Thanksgiving 2010 - Moab, UT

Amber had Wed of before thanksgiving so we packed up the car and headed out early to avoid to traffic and to try and beat a storm that was coming in. Luckily we managed to do both and gave a friend a ride out to Glenwood Springs as well so she could spend Thanksgiving in Snowmass with family and enjoying what was looking to be an epic opening weekend for the Aspen/Snowmass mountains.

We had grand plans but as is the way of things on road trips you have to be adaptable.

Thursday we thought we would go and do some shuttles on the Porcupine DH race track but were met with a lot of the white stuff at the drop point. Amber opted to take the first run down.

This is the exit of the DH run, I rolled my small bike down to meet Amber.

It was snow covered 100% of the way and although the dogs absolutely loved the trail it was less suited to riding bikes on being a slippery and cold ride down for Amber with about 4" of snow all the way.

In the afternoon we had originally planned on pushing up Portal and checking it out but after bumping into a friend earlier in the day we decided to check out the Chilli drops. They are a number of DH trails up behind the original location of the Chilli Bike Shop. Some really fun riding that ends with very steep terrain. The steepness was very reminiscent to parts of Idaho Springs and was loose and rocky as well. We each did a run and Amber pushed up the bottom to redo the steep ending.

On Friday we decided to head over to Green River for a day trip. There have been a number of great looking videos on VitalMTB recently that piqued my interest for the area. The Alex Pro video being one of them.

We didn't really have any directions so we headed out a likely road and stumbled onto an awesome looking area with spines and features all around. The area we came across wasn't the area in the Alex Pro video but instead was the area that the Drop In crew visited. Season 5 - Episode 10, Steve Romaniuk and Mike Metzger push up and ride down.

We warmed up playing on some of the lower spines. Push up, roll down, repeat. :)

Everything is much steeper than it looks, but everything was fun and confidence inspiring with great soft dirt and good clean entries and exits. Amber enjoying one of the steep rolls.

Part of the fun was linking the spine sections.

Really was a fun zone to play in, We will definitely go back an visit again.

After warming up we decided it was time to do the big push and head up the mountain more and checkout the feature that the Drop In crew hiked and rode.

It was also a trail that the dirt bikers also rode. This is the view as you start pushing up. We are heading all the way to the rock pillars on top.

Up, Up, Up. The dogs came as well.

Steep in sections, this was one of the lowest angled sections. Moab rests while Amber and Bishop push on.

Looking about down from about half way.

Almost at the saddle.

Amber dropping in from the high point. The steepness and the exposure definitely played on your mind as you started down. We definitely want to go back again with water and food to be able to stay and play on sections to get comfortable with the terrain.

Amber controlling speed.

Rolling a steeper section. We controlled our descent where as Steve Romaniuk rolled it as a wheelie in his version.

Looking back at the mountain and the spines on it's flanks.

On Saturday we were feeling a little lazy and went and checked out Porcupine on the forlorn hope that some of the snow had melted. Unfortunately it was still there in strength so we decided to go for a drive and go and have a look at Top of the World thinking that it might be a fun to 4-wheel up and the ride down.

It was definitely some fun driving as there was a lot of snow and ice, but the riding was not as friendly given the time required to drive. So Amber took a run down and we called for the for the day.

Fun riding in the snow.

We headed home pretty early Sunday morning to try and beat the holiday traffic and to stay ahead of another storm front that was coming through and threatening road closures in the mountains. Luckily again we avoided the storm and the worst of the traffic.

A great weekend of exploring and we will be heading back to Green River.

Last October weekend in Moab - Moab Ho Down

We were both really excited to be heading back over to Moab again for the Halloween weekend after hearing that they would be doing a Life Cycles Premier on Friday night and having the DH race again on Sunday.

The Ho Down is put on by Chili Pepper Bike Shop and is in it's 5th year. Tracy and Ryan at Chili have done a great job building up the grassroots event and added a film festival to the agenda for this year.

We both took Friday off so that we wouldn't have to rush out there to see the movie and managed to get a couple of DH runs in on the race course before the sun went down. The DH race starts at the lazy man's porcupine drop point and comes down the Classic Porcupine climb ending at the Water Tanks exit. The Super D race starts at the LPS grate and comes down the same finish.

The movie night was started with the winner of the amateur submissions. It as a short film of a local we know well from the race season - Aaron Brags - riding the Portal trail like I didn't even know was possible. Really well filmed and made me want to push my DH bike up portal to try and ride it racer style somewhat like Aaron did.

The main even was Life Cycles. The film was a mix of amazing bike sequences in the same sort of presentation as The Collective but it was short with a lot of other sequences of the style of Earth. The combination was spectacular! We will be buying this on blu-ray once it is available. Awesome bike porn!

Saturday we decided to do a pay shuttle of Porcupine in the morning and self shuttles of the DH track in the afternoon.

Amber amped and dressed to play for the day while we wait for the shuttles to arrive. Unfortunately shuttles were not dropping for Hazard or Kokopelli because of the snow and mud from recent storms and instead dropped us at the bottom of the Kokopelli trail which meant a climb up to UPS. I was surprised at this drop as I would have just avoided the climb and come in from above LPS had we known.

Amber in a section of LPS. We really didn't get any photos worth much as we were having to much fun just riding bikes. Amber started slow but by the time we were in LPS was a pedaling monster all the way across LPS and the Porcupine Rim as well. Great weather and great trail conditions all the way.

One of the gullies in the bottom of Porcupine.

After some lunch we headed back out and did a bunch of self shuttles on the DH track. We were both unsure as to which bike (Mojo or 951) to race with as the DH track has some flat sections with a lot of pedaling. I found that for me my DH bike was faster as the big 38 tooth front ring was much better than the 24 tooth ring I have on my Mojo so that even though it was easier to pedal on my Mojo I could nail the DH obstacles faster and better on my 951. Amber however found that her Mojo was a better choice for her than hauling the big bike around. I managed to pinch flat my last practice run on my Mojo as I decided to go the big bike while Amber went the trail bike.

A really awesome day of riding bikes

On Sunday we had hoped to get some practice runs in but we got moving later than we would have like and missed our chance as the Super D race was seemingly going to be starting early. We took the dogs up the trail for a while before coming back down and getting our race kits on.

The race was great fun! and we will race it again next year for sure. Amber got 1st place in a small pro-women field even with a mechanical. She dropped her chain high up on the course and had to stop, get of the bike and re-set it so she could pedal. In the rush of it she put it back in place on the granny front cog and left it there for the rest of her race run. I was really happy with my 3rd place in Sport Men and we both got prizes at the end of the day. (Amber's were pretty awesome swag, mine was an excellent beer glass).

Results: http://news.chilebikes.com/
Mountain Flyer article: http://www.mountainflyermagazine.com/view.php/moab-ho-down.html

After a really fun weekend we made the journey home to arrive at about 11.30pm in time for Amber to submit an assignment for her masters that was due at midnight. Full and fruitful days and nights are the only way to live!

Another Weekend in Moab

We headed to Moab again for the weekend. The weather looked like it might be questionable but Moab trails generally are far better for rain.

We really wanted to do Porcupine from Hazard but got a pretty late start and decided to self shuttle. Amber to the first drop starting at Hazard.

We were met by a cover of snow. Amber was still psyched to do a run for at least the Hazard section but wasn't sure about Kokopelli down as the mud there was likely brutal.

Bishop go to do the section as well and was super happy as well.

View from the top of the Hazard drop in.

Happy smiles at the end of the run for Amber. She had a great time slipping and sliding her way down with as little brake use as possible.

Happy tired dog as well!

I opted to take a Kokopelli run to the river. The start was pretty muddy but turned to hero dirt as soon as you reached UPS. The sand was wet and made for tacky perfect conditions.

No photos on the way down as it was simply to much fun to even bother to try and take a photo other than at one rest spot. It took 2hrs 20mins from Kokopelli with one pretty significant mechanical (chain ring bolt working loose and getting stuck against the chain guide). I passed 69 people along the way which is a personal best, luckily most all of them were easy passes that didn't slow things down. A great ride that was a perfect kick-off to the weekend.

Saturday night in camp was pretty exciting as a storm passed over with torrential rain and light strikes all around. Some were very close on the light/sound measurement. The dogs decided it was best if they joined us in our tent while the storm was passing by.

Sunday we decided that Amasa Back out to Rockstacker was a great option that we had never done before.

Bishop trying to convince us that she was ready to go  as well. Unfortunately it is a pretty long ride that covers a lot of slick rock and we forgot to bring doggy paws for her so she had to stay at the vehicle and keep Moab company.

