Moab Rocks

We're just winding down from our funfilled, slickrock weekend with Sarge and Ginny Biggs. To say that the mountain biking in Moab is awesome would be an understatement of epic proportions. While it's certainly unnerving at first to be riding on solid rock for miles on end, one gets used to it very quickly. It is some of the most technical riding I've ever done, and consequently some of the slowest. But the views combined with the amazingly fun rolling nature of some of the trails more than make up for it. Day one: we didn't arrive until almost four o'clock due to a freak snowtorm in the rockies, so we just rode the practice loop at slickrock with Sarge and Ginny. 2.8 miles took 50 minutes. You do the math for the avg. speed. Day two: Did a car drop at the bottom of Porcupine Rim and drove Sarge's truck to the top. It's mostly down hill.....after the initial 3.2 miles which are all uphill...almost 1200 ft. After that it's mostly downhill with a few climbs. Many of the sections were so technical that even Sarge had to get off and walk. Needless to say, the other three of us were walking quite a few of the more narly sections. Overall, it was a hair over 20 miles. 2777 ft. of climbing and 4594 ft. descending. Just over five hours with the rest stops and picture taking factored in. Day three: we went to Bartlett's Wash. It's only five miles give or take, but it's like mother nature's bike park. There's no trail really. You just ride wherever you want on sweet, rolling slickrock out to where the wash ends at Hidden Canyon. Then you turn around and ride it back. One book described it as surfing on a bike, and I would have to say that's a fairly accurate description. I've got some sweet video footage of sarge ripping it up in a little canyon like he's on a skateboard in an empty pool. That shit was unreal. Today: we're heading back to the Slickrock trail before we hit the road. I shall report back from New Mexico later in the week.