05/10/15 - Biking Moab, UT

For the Youtube video of the trip click here: Adventure 2015: Episode 1: Moab, Utah

After a long, very busy, and very successful winter it is time for another summer adventure!  This summer I have decided to focus on my mountain biking skills since last summer I focused on my climbing skills.  I am planning on driving to all the top mountain biking destinations in the Western US and exploring all the best trails this region has to offer!  The trip started off in a very familiar destination, Moab, UT.  I have been traveling to Moab twice a year for about 15 years now, and there are still new trails to explore!  This trip I checked three new trails off the list.  I rode the Pothole Arch, Rockstacker, and Jackson trails in the Amasa Back system, the Klonzo trail system, and the Mag 7 trail.  The Rockstacker and Jackson trails are super fun.  There are about two super technical sections on each that were some of the most challenging I have ever ridden.  Cleaning those on the first try left me very stoked for the rest of the week!

Pothole Arch

Jeremy at the Captain Ahab Overlook

 My friends Hailee, Jenn, and Kari arrived from Vail on Thursday night so the next day we started with a much more mellow ride at the Klonzo trail system.  The Klonzo system is a great place to take someone who is a beginner mountain biker.  There aren't any technical sections or steep climbs so it is a great area to build your confidence and get ready for some of the more difficult trails that Moab has to offer.  After Klonze we headed back to camp and awaited the arrival of Candice and Jeremy before we started the second ride of the day.  For our second ride we returned back to the Amasa Back trail system to ride the Hymasa and Captain Ahab trails, a group favorite.  With nasty looking rain clouds on the horizon we packed up our rain gear and rode out from camp.  About 3/4's of the way to the top Kari and Hailee decided to turn at the Lower Ahab cutoff while Jeremy and I continued on to the top.  The rain began right at about the same time we began our descent, but it was only a drizzle.  I think we had ridden down about 200 yards when Jeremy had one of the biggest endo's I have ever seen!  We sat down for about five minutes while he composed himself and then continued on; a little dazed and bruised, but otherwise intact.  We continued to descend while the rain continued to increase in intensity.  About 3/4's of the way down the lightning really started in earnest.  I spotted a little alcove and parked there while I waited for Jeremy to catch up.  We sat there protected from the rain and lightning and debated whether we should try to wait out the storm or just go for it.  Looking at the clouds it didn't seem to me like the storm was going to end any time soon so I told Jeremy we should probably just go for it.  The rest of the descent just got muddier and wetter and my confidence in the traction on the sandstone really began to waver.  I was still able to ride everything, but I approached all off camber sections with much more caution than usual.  Luckily we made it down to camp, soaking wet, but with no further incident.  The girls, however, were mildly panicked by how long it took us to make it back and were starting to make plans on organizing a search party!  The rest of the MMS crew arrived later that night and we made plans to ride the Mag 7 trail

Breaking my fork on the Mag 7

the next day.  The Mag 7 trail starts at the top of the Gemini Bridges road and connects seven singletrack trails along the NW rim of Moab and finishes with the Portal Trail down to the Colorado River.  The start of the Mag 7 is pretty mellow Moab singletrack.  Just some fun and flowy singletrack.  I saw a big toilet bowl drop and decided to break up the monotony and go for it.  Unfortunately I managed to break my fork on the landing of the drop and had to ride the rest of the trail without front suspension!  Once we got on to the Gold Bar trail the action really got started.  The Gold Bar 4x4 road and Gold Bar rim singletrack were chock full of super technical drops and climbs.  I absolutely loved every minute of it, even without front

suspension, but some of our group really had their hands full.  At this point we had been riding for about 16 miles and were about an hour behind schedule so we decided to split up into a fast and slow group so the fast group could get to the bottom and let the shuttle drivers know that we were all OK.  I stayed with the slower group, which I think helped me stay fresh for the uber technical Portal trail.  I had ridden the Portal trail once before but it was about seven years ago.  I had some vague impressions of walking a lot of the trail, but nothing specific.  Once we got on the Portal though, I just kept riding and riding and waiting for the part where

Gnarly Exposure on the Portal Trail

I was going to get super sketched out by the exposure and the technical challenge!  Once I got to the sign that says, "DISMOUNT NOW! DO NOT TRY TO RIDE OVER THIS ROCK!  RIDERS HAVE DIED HERE! 200 FOOT FALL!" I remembered that I was going to be walking for the next 100 yards or so.  But after going over the rock and looking at the trail I just climbed right back on the saddle and kept going!  Through the bottom section the exposure goes away but the trail gets much rockier.  I managed to ride the whole thing while only putting my foot down a couple times so I have either gotten a lot better at riding since my first attempt at the trail, or my head was just more in the game.  Either way, I absolutely love the Mag 7 trail and now want to do it every time I am in Moab!  I dropped my bike off at the #ChiliPepperBikeShop to see if they could rebuild my fork while the rest of the crew rode the Bar M loops.  The next day I rented a bike and we headed up to Porcupine Rim.  In all the years that we have been coming to Moab, somehow Jenn had never ridden

Porcupine Rim Start Group (Me, Hailee, Kari, Jenn)

Porcupine!  I am not sure exactly how that is possible, but today that was going to change!  Hailee was coming to exorcise some demons since the last time she rode this trail she ended up with a 4" gash on her shin.  The weather was very chilly and looked like it might rain so we bundled up and headed down the Upper singletrack section.  There is one really tech double switchback in this section that I have never rode cleanly on the first try, but today that changed!  I managed to clean the first switchback and, while I can't ride the second switchback clean, I managed to ride the drop afterwards on the

first try!  Jenn had somehow, I don't know how this is possible, but somehow had never gotten a flat tire on a trail before.  After riding a mile or two of Porcupine her front tire went flat!  After bagging her first ever flat tire I think Jenn really started to feel like a mountain biker.  She was riding all the drops and technical sections on the trail!  After riding another couple of miles she was charging so hard she got her second flat tire!  The rear one went flat this time, so another quick tube change and we made it the rest of the way down with no incidents and some really solid riding from everyone in the group.  Hailee rode past her demon rock with nary a flinch!  Somehow I managed to snap my rear derailleur cable, but I had gotten the damage waiver on the rental bike so I didn't have to worry about it.  After a successful day on Porcupine I headed to the bike shop to discover that they could not rebuild my fork, however they did have a brand new fork that they would sell to me for 40% off, which I had no other option but to accept.  So $750 later I now have a brand new fork on my once again fully functioning bike and I am headed to Green River, Utah to ride some natural dirt spines!  I have never really done this style of riding before so I am mostly excited, but a little bit nervous.  Next update to follow in about a week!