schnauzers.ws

A good nights sleep with the help of the Elevation First Cast pony keg I brought with me.  Some morning breakfast discussion over where we would ride today and the decision is Klondike Bluffs.  Though there have been trails in this area for a while, a lot has been added.  It’s also an area I had never been to.

Again, we are treated to various types of terrain.  From dusty singletrack to slickrock.

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Rather than put the whole trip in one post, I am going to split it up by days.

I’ve been going to Moab with my friends for quite a few years now.  Last year we took a break and went to Vernal, UT instead.  It was then we realized how much we missed Moab and decided a Spring trip was in order.  We didn’t put a lot of thought into what trails we would ride on what day, we just left that up to a short group discussion over beer.  I secured a cabin in Canyonlands RV Park.  Again, something new for us.  This park is right in the center of town and walking distance from everything.  In the past we’ve stayed at Moab Valley RV, at the North end of town.  While Canyonlands RV is convenient, the clientele left a bit to be desired.  It seemed a bit off-beat redneck for me and loaded with Jeepers who felt it necessary to get an early start with their muffler-less rock crawlers.  None-the-less, a bed, showers, and beer helped ease some of that.

We packed my truck and left on Saturday morning, discussing what trail we would ride that day.  At first the talk was of an easier ride for day one.  After checking in, we threw that notion away and headed to Amasa Back.  Our interested were peaked by the addition of new trails.

As the title says, this is about a New Moab.  New trails and a new new friend riding with us in Moab for the first time.  It’s always fun to show people why we keep coming back.

We headed up Hymasa trail.  This is a new way up which avoids the Jeep road.  I always liked the Jeep road.  I thought it was fun, but as this was the end of Jeep week, it was better to avoid the road.  The trail was fun, though I think less technical than the Jeep road.  The weather was amazing!

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ver·nal adjective \ˈvər-nəl\

Definition of VERNAL

1: of, relating to, or occurring in the spring <vernal equinox> <vernal sunshine>
2: fresh or new like the spring; also : youthful

A new location, new trails, new bike, and a Spring-time tradition continues.  How ironic that Vernal can be used as an adjective and as a noun here.  A perfect combination.

I thought hard about splitting this trip into two parts, but the theme carries through and I’ll keep it together.   I saw parts of Colorado I have never seen, and spent a few days in Vernal, Utah and then almost directly south in Fruita, Colorado.

Why Vernal, Utah?  Well, over the past few years, there has been some hyping of the area.  Moab without the crowds, singletrack everywhere, lot’s of Dinosaurs, and a bike shop owner who’s poured his heart and soul into developing a destination.  This northeastern town is actually larger than Moab, so there are quite a few more amenities than usual.  Heck, we counted six Subway shops.  Oil and gas booms create towns out here and while I wouldn’t say that the industry brings mountain bikers, they have made it a part of their tourism plan.

We arrived in town on Friday afternoon, after driving from Golden via Rifle, Co.  We unloaded the Beast, surveyed the cabin, drank a beer, and decided a ride in the remaining daylight was in order.  A quick stop at Altitude Bike Shop, and Troy Lupcho gave us the skinny, maps, and some admiration for the Rocky Mountain Altitudes sitting on my car rack. Yes, we spent some money there as well.  I think it’s good to support the local guy.

Our stop for the day was McCoy Flats.  This BLM area has miles of handcrafted cross-country singletrack.  Troy has lead the charge to build here and he has done a great job in defining and signing the trails.

They certainly didn’t send out the welcome brigade, but that is one of the reasons we wanted to try Vernal.  No crowds!

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un·pre·dict·a·ble [uhn-pri-dik-tuh-buhl]
adjective
1. not predictable; not to be foreseen or foretold

A trip is planned and so it goes.  What could possibly go wrong?  It’s the desert, right?  Well, of course it is.  However, you would think that with all the weather Websites and every news broadcast predicting untold deluges and high winds, riding would be pretty much kaput.

I did experience both of the above on the drive over.  Nasty and gray until I reached Moab.  So, I picked up my NJ friend Jeff at the hotel.  No sooner does he get in the truck, it starts raining.

Bikes on the rack, we were determined to make something of the day and so I took him on a tour of Arches National Park.

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I could drone on for hours about how great it is to ride new trails and how Moab’s ever expanding terrain is such a positive for mountain bikers and the town. At some point, they’ll run out of places to put trail. For now, we can just revel in it. Yeah, I know it was once illegal trail, but it sure is nice when a plan comes together.

I’ll leave you with some pics and video from the Mag 7.