Return to Moab for more mountain biking

Will and I had agreed he'd fly into SLC where I'd pick him up at the airport, and we'd drive down to Moab where he had a rugged Cannon Jackel mountain bike rented from The Bike Fiend. Will had also made reservations for our stay at the Lazy Lizard Hostel.  The Bike Fiend's website advertises being opened until 8:00 p.m., but the shop actually closes at 6:00.  Otherwise, we have nothing but compliments for them. Fortunately, we arrived early enough to pickup the bike on Monday afternoon despite this false claim.

Day 1 - 29 May 2018
Arches National Park plus Monitor & Merrimack
66.9 miles  10:56 riding time  3,789 elevation gain

Will and I both have fun on our bikes and want to see and experience everything with little regard for riding as fast as possible, so we've been known to have many a late day. Today we'd planned to ride to Arches NP via Willow Springs road (jeep road) which is normally a roughly 5 hour day, but I wanted to add in Monitor and Merrimack trails.  Will wanted to ride thru the park to Delicate Arch (the famous one on the UT license plate), so we added both and were pushing the end of daylight even as May turns to June.

Colorado River at Moab

Will 8 miles above Moab on the new paved bike path

Will climbing up the Jeep trail to Monitor & Merrimack

Steve climbing up to the Monitor & Merrimack Trails

Will entering the Monitor & Merrimack Trail (the rocks supposedly look like the ironclad Civil War ships

Will between the "ironclad ships"

Great views on the ride.  We didn't even notice these pillars until we looked back at where we'd been!

The diversion to Monitor & Merrimack was definitely worth the time.  This ride was recommended as somewhat easier than Slickrock.  It's quite a bit easier and the slickrock here is excellent.  Ridden in a clockwise direction, the sandy sections will be on the descent which might be too much if taken on the ascent.

Entering Arches NP

Being unconcerned with time as we headed to the park, I talked Will into riding the excellent trails beside the old Willow Springs Jeep road which is again opened to vehicles despite the above sign.  3 vehicles passed us, and the sign going out of the park shows motorized vehicles are allowed (in contrast to the sign in the above photo).

We had our lunch at a picnic table in the park just above where Willow Springs Rd meets the park's main highway,  and then we noticed a traffic jam going on for miles.  Park employees had stopped all traffic between us and the park's exit for at least an hour.  We decided to ride down to check out some arches which we had not seen the last time we were here.

Will in front of an arch

We stayed in that area an hour or two and realized we didn't want to be part of the traffic issues when the park service finally let people out, so we decided to return via Willow Springs jeep trail (and side trails), a decision that made this an almost 11 hour riding day.  Although it was almost 1 June, we still got back to the cabin only a few minutes before sunset. Moab Brewery is opened late for dinner though!


Day 2 - 30 May 2018
Hurrah Pass and Jackson's Loop (including Jackson or Jacob's Ladder)
37.6 miles  10:57 riding time  3,080 elevation gain

The Colorado is quiet and reflective below Moab

I'd requested Hurrah Pass and Chicken Corners - a ride Doug and I did back in 2010 that took 6 hours.  Will decided Hurrah Pass and Jackson's Loop would be a more challenging which it was.  

before we got to Hurrah Pass - 14% grade - down but we'd make up for that

Will nearing Hurrah Pass

 

the climb up Hurrah Pass begins

Steve near the top of Hurrah Pass

Will & Steve at the top of Hurrah Pass with the Colorado in the background

The descent from Hurrah Pass is a little steep and rough but fun, and that's followed by some sandy crossings.  Will's altered course showed a steep "DD" (double difficult) trail ahead so we had lunch at the bottom.

Will's after lunch nap - under a rock

Although the heat was up, the clouds were building.  Soon some concerning thunder was replaced by light sprinkles of rain which were nearly perfect to cool us down without soaking us.  Soon we faced the side of a high mesa, and Will said, "that's the trail".  There was no possibility of riding bikes over this trail, and I doubted my ability to climb the mesa even without a bike.

Will almost to the mesa's wall

 

Steve taking a well deserved break while contemplating what he's climbed with bike in hand! Don't bother trying to talk me into repeating this!

The hard part is over, but this is still a lot of work! that slight draw is our path up- photo by Will

The climb was hot and exhausting.  We were both out of water when we reached the top, but Will was promising a road that would quickly get us back to Moab.  Not so, it was a jeep trail over slickrock with many "drops".  I'll admit I didn't enjoy this section in my worn out state  Eventually we'd reach a real road, and once there passed a campground which provided WATER.

