Colin W.
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Madison, WI
I got back from my trip to Moab Wednesday, and what a trip it was. I am sad to report that it was a mountain biking specific trip, and due to high gas prices and me being a poor college student, the Cherokee had to sit this one out.
We left here, (Rockford, IL), Thursday the 14th, and just over 20 hours later we arrived in Moab to check into our Super 8. We couldn't check in until 3:30, and due to a miscalculation on the time it took to get there, we arrived at about 5:30 in the morning. So we killed time at Arches National Park, which was only a glimpse into the scenery to come.
Since fatigue and testosterone don't make a good combination, we decided to do the Slick Rock Bike Trail practice loop that first day after we checked in. 105 degrees, no shade, and no sleep for 32 hours makes 2.5 miles stretch out forever. I went through all 3 liters of water I brought with me that first trip. But we learned our lesson.
The next day we did Klondike Bluffs Trail, and that went amazingly better. Up at 5 A.M., on the trail at 6. That would become the routine for the rest of the rides. Klondike Bluffs was fun, not amazingly technical, but there were a few challenging spots, and a good technique was needed for the few cracks we ran across.
Sunday we ran Amasa Back, which might be better known to most people here as Cliffhanger. Now we got to the technical stuff, and it was definitely fun. We walked a few of the hills that stalled us out, but we made it up a lot more stuff than I thought we would, so I was pleasantly surprised. The descent back down was probably the most fun part of the trip. While it did take a toll on our hands and arms with all of us riding hardtails, all the rock ledges and drop-offs made it worth while.
Monday we decided to go on the actual Slick Rock Trail, and that went about 10000% better than the practice loop that first day. By my odometer it was 9.7 miles, and by far the most grueling 9.7 miles I've ever biked. Steep climbs and even steeper descents made for an all-around good time.
Tuesday we had to check out, so we ran an easier trail. We didn't know just how easy it would be with the shuttle taking us to the top and only doing it one way. Gemini Bridges itself was awesome, but the bike trail was nothing to worry about. We averaged 15.7 miles an hour for the first 7 miles, which is something I've never done before.
And that was it for this trip. We took about 4.5 liters of water per person on the trail after that first day, as well as energy bars. Every run we were off the trail by 10 A.M., so I feel that we made some pretty good choices safety-wise. It was definitely the most fun I've ever had mountain biking, (except that time I convinced my lady-friend to go with me, but that wasn't so much the mountain biking that made it fun), amd I am looking forward to going back over my Spring Break this year. Hopefully this time I'll have the Jeep with me and will be able to run a few trails.
Pictures are hosted on my storage account through UIUC, so you have to view each one individually. I'll be the one either in the yellow jersey, or the blue Kona Jersey.
The address is, https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/cmwilso1/shared
Most of the pictures are scenery shots, we tried getting action shots a few times, but it seemed way to cheesy to say, "Ok, I'm going to go up there, and after you get to here, I'm going to take a picture", and it just made us feel like posers.
If you made it this far, thanks for the read. And if you have any suggestions on any other good bike trails in the Moab area, or even are in the Rockford area and want to run some trails around here, let me know.
We left here, (Rockford, IL), Thursday the 14th, and just over 20 hours later we arrived in Moab to check into our Super 8. We couldn't check in until 3:30, and due to a miscalculation on the time it took to get there, we arrived at about 5:30 in the morning. So we killed time at Arches National Park, which was only a glimpse into the scenery to come.
Since fatigue and testosterone don't make a good combination, we decided to do the Slick Rock Bike Trail practice loop that first day after we checked in. 105 degrees, no shade, and no sleep for 32 hours makes 2.5 miles stretch out forever. I went through all 3 liters of water I brought with me that first trip. But we learned our lesson.
The next day we did Klondike Bluffs Trail, and that went amazingly better. Up at 5 A.M., on the trail at 6. That would become the routine for the rest of the rides. Klondike Bluffs was fun, not amazingly technical, but there were a few challenging spots, and a good technique was needed for the few cracks we ran across.
Sunday we ran Amasa Back, which might be better known to most people here as Cliffhanger. Now we got to the technical stuff, and it was definitely fun. We walked a few of the hills that stalled us out, but we made it up a lot more stuff than I thought we would, so I was pleasantly surprised. The descent back down was probably the most fun part of the trip. While it did take a toll on our hands and arms with all of us riding hardtails, all the rock ledges and drop-offs made it worth while.
Monday we decided to go on the actual Slick Rock Trail, and that went about 10000% better than the practice loop that first day. By my odometer it was 9.7 miles, and by far the most grueling 9.7 miles I've ever biked. Steep climbs and even steeper descents made for an all-around good time.
Tuesday we had to check out, so we ran an easier trail. We didn't know just how easy it would be with the shuttle taking us to the top and only doing it one way. Gemini Bridges itself was awesome, but the bike trail was nothing to worry about. We averaged 15.7 miles an hour for the first 7 miles, which is something I've never done before.
And that was it for this trip. We took about 4.5 liters of water per person on the trail after that first day, as well as energy bars. Every run we were off the trail by 10 A.M., so I feel that we made some pretty good choices safety-wise. It was definitely the most fun I've ever had mountain biking, (except that time I convinced my lady-friend to go with me, but that wasn't so much the mountain biking that made it fun), amd I am looking forward to going back over my Spring Break this year. Hopefully this time I'll have the Jeep with me and will be able to run a few trails.
Pictures are hosted on my storage account through UIUC, so you have to view each one individually. I'll be the one either in the yellow jersey, or the blue Kona Jersey.
The address is, https://netfiles.uiuc.edu/cmwilso1/shared
Most of the pictures are scenery shots, we tried getting action shots a few times, but it seemed way to cheesy to say, "Ok, I'm going to go up there, and after you get to here, I'm going to take a picture", and it just made us feel like posers.
If you made it this far, thanks for the read. And if you have any suggestions on any other good bike trails in the Moab area, or even are in the Rockford area and want to run some trails around here, let me know.
