Moab – Mother Nature can be a tad brutish when it comes to changing seasons in Colorado. In a short 24 hours last week, winter crushed fall in the Colorado hills, abruptly closing the mountain biking season.
But for those of us who were just finding our pedal groove, Moab beckons.
Some half a billion years in the making, the sandstone humps, fissures, fins and arches in the Moab region make for arguably the most dramatic and challenging riding on the planet.
Get acquainted with Moab at Slickrock, the world’s most famous mountain-bike ride. A short practice loop can ease you into the often brutish trail or you can dive right in to the 10.6-mile trail a few miles east of town.
It’s impossible to get lost on Slickrock, thanks to thousands of white hash marks on the undulating trail. The steep sandstone requires short bursts of power and the downhill can get technical. But Slickrock embraces both the expert and the novice willing to push. The Navajo sandstone is so sticky it allows near vertical climbing, but leave plenty of lung and leg power in the bank before tackling the ruthless climbs.
Make sure to save the three-day, $5 pass into the Sand Flats Recreation Area. You’ll need it for Porcupine Rim, which ranks at the top of Moab’s offerings.
Porcupine also ranks as one of the world’s best bargains when it comes to downhill earned from uphill invested. Grab a $10 shuttle anywhere in town (Coyote is the quickest: 435-259-8656) and knock 2,000 vertical feet and 9 miles of heavily trafficked dirt road off the climb.
At the trailhead, about 6 miles past Slickrock on Sand Flats Road, a technical but not impossible widetrack trail climbs a mere 1,000 feet in about 3 miles. Look ahead and plan pedal strokes to make it to the top without stopping.
At the top, admire the captivating view. Porcupine Rim is about 1,200 feet above the Castle Valley and a good 600 of that is vertical rock. The spire- spiked overlook at the top is classic Moab. Breathe it in. There’s nothing like that in Colorado.
Then get ready for nearly 12 miles of peerless descent to the Colorado River. The ride down offers some singletrack, some smooth and sticky slickrock, some sand and some steeps. In short: It’s everything you could ask of a downhill.
Countless rock ledges pepper the often brake-free ride down. Test your skills by pulling up hard on the bars or praying a slow drop over the ledge won’t send you over the front wheel.
Happy descent hints: An itchy trigger finger on the front brake can lead to some spectacular slams. Try lowering your seat a few inches on the descent. You’ll need the room to stretch over the back tire.
Many riders enjoy hitting particular drops a few times, getting better with each run. The 2,700-foot vertical descent will grip both the expert and the not-so-deft. Walking a bike down some of the drops is just as hairy as riding, especially in bike shoes.
When the river comes into view, consequences of a tumble become dire. Keep your eyes on the trail. Remember that bodies tend to follow heads and heads tend to follow eyes. So try not to look over the several hundred-foot drops on your right as you ride the final singletrack to the Colorado River.
Enjoy the flat ride back to Moab and relish the fact that you took a shuttle up and don’t have to pedal back to the trailhead for your car.
If you are looking for something a tad easier, try the vista-rich Klondike Bluffs ride some 20 miles north of Moab. The 15-mile, out-and-back ride is about half rocky jeep trail and half slickrock, with a few stretches of deep sand to spice things up. When the trail yields to the slickrock ramp, keep an eye peeled for three-toed dinosaur tracks on the left. Painted tracks lead to the real deal. The trail turnaround offers a must-do hike to an overlook. The rocky perch provides about the only RV-free view of Arches National Park. Framed by the La Sal Mountains on top and the Salt Valley below, the view alone is worth the pedal.
Also north of Moab is the 2-year-old Sovereign Trail, a mishmash of singletrack, sand and slickrock with far-reaching views. The Willow Springs Road trailhead is most popular and tends to access the most sand-free stretches. The slanting slickrock section has enough options to fill an entire day with not-so-hard climbs and speedy drops. A maze of roads allows quick egress when fatigue settles in. Bring a map on this ride.
Moab probably has the densest collection of top-tier bike shops in the country and each one is staffed with the friendliest folks, eager to share their bounty with pedal-pushers from afar. Most rent high-quality bikes and provide hints essential to happy riding.
