Three perfect days in Moab/Fruita

**Singlespeedster** · 11-10-2003, 10:17 AM

...

Moab did not eat our bikes.

**Action_Man!** · 11-10-2003, 10:30 AM

A-man, you have the most fun!

Sweet pic, more to follow I'm sure?

**Oldschooler** · 11-10-2003, 10:31 AM

Is that Dave in that damn picture! What the hell are you two galavanters doing for jobs and where can I sign up? I swear, it's like you won the lottery and forgot to tell us!

Nice picture BTW

**Bear** · 11-10-2003, 10:33 AM

Cool. Wish I was there.

**loco** · 11-10-2003, 10:34 AM

Originally posted by Oldschooler71
Is that Dave in that damn picture! What the hell are you two galavanters doing for jobs and where can I sign up? I swear, it's like you won the lottery and forgot to tell us!

Nice picture BTW

No kidding

Damn it Dave!

**stacey** · 11-10-2003, 10:36 AM

Is that snow on the ground?

Nice pic. I like the B&W.

**DirtFace** · 11-10-2003, 10:38 AM

nice butt

**chimp ina thong** · 11-10-2003, 10:41 AM

reeseeved a call frahm the boyweez hangn hi atop porkeepine
rim yehsterd ahftir noon.....pahtly clowdi, koowill, ahhll eye
kan sae iz eye wAz thair....ouch

**dburatti** · 11-10-2003, 10:43 AM

That looks like Mary's Loop or some trail above Horsethief.

**TRACER** · 11-10-2003, 01:41 PM

Originally posted by Oldschooler71
Is that Dave in that damn picture! What the hell are you two galavanters doing for jobs and where can I sign up? I swear, it's like you won the lottery and forgot to tell us!

Whatever Mr. Bling Bling.

Very Nice pic. More please.......

**Bizarro** · 11-10-2003, 04:12 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Oldschooler71
[B] What the hell are you two galavanters doing for jobs and where can I sign up? I swear, it's like you won the lottery and forgot to tell us!

That's what I say every time I see a Bling bling pic a new bike in your bed bitch!

**mrbungle101** · 11-10-2003, 04:33 PM

i'm guessing that pic is from the rabbit valley area, maybe trail #2?

**Oldschooler** · 11-10-2003, 07:07 PM

I'm gonna shut up now.

**Singlespeedster** · 11-10-2003, 08:07 PM

I think my usual tactic is to oversaturate with images, and taper off with piddly, pithy words.

New tactic:

Dateline 11.10.03
End of trip, LoDo Denver. Wynkoop Brewery.
Late afternoon sun setting red brick buildings ablaze with colour.
Burgers and a variety of pale ales.
It’s Two O’clock on a Monday afternoon. Someone has to keep this brewpub in business…

“It was me and my sidekick,
He was drunk and I was sick”
~~Tom Petty

The Melancholy of Departure.

So the next step is to drop my best friend off at the airport, he’s off to Austin. Between now and the next visit lies the holidays…an Antarctic Field Season…Winter.

We had another good run; a surgical strike on the high deserts of Western Colorado/Eastern Utah. 4 days, 70 miles of trail, 3 miles of pavement. Countless beers. We left the Denver area at about 8 on a fine, promising morning, and within a few hours found ourselves in a snowstorm atop Vail Pass. Undeterred we forged on to the Fruita area. A few beers, some Mexi-lunch and we were ready to ride. Destination: Mary’s Loop and environs. Dave was shaking off a quite nasty cold, I had recovered from same, but had been off the bike for a few weeks - so we hardly brought our A-game to these lovely trails. Still and all we had a fine ride. T’was a layover ride en route to Moab, and a darn fine way to break up the drive. A coupla hours wasn’t nearly enough time to hit all the good stuff, but we had a nice Horsethief/Mary’s/Handcuff loop.

Thence into Moab; Castle Valley by dark. Pulled in, found accommodations and more beer.

Saturday broke fine and clear. Much better than the weather reports had predicted. This was the something old/something new day. The morning’s ride consisted of the legendary Slickrock Trail and in the afternoon we hit the relatively new Soveriegn Trail. Slickrock was Slickrock. Excellent fun, thigh bursting climbs, dazzling scenery. The fresh layer of snow on the La Sals made for good backdrops. We even managed to make new friends and then wheedle them into a Porcupine Rim shuttle for the morrow.

The Sovereign Trail was recently constructed North of Moab, but I think it will quickly gain fame commensurate to it’s more notorious brethren (Amasa Back, Poison Spider, Porky’s, et ales) While perhaps not as “epic” or “gonzo” feeling as Porky’s and the like, Sovereign is able to sit at the same table because it smugly, quietly offers up singletrack. Like the bespectacled geek at the poker table who primly lays down a royal flush over everyone else's hand. These are not old jeep roads, but true singletrack. And quite tasty, techy singletrack at that. We put in at Willow Springs road, did a six mile out to a huge slickrock playground, goofed there for a bit, and rode the same fun singletrack backwards to the truck. We shut down the parking area with a few celebratory brews and as an added bonus got a fine view of the lunar eclipse. Moab, two rides, celestial phenomenae: Perfect day.

Sunday broke cold and threatening. We breakfasted quite nicely at the Jailhouse Café and then, after a bit of basic bike maintenance and upkeep at Poison Spider’s public works station, we hooked up with our new friends for Porcupine Rim. Some say this ride is overrated, but I quite like it. The package is hard to argue with.

Menu: Appetizer; a nice, techy, fun climb.

Intermezzo: A spectacular view.

Main course: 12 miles of bomber, hucky jeep road.

Dessert: A few miles of exposed, technical, view laden singletrack.

Indigestion: three miles of road schlog back to the car. Beer.

The rain started just as we got the truck packed, so after strategically placing a Bike Mojo decal on the Poison Spider Bike Shop environs, we headed out of town, back over the cordillera of the Rockies, through a few snowstorms and thence into Denver.

Monday (today) we had a nice little serving of flowy, Colorado singletrack out at Lair O’ the Bear. The day was glorious. Quoth the girl in the parking lot: “Not too bad for November!” Considering the last few days, I must agree, babe. Not too bad.

More photos soon, you know that.

A

**mrbungle101** · 11-11-2003, 12:31 AM

you're quite the wordsmith!

when are we gonna hook up for a ride out here? been to hall ranch or walker ranch yet? my buddy's been trying to get me up to a route he put together up by jamestown. all of this, of course, after i get my ride back from the moab-induced hospital. should be in the next 2 weeks. hopefully the weather will allow.