dalton Wells road or Willow Springs road. Easy to find, well marked with blue sprockets on the slickrock sections. There's also a Sovreign ATV trail, which is mostly sand, and you don't want that, but there are those brown trail markers that tell you which is which - you're looking for the singletrack. Probably best as an out and back, but it can be looped.

Review, map, GPS, and pictures:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/sovergn.htm

[Particle]

Great. Now I want a BIG squishy bike even more. Not that mine isn't squishy; I just want something like CS' Bullit w/ a big-ass double crown on it and super slack angles. Not this year anyway...

Great riding w/ everyone! I'll post a more detailed report w/ some pics later tonight.

[Mr. Altagirl]

Awesome finally ridding with you guys. I've never seen Porcupine so crowded but it was still a blast (once we got to the top). It was really fun riding with you guys, the talent level was pretty high in our group and showed as we made our way down. Big props to Phil, that guy is a hammer and hangs just fine on the down hills.

CS, you are going to be the reason I break the bank this year and finally get a Bullitt, nice ride. Now I just need the nuts to hit the jumps harder and spring (I swear you have some rabbit in you).

Particle, sorry we missed you later. Our phones don't work out at the camp site and then Rotney and I ended up having a BUNCH of beers Saturday night. I always seem ready for a beer or ten afer a good Porcupine ride .

[jayfrizzo]

Pics, foos!

[homerjay]

Originally posted by altagirl
Sovreign's not secret - it's just new. There are two trailheads for Sovreign - you can get to it from Dalton Wells road or Willow Springs road. Easy to find, well marked with blue sprockets on the slickrock sections. There's also a Sovreign ATV trail, which is mostly sand, and you don't want that, but there are those brown trail markers that tell you which is which - you're looking for the singletrack. Probably best as an out and back, but it can be looped.

Review, map, GPS, and pictures:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/sovergn.htm

Thanks AG! Quite the trail review, complete with detailed geological information!

[zion zig zag]

Telephil, ready to go again, when everyone else just got there:


CS and non maggot buddy when we stopped to enjoy the view on Amassa Back:


CS being himself on Amassa:


CS's non-maggot friend:

[zion zig zag]

scenic Amassa:


more scenery:



Sorry no pics from saturday on porcupine. What a fun trip, good people to hang with, good riding, time to go back.

[Telephil]

By far the coolest moab trip I've ever been on, so much fun. Good riding, good friends, etc, etc.

Kind of sucked initially, flykdog and I meet in Provo in hopes to leave by 10:15, be in Moab by 2 AM, should've even been 1:30. Finally pull in at 3:30 after messing with the rack for 45 minutes and missing HW-6 to price....twice.

Oh well, such a sweet crew to ride with, especially the size of the porcupine group. CS is a sick fella, never dreamed of hitting stuff that big, nor will I ever. Never been so jealous of a bike in my life as I am of Altagirl's. I will have one.

Can't wait to go back.

[p-tex]

Just got back....

Well, sorry I missed everyone but we ended up having a good bunch from Denver and Summit land for 6 days spent riding various trails. Went to Amasa around 4 on Sat thinking I might see a few but got a msg from Particle the next day saying everyone was tired. Oh well, we ended up having a great ride on Amasa Sat and followed it up with a SERIOUS drinking session that nite. Everyone was so hungover on Sun that we had to ride Gemini Bridges (gawd that ride sucks) and then called it a day to start drinking again. Monday was a great day and we knocked out the Porcupine loop. Sand Flats road is not that bad - I still say that looping it is the best way to do it. Tuesday we hit a different ride up an old mine road/path near Harrah Pass that eventually found it's way to Amasa and road that back down to Kane Creek road and back out to camp. Not sure what that is called but it's pretty fun and clearly almost never ridden. If you have the chance to check that ride out I'll give you some more details. It has a wicked portage in the middle and NO it is not the Jackson's Hole / Jacob's Ladder ride (this ride is on top of that bluff you are looking at when you're riding Jackson's Hole). Wednesday was Sovereign trail. If you just do the 1st 7 miles as an out and back, you missed some serious fun rolling single track that is at mile 10ish. Thursday was interesting with the weather turning on us but we ended up riding from camp again this time over Harrah Pass to Chicken Corners back to Jackson's Hole/Jacob's Ladder to Amasa back to the unnamed trail mentioned above and back to camp. Turned into a 7 hour ordeal due to some weather delays but all in all still fun even with all the dirt road. The rain started about halfway through that ride and continued all night into the next day. Had planned to go to Fruita on Friday and get in a good single track ride we found down near Rabbit Valley but due to all the mud and a general malaise about the crew we packed it in and made our way back to Summit and got our drink on.

On an equipment note: MY NEW BIKE ROCKS!!! Klien Palimino - wow, climbs great and has enough cush for the down (but not the big hits on Amasa that I saw the pics of, I'm impressed but it's just not my type of riding). Hope that we'll hook up some other time/place and get in some rides. What sucks is that I left my cycling shoes at camp!!! Damn expensive ones too. Oh well - you gotta pay to play sometimes with blood other times with the wallet.