Steve refilling his water bottles - photo by Will

Day 3 - 31 May 2018
most of "The Whole Enchilada"
37.2 miles  11:02 riding time  1,709 elevation gain


The Whole Enchilada is an extension of Porcupine Ridge that starts at Burro Pass.  Unfortunately for us the shuttle service won't go that high until early June, so we were dropped off at "Hazard County" below the official start which would have included Burro Pass.

photo by Will

view of the La Sal mountain from near the drop off point

trail thru the aspens - this was a fun section - photo by Will

Steve riding thru the aspens

from the first overlook

 

Will in the classic view from Porcupine Rim

Steve from the top of Porcupine Ridge

Will starting down Porcupine Ridge with his full face helmet

Just before the above photo was taken, the Superfly 8 had a small wreck catching its front wheel in a rock nest and throwing the rider who was unhurt.  However, the Superfly 8 suffered a bent derailer.  Will used his leatherman and brute strength to make a roadside repair.  The set screws were off, so Superfly 8 couldn't use its highest or lowest gears in the back.  Steve lost confidence both in the bike and himself at this point and had a slow descent as a result, and the Superfly 8 took the next day off as the hardtail with a fully functional derailer substituted for it.

Will completes most of the "Whole Enchilada" which joins the paved bike path here at the Colorado River

Day 4 - 1 June 2018
trails north of town: Jurasic, Jasper Loop, Agate West, Chilkoot Pass, Dino Flow Little Salty, Salt Valley Rd, Klondike Bluffs Rd, & Inside Passage
25.9 miles  6:46 riding time  1,615 elevation gain

With Will's required bike turn in time of 5:00 p.m. we had to take seriously getting in well before dusk, so we headed off to some easier trails north of town.  My rump was happy to be on the Brooks saddle again though I was missing the rear shock!  Most of these trails were smooth to mildly rocky with nicely banked corners - fun!  

Steve back on his hardtail enjoying fairly smooth trails - photo by Will

Will on Steve's hardtail.  We switched bikes for more than a hour

Will chose a lunch spot up in these rocks- he's the small red spot

Will's become addicted to after lunch naps under a rock!

The day had gone according to plan through lunch time.  We decided to head down the other side of the bluff and catch Salt Valley Rd which wasn't according to plan.  It took us back to Arch's NP where we didn't want to be, but we noticed another trail- Baby's Ladder (hint avoid anything called a ladder).

Will pushing his bike up Baby's Ladder

 This took us to lots of slickrock though.

Steve on some of this slickrock - photo by Will

 

Klondike trail provided fun and interesting slickrock - photo by Will

Despite our change in today's riding  plan we had Will's rental bike back to the shop by 1645 a good 15 minutes early!  Then onto sharing photos.

The Lazy Lizard Hostel
My first impression of the hostel at $47 a night wasn't good.  The staff would have charged us an extra day had I not caught it, and as we went to look at the place, a bossy woman had taken over the kitchen and told us there'd be no room in the refrigerator for our food or drinks.  The place was so cluttered it looked dirty, and there was no room in the refrig.  People who looked liked they lived in the hostel were loitering outside the main door.  In retrospect, our little cabin was away from that, and nearly all our cabin neighbors were mountain bikers who were interesting.  The bathroom and showers were 300 ft away (through dust of the Southwest) but were very clean.  We had two bunk beds, a small desk, and enough room to squeeze 3 bikes in the cabin.  Since we were eating out every meal it was quite adequate.  

Our cabin at the Lazy Lizard

the bunk beds - photo by Will

 

Will working on his computer in our cabin

Will, it was a great 4 days!  Looking forward to the next one!

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve

Twin Rivers Cyclists - a brief history

RIP Twin Rivers Cyclists 1986 - 2017

Twin Rivers Cyclists, Inc. was born 10 Dec 1986 when the nine member initial board with Russ Morgan as the president approved the by-laws and submitted them to the Idaho Secretary of State for approval. It might be argued that this was a reorganization of the 1890's Lewiston Bicycle Club. Other than this photo and an article on Ed Arant republished in a 2002 club newsletter, we weren’t able to dig up much on the earlier version of the club.

ORIGINAL CAPTION:   The sport of the day was bicycle riding and most people had one even though bicycles were expensive at $100.00 to $125.00.  A bicycle club was organized.  The 50 members enjoyed short local trips for picnics.  Some heartier riders often ventured to Lake Waha, a 22-mile, four-hour ride (and push).  The trip back was more fun and took only one and one-half hours.

The Lewiston Morning Tribune in their historic edition of 31 Oct 1999 stated this photo was taken at Asotin Creek in 1902, but that date doesn’t agree with Nezperce Historical Society estimates, and the historical society is unsure of the place the photo was taken.

I didn’t join the club until 1996 when my employer moved me to Cottonwood, but in 1997 I was transferred to Lewiston and became active in this club of over 100 members, with a 20 some member race team, and the loosely affiliated Crazy Ladies of about the same number. The Moscow-Pullman cycling club had just broken up and had just transferred its remaining funds and a few of its members to the club. That first year of my active participation saw TRC sending over 100 people (members and friends) to Tour des Lacs. What fun, all those people were well organized and had most of an Italian restaurant reserved in CDA where the overnight was, but we stayed in various CDA  motels. The club had weekly Thursday night Time Trials (with attendance typically in the 20's), Wednesday ice cream rides, and generally a longer ride on Saturday and a shorter one on Sunday afternoons in addition to the rides the race team did which other fast members were welcome to join. It also annually sponsored a local century, Pomeroy Pump Up the Pulse, the Devil’s Slide Mountain Bike Race, and an annual BBQ ride. About 1999 the Winchester Days Association asked the club to take over the “Bite the Bullet” citizen’s ride up the Old Winchester Grade from Culdesac to Winchester it had been sponsoring. In 2003 there were 53 paid Bite the Bullet riders. In 1997 the club started it annual ride to Wallowa Lake started as a Columbus Day weekend ride with an overnight at the lodge. The club’s biggest event, however, was the Twin Rivers Classic, an event that brought in over 200 racers from throughout the Northwest. Main Street was closed for the criterium, and other races were up the Old Winchester Grade in a route close to what we call the “Winchester Century”, Time Trials, and more that required support from most club members and various Lewiston area civil clubs and which was enthusiastically provided.

1999 TRC board members Kathy, John, Steve, Rep Duane Sommers, Nicki, and Debbie riding with Rep Sommers demonstrating the rumble strip quality of hwy 12's shoulder. With the Rep's assistance WA DOT would eventually roll out this shoulder which they had turned into a virtual rumble strip

1999 - 8 TRC members on Cycle Oregon, Mike, Steve, Nicki, Mike, Carol, Jill, Bill, and Kathy on a cold morning in Joseph Oregon

There was no Twin Rivers Classic Race in 1998 as the sponsor withdrew its considerable support and by the 1999 racing year, the TRC race team had broken up. Most of those young riders moved away, and the rest dropped out of the club. The club converted “Pump Up the Pulse” from a fee ride with a T shirt to a free ride which seemed to reduce participation, and that ride soon ended. The Winchester Day’s Association changed the day of Winchester Days without informing the club, and thereafter local support and ridership in that annual event began to fall. It eventually morphed into a no fee club ride from Lapwai to Winchester, but without fliers, fees, and “T” shirts  it lost the participation of non club members, and the local communities were oblivious to it, and it went the way of Pump Up the Pulse.

TRC 2000 annual Hiawatha Ride

Crazy Ladies Halloween ride 2003.  Sheila, Ted, Sandy, and  not identified, and Kathy - Gentlemen were always welcome to join the Crazy Ladies

In my early days in the club, the annual February business meeting was made more pleasant by making it the “Ice Cream Social” where board member were elected over ice cream sundaes, the event that kicked off the early cycling season. After the board organized itself and set the spring schedule of rides, the annual “membership drive” was held in March with presentation of the annual awards, a spaghetti fed, and potluck. Both events were held at Morgan’s Alley which Russ Morgan continue to allow us to use though he was no longer active in the club. Founding member and club president at the time, Jim Kleeburg, was a particularly entertaining M.C. at the annual membership drive and awards. He’s moved on to become the the mayor of Lewiston.

TRC's 2007 Joseph century ride - photo by Chandler Priebe

Pete Beall started a web page for the club long before that was the norm, and we soon moved into the electronic age unfortunately losing a few low-tech members on the way.  The last paper newsletter was sent out in January of 2004.   I moved back to Boise in 2005, so my knowledge thereafter is largely hearsay, but Corrie Rosetti took over as web master giving TRC a website to be proud of.   However, the club was shrinking as its largely baby-boom membership was augmented with few Gen X-ers or Millennials. The excellent website was largely displaced by FB by 2013.

2013 TRC Secesh Summit Ride with the Riddles: back: not identified, Sean, not identified, Corrie  front: Steve, Christy, Carol, Linda, Nicki, & Mike

TRC mountain bike ride circa 2014 on Craig Mountain - photo by Nicki Riddle

Crazy Ladies circa 2014 or 2015: unidentified, unidentified, Carol, Linda, Nicki, unidentified - photo by Nicki Riddle

2015 TRC has 6 members on Ride Idaho, Linda, Tom, Jennifer, Corrie, Steve, and Laurence

2015 TRC Jacques Spur Ride: Corrie, Jennifer, Carol, Sean, Nicki, Bill, Roger, and Christy

In Feb of 2017 when it was time for the annual business meeting, there was little interest in serving on the board, and less in the business meeting which wasn’t held, so as the board members’ terms expired, so did the club. Former members of the club continue riding together and use the name of the defunct corporation. A few significant rides are posted to their Google Calendar, but most rides are last minute invites on Facebook.

This is just a brief obituary of the club written from my perspective supported by the very few photos I have plus a few former members contributed photos added to the Facebook post, and those photos are added here, but unfortunately its weighted heavily to the time after 2004 or 2005 when digital cameras became standard.  I asked some of the founding members to fill in some details and add some photos so we have a better history of Twin Rivers Cyclists but no information or photos have been forthcoming.   I’d be happy to add some old group photos to this brief history or expand it with additional info from the founding members!

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation,

Steve Largent

originally posted on TRC's Facebook page on 6 April 2017