Aloft on Thunder Mountain
by Mitchell Sprinsky on Apr.30, 2011, under Ride Reports, Utah, Utah, Videos
I guess I could have chosen a thousand different themes for this report. So many things bounced around my head as I watched the video clips and worked on the photos I collected. Well, at least I didn’t choose anything related to Thor.
I’ve heard so many things spoken about this trail. “Must do”, “awesome views”, “cool downhill”, and on and on. Ok, so I was psyched up for this one. Hype is just that. Maybe on a warmer day with less wind, it would seem special. But, for me this was just another ride.
Well, maybe I should do it some justice. Afterall, this isn’t most people’s backyard trail. Given the location, it’s a drive from anywhere. Don’t get me wrong. the hoodoos are cool. The red rocks are cool, and the trail, for all it’s ups and downs, is good. A loop would be better. More trail in the hoodoo area would really make it stand out.
We are lucky to have such incredible natural resources. The area around Dixie, Bryce, and Capitol Reef are a special treat. Geological and biological diversity in a small part of the high desert.
There were a lot of international visitors. I think they probably out numbered us natural born folk. I thought it was kind of odd. Who would want to spend their vacation time traveling all the way from another country to visit an obscure section of Utah? I guess that’s my “American” ignorance. Things I take for granted. Raised on “you spend your vacation at Disney World”. Yet, here I was, doing the same exact thing as these people. Spending my vacation in a small obscure part of Utah. Funny, I am just as crazy as they are.
This is an out and back. Foolish me. I did it wrong. I let the trail get to me. We were all frustrated. Cold, wind, and mud. Mud? Apparently, the ground didn’t want to obey our request from awesome dry singletrack. What happens when water mixes with this red dirt? Muck!
It bothered me so much, that I kept going when others turned around to head back. I’d rather ride the paved bike path back to the car than ride back through the muck. Stupid me. I missed the best part.
The video and the reason I chose the theme:
