Bicycling for Fun in the Pacific Northwest and occasionally beyond: Moab Mountain Biking 2021

We arrived in Moab with enough time for what has become our standard Moab shakedown cruise- down to the Colorado River bicycle bridge for photos plus ride up some steep hill, but as we headed out dark clouds threatened, and we found the wet ground showed signs of recent washouts.

Steve and Will at the welcome to Moab sign a couple days later - photo by Willl

Steve with the bicycle bridge to Moab in the background - photo by Will

Day 0- Thu 30 Sep 2021

Lazy Lizard Hostel to a hill above Moab

4.0 miles, riding time 0:34, and 282' elevation gain

We rode toward the bicycle bridge over the Colorado River, but those dark clouds were growing more threatening, so we turned up a steep street and found an even steeper walking path which we unsuccessfully tried to ride. We had lights and were prepared to ride in the dark to accomplish our shakedown cruise, but we weren't mentally prepared for a cold drizzle, so we headed back to the Lazy Lizard Hostel as daylight turned to dusk and as light drizzle started. Light rain continued most of the night which combined with the dampness from earlier rains nearly eliminated Moab's characteristic red dust and loose dry sand for this trip.

Steve above Moab at sunset on day 0

Day 1 - Fri 1 Oct 2021

Sand Flats Rd, Eagle's Eye, and Falcon Flow Trails

33.0 miles, 5:30 riding time, 4,104' elevation gain

Will had done nearly all the planning for the trip with my vetoing only a couple of trails as too technical, so it was Will who chose to ride up the long and steep Sands Road.

Will adjusting his derailer on the outskirts of town- proving last evening's shakedown cruise was too short.

Sand road offers some great scenery.

Will enjoying slick rock at the side of Sand Road

Steve on some slick rock

I was a bit disappointed when we got to the Porcupine Rim trail and learned that we wouldn't take it to the top, but that would have been a day too long. However, we took pictures at the trail head where we might have gone and where we've gone before.

Near the top of Sand Road a couple of strangers catching us as we took a break

Will has gumption when he tires, but even his gumption was beginning to wear down as we neared the top. A longer morning break with a snack helped revive him followed shortly at the top by lunch and a very brief nap which seemed to restore his energy.

Still the climbing continues as Will nears the top.

We added a few hundred yards to enjoy these views at our lunch break which was on the LPS route just before it turns into the well known Porcupine Rim Trail. LPS seemed very busy as many speeding cyclists passed us as we lunched. Perhaps it's become that busy or perchance a shuttle dropped them off just in time to pass us on our lunch break.

view from our lunch spot on the Porcupine Rim Trail which was just off route

Another view from our lunch spot - photo by Will

Will seemed entirely revived by lunch and the knowledge that downhill awaited us on Eagle Eye and Falcon Flow Trails, and after lunch it was he who was often waiting for me as riding got a bit technical at times requiring that I push over a few obstacles that he easily rode over.

Steve on Eagle's Eye Trail - photo by Will

Will on one of the many "drops"

Clouds slowly lifted throughout the day. I think "Falcon Flow" isn't flowy enough to warrant that name, but it it did have flowy sections and was within my abilities.

Day 2 - Sat 2 Oct 2021

Mustang, Whirlwind, upper 7 Up, Coney Island, Big Lonely, Chisholm, & Rodeo Trails

25.5 miles, 5:33 riding time, 1,879' elevation gain

We drove out to the Mustang Trailhead on hwy 313. I'd requested a repeat of the 7 Up Trail, so Will put together this combination of trails that outside of 7 Up were generally as technical as I could handle - stretching my abilities but not over stretching them. I gained confidence throughout the day and found myself trusting both the trails' design and my abilities, but the continual drops seemed to tire me by the end of the day while they seemed to energize Will.

Steve disappearing on the Mustang Trail - photo by Will

A couple of strangers on a scenic section of trail

Will had downloaded the route into our Garmins, but neither we nor Garmin knew part of the route was one way, and the Garmins didn't adjust to the required reversal of the planned course. Although neither the elevation gain nor the distance show this as a difficult day, by afternoon break I was ready for the ride to end. I'm blaming this on my technical skills being stretched - but not exceeded- by the trails that followed 7 Up. As I tired it seemed like we did a circle within a circle, but the recorded route shows a small circle at the bottom of the main circle.

Day 3 - Sun 3 Oct 2021

Monitor & Merrimack from town

42.4 miles, 5:38 riding time, 2,828' elevation gain

Any tiredness I felt from the prior day was gone, and I particularly enjoyed the slick rock and views on this trail. Today was the only day we rode the roughly 10 miles of paved path to the trails north of town, and it was as we exited town today that the two introductory photos in this blog were taken.

Steve crossing the Colorado River on the bicycle bridge outside of Moab

The paved bicycle trail took us about 10 miles before we turned off onto a steep jeep road that led to the actual Monitor and Merrimack Trail.

Steve as the jeep road becomes steep - photo by Will

Will at the top of the first steep section of jeep road which in this photo doesn't look as steep or rough as it was.

Will starting up another steep section of jeep road

Will after most of the climbing

Steve after most of the climbing - photo by Will

Steve on the slick rock of Monitor and Merrimack - photo by Will

Will enjoying Monitor and Merrimack's slick rock

Steve on more slick rock of the Monitor and Merrimack - photo by Will

We took a lot of photos and really enjoyed this slick rock. Will now says we must return to Monitor and Merrimack every year, a thought I can agree with. The sick rock eventually leads into a sandy draw, and although the sand was still a little damp, we had to push through sections of it. After the earlier rains we found water in the draw.

Will finishing the sandy draw

Then it was back down the jeep trails and on to the "out of town" Chevron Station for ice cream before bicycling roughly 10 miles of paved path down to Moab. It was a great day with some steep climbing, great views, great slick rock, just a bit of loose sand in the final draw, and a Klondike Bar!

Day 4 - Mon 4 Oct 2021

lower 7 Up, Whirlwind, Mustang, Get-Away, Arthur's Corner, and Gemini Bridges

30.0 miles, 5:34 riