Oct 7th - Porcupine Rim

Sunday morning we got up early to get the first shuttle for Porcupine so that we could get it in before driving back to Boulder.

Not a lot of photos as it is just to hard to stop and take photos on a ride as good as this one. Amber and I shuttled to the top of LPS. We had hoped to shuttle all the way up to Hazard but the weather the previous day had dropped a lot of snow up there and the shuttle decided not to take people that far.

I was really happy with how Amber and I both rode and we never saw anyone else from a full shuttle load of riders by the time we left the overlook. I found that somewhat surprising as one group was a big bike, full face helmet group and I thought for sure they would catch and pass us. I guess they must have taken to sessioning some of the play options along the way.


Amber on a steep roller up in LPS.


Riding along the rim with Castleton Tower visible in the background.


Scenic view as you head down the jeep road.


Near the end of the Jeep trail before starting out the single track.


Single track making its way down to river.


One of many fun technical sections.


Amber's turn.


Cruised it.


Heading on down.

Oct 6th - Babysteps

We had planned on doing Porcupine Rim but after waking up to rain we opted out of getting the shuttle and instead headed out on Babysteps once the weather cleared up later in the day.


There were some nice play sections in the first slick rock area.


Near the start of the first single track section.


Amber cleaning a fun section at the top of the first hill.


Heading out the start of the second single track section.


The second section has a lot of really nice sequences.


This is a much steeper and looser than it looks section.


That finishes with a fun obstacle.


Another much steeper than it looks move.


Babysteps is a great moderate trail that has lots of nice single track riding on it. It was very different being in the open desolate terrain and be riding single track after spending the summer riding single track amongst the trees or above the tree line.

Oct 5th - Gold Bar Blue dot & another unamed trail

Day 2 we decided to head out and do Gold Bar single track - or Blue Dot as is now starting to become known as. This was an "illegal" trail put up a few years ago that is in none of the guide books but that is very well known and regularly ridden. It has is now in the preferred option management plan proposal by BLM to be a part of 70 new miles of official single track riding if the plan is passed.

It also happens to be one my favorite rides in Moab!

As we were getting ready a large group of riders went by and headed up the same trail. As Amber and I started up the trail we came across someone swearing at his bike as he changed a flat tire.It was Lee Lau from British Columbia. I had long been a fan of his posts on MTBR and his blog spot and he constantly adds more to my mental checklist of places to visit and ride. Apparently he was having a bad stint of flat tires on the ride ride up Gemini.


Amber starting into the trail. Just out of the picture is a steep off-camber section of the trail that Amber had always struggled with because it looks intimidating - this time she cruised it until she hit her pedal on the rock. It was a good sign of progression.


This is the tail end of the Canadian crew that caught up to us as we realized Moab had dropped a doggy shoe and Amber went back to look for it. It was great to watch their lead rider Kevin clean this section and also to make it look easy. I did the best I had ever done on it but was still unable to clean the last piece. Hopefully by the end of this Moab season I will get it as well.


Amber approaching another nice technical section where you have to clean each piece of it and keep momentum to have hope for the next. It is probably my favorite sequence on the trail.


Scenic views are part of the ride.


Another nice technical move on the way out.


Our dog enjoying a cool break and a drink. We carry water for her but we are always looking for pools that she can cool down in and have a nice big drink from.


Another steep move up near the rim.

At the rim we got chatting with a local rider. Originally I had been contemplating riding all the way out along the rim to the Portal section and then returning but I just wasn't feeling that energetic. The local gave us another option entirely that was just impossible to resist.


On the way back, Amber lifting a section.

In the afternoon we headed out on a trail the local described. I deliberately left the camera at home as I figured I would be tempted to post photos that can't be posted.

Suffice to say the riding was really great single track that was made even more interesting by some really strong winds that kept blowing Amber and I from our lines. I will probably post photos later in the season as long as I can get some that show the riding without showing anything about the location.

Friday night was an interesting night as the winds blew all night and later in the night the rain started. We had gone to bed planning on getting up and doing Porcupine Rim.

Oct 4th - Moab, Moab Rim & Sovereign

Amber had a few days of from work so I opted to take Thursday and Friday off as well. With the temperatures in Moab looking perfect for riding we headed out there Wed Night for a long weekend and our first trip there since early Spring.

Day 1 started with it still being a little warm coming in at mid 70's and sunny so we decided to start out with a ride we have never done in all our time visiting Moab - the jeep trail up to Moab Rim. We had been trying to motivate for a while to do it, but the initial brutal climb had always lent it itself to us finding excuses not to ride it.

With it being in the shade most of the day and with us having ridden most of the summer and feeling like we might actually be in decent shape our excuses were gone and ride it is what we did!


Make no mistake, the first mile is absolutely brutal. They say the average grade is 22% and there is plenty of technical sections as well. We rested, we rode and we pushed - but at least it was in the shade!


The views were also awesome as you stopped to recover breath.


At times it felt like it was never going to end.


And it seemed like it just got steeper the closer the summit was.

The climb up was actually pretty enjoyable and the ledges down in the lower sections were great to try and find a path of least resistance through. It was brutal, but in a good sense of accomplishment sort of way.


The ride itself was much more than the climb with us doing it as a 5 mile out and then back ride. Across the rim you followed a jeep trail with some slick rock domes and assorted technical sections. All in all, not bad riding at all.


It was also pretty fun to think how much easier things seemed after our summer of riding and downhilling. The theme for both Amber and I across the weekend is that Moab just seemed a lot more doable than it ever had before. We were riding sections much faster and more confidently than we had in past trips. Good times indeed!


And, as usual, the terrain was just good to be on and around.


Heading back after the turn around point.


Amber rolling down one of the slick rock domes.

In the afternoon we went out and did Sovereign but neglected to take the camera with both Amber and I thinking the other had grabbed it. As always it was a great ride, although it is disappointing to see the number of ride-arounds and cheater lines to some of the more technical sections.

Sept 29th - Camp Dick

Amber had to work so we stayed around town. I decided to head up to Camp Dick and since I had been having a lot of fun on the Buchanan Pass single track and had always enjoyed the Sourdough section I figured that connecting them via the Coney Flats jeep rode could only equal even more fun - right?

Have you ever had a ride that when you do it, you say to yourself that you probably won't go back and do it again? But the years pass and then you forget what you told yourself? Doing sourdough into Coney Flats is one of those rides for me. The jeep road sections are loose rocky riding that is just not fun and all the time you are telling yourself that out and back on either Sourdough or Buchanan Pass is just a lot more enjoyable.

The one redeeming feature for me is how nice it is out the back. The ride was also kinda fun because the first snow for the season had fallen and riding on snow and ice is always fun for me. But in general I just am not a fan of the loose climbing you have out there.

Oh well, I expect in another 2-3 years I will forget again and perhaps next time have a different perspective.

No photos as I forgot to take the camera.