Greetings from Moab

We came to escape the long winter and the snow.


The drive down went through lots more winter and two blizzards with ice and snow on the road.

Apparently the blizzards followed us to Moab. Today we found this…

Now, admittedly we were getting close to La Sal pass in the La Sal mountain range. It was actually quite bizarre. Minutes ago we were traversing Red rock, then we're slithering around in snow. I actually sunk up to the top of my MX boot taking the picture!


The La Sal Mountains


ZED playing on the slick rock. It Rocks!


So far only a couple of mishaps. Here KLRChickie is checking to see if ZED's WR is OK and feeling like getting up yet. No injuries to to rider or bikes so far.


Here we are back at the Inca Inn, sipping our beverages and planning tomorrows ride.

Pretty but looks cold, have fun and stay upright boys

ZED: Those black rims look sweet...

Luke308 wrote:

ZED: Those black rims look sweet...

Thanks.

I think the WRX model looks great with black accents too.

We explored the 'Behind the Rocks' trail which starts at about 20km South of Moab


Here's the back of the rocks with the La Sal mountains (again) as a backdrop.

One neat spot to see there is the Highly Desirable view point which overlooks the Kane Creek / Hurrah Pass Trail intersection.


Can you spot the trail junction and the Fifth wheel trailer parked nearby from 1000ft.?
It's tough but it's there.

There were a lot of tough climbs and descents on the jeep trail. Some of these were two bikes in length and extremely steep to the point that the tires wouldn't grip. It was a bit scary bringing bikes down a slope you know you can't go back up! Fortunately there were other options back. Some time with the Map and the GPS was spent to make sure we weren't getting into a pickle.


There are easier routes but here's the WRs above one drop.


Here's it is from the bottom. This one we bypassed. However, we did some drops that were steeper than this but only about two bikes long when there was no immediate bypass.


Finding a shady spot for a rest and a bite of packed lunch is important. Hydration packs were, of course, used throughout the trip.


ZED played around some more on the slick rock. The Slick Rock trail is neat. Here's the Baby Lion's Back. The camera is tilted so it doesn't show how steep it is. The actual Lion's Back is now off limits as someone has somehow purchased the land and closed the Moab landmark to the public.


I think the best breakfast in Moab is at the Moab Diner. The Green Chilli Omelet is awesome. Honestly at first glance it looks like someone upchucked on the plate, but after you get over the look it is amazing. The spicing is perfect. It's not too hot, but nicely spiced, full of flavour, and very hearty.


The trip back was 17 hours of basic boredom accented by brief snow storms.


When we got home and unloaded the bikes, the sprinter got stuck! When we'd left the alley had been melting and the snow had been almost gone. Since then several inches of the white $h!t had accumulated overtop. This resulted in waking the Unimog from it's winter slumber and bringing it to the rescue. A stuck sprinter is nothing to a Unimog, but what is with all this White $h!t????!!!!!!!!?????

We can't wait to go back to Moab. We've already started planning next year's trip!

Addendum:
After over 3,500km round trip, the worst, stupidest drivers encountered, were within 30km of home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Learnings from this trip:

- Riding on sand isn't so bad once you get used to it, although it is a bit squirrelly at 45mph!
- Corners with banked berms are your friend.
- Whoops can be fun at the right speed.
- The Slick Rock trail wasn't half as technical as I was expecting (although it is still very strenuous).
- The WR is just about the perfect bike for Moab. It is reasonably light, has ample power, has good suspension, and is road legal.

Thanks for reminding us you were out riding while the rest of us were back here in the snow, you bastard.

Ski season is done next weekend; my last patrol days and then I hang 'em up for the year. Wife has to go to Calgary sometime about the 6th for some oral surgery. Not sure of the schedule, but perhaps we'll drop you a line while we're being social butterflies while up there visiting with friends and family (mostly located across 16th from SAIT).

And I usually don't miss the Calgary Gun Show.

We had snow here yesterday but it melted within a few hours. Today I ride! Looks like a most awesome trip you two had.

Great riding! Moab & surrounding areas have some of the best riding in the world. Add white rim trail to your next ride there.. even though you can't loop it, still, it's a beautiful ride.

rydnseek wrote:

Great riding! Moab & surrounding areas have some of the best riding in the world. Add white rim trail to your next ride there.. even though you can't loop it, still, it's a beautiful ride.

We'll get to it some year .

The day we had planned for White Rim this year it was snowing in the morning in Canyonlands, temperatures around freezing, and high winds. Looping it was also not a possibility, due to it being closed in one spot at the moment. We went for a hike in the morning and then did a different ride in the afternoon instead.

*Last year* my XT croaked on the way to the White Rim trail and hasn't run since .

Hopefully next time. Moab in March is an excellent way to shake off the winter blahs - for one week at least.