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.