Moab looking happy with some impressive cliffs in the background.

Climbing up Amasa.

More climbing, Amber tackling a much steeper than it looks in a photo section as we climb.

Amasa received some maintenance a couple of years ago by the owner of the gas line that runs up over the plateau. This move is a steep roller that is one of the cruxes for the Jeeps and after the maintenance was a smooth section of dirt. Now it is back to it steepest and technical best on the edge of a cliff. Amber cruises it!

We have not ridden Amasa for a couple of years and a lot of great trail work has occurred since we were last here. There is a new single track section that goes out towards Pothole Arch that you use to get to Rock Stacker. It used to be that you rode some old Jeep trail and then single track that was very underground. Now the single track is signed and awesome riding.

Rock Stacker is an old previously underground trail that we had always meant to get out and do but had never made the time. Luckily that poor choice was corrected today. The trail starts at a high level of difficulty with a number of ledge drops and a very steep move

It drops down just out of sight past Amber

A friend of ours who happened along as we were checking out the section. He just rails down the steep section of slick rock like it was flat! It is much steeper than the photo would indicate.

Amber taking her turn

Another steeper than it looks move by Amber with some impressive background.

You can't tell from this but it is one of the moves that are common in this section of Rock Stacker. You come around switchbacks and have to make a steep move and then control the exit because if you don't you are going over an edge to a drop that will very hurt you. Amber tried this one a few times before nailing it! I didn't even try it.

Another of the moves. This one has a sharp right turn to a drop.

Single track! Rock Stacker is an amazing trail section that is must do. It has a lot of moves that most of us will walk but it has lots of sections that you can do better and better each time you go back.

We went down Amasa proper rather than taking Jackson's Trail as I really prefer the high speed romp that is the Amasa descent over the technical descent of Jackson's. No photos as stopping on the Amasa descent is against the rules.

An awesome weekend of riding.

Whole Enichilada - Moab, UT

We headed over to Moab for the first time since spring as the weather good and the temperatures cool enough. On the Agenda was the Whole Enchilada - a route that only has a short season to do it it's entirety due to the fact you start up above the tree line at around 11,500' and end in the desert. I have done it once before two years ago and thought it about the best ride I had ever done, but physically really tough with hard climbs at altitude and lots of mileage over technical terrain. All in all - a mega classic.

We convince our friends Jason and Lana that it would be good times and that they should come as well so they joined us for the fun. Here is the camp site to start the day.

Unloading the bikes at the trail head up in the mountains. We had two vehicles so we left our here and would return (much) later in Jason's truck. Self Shuttling saves a bunch of money but does add some overhead on a ride like this with nearly a 30 mile shuttle involved.

The ride starts with a brutal climb up to Burro Pass. Steep (really steep) grades see pretty much every but the strongest walking many sections of this part of the ride. This section is one of the flatter sections where you can actually sit down and pedal.

The ride starts above tree line and then descends steeply into an evergreen section for a few miles before exiting into an Aspen section.

There are a few creek crossings that really make you forget that you are out in Moab and will soon be down in open desert terrain.

We didn't get any photos of the Hazard or Kokopelli sections as they are simply too much fun to stop and bust out a camera. High speed flow with turns, berms and hops are par for the course.

Once you enter the UPS section you have a selection of fun technical sections that again are pretty hard to stop and take photos on. This is one move in a sequence of great flow and fun.

Lana pedaling along the rim. By this point we had been in the saddles for close to 3 hours so fatigue was definitely a consideration. Luckily as the ride goes on the last part gets fun and fast again which has a tendency to wash away fatigue.

Cruising across Porcupine proper. The variety of terrain you will encounter is non-stop smile inducing.

Excellent views and excellent weather!

Steeper than it looks.

Have I mentioned how scenic it is on this trail? In one of the last sections of the lower single track portion of the ride.

Almost finished!

We wrapped the ride up in just over 6 hours with only 2 flat tires in the group and close to 30miles of terrain covered. Physical and on the must do rides on the planet.

The next day did a much shorter version of it and dropped in at Kokopelli and turn out down the Porcupine climb to end at the water tanks for a great 85minute blast of some of the best parts of the Whole Enchilada.

Sadly driving home pointed out that the window to enjoy the higher trails at Moab was fast coming to a close with the Colorado Rockies getting snow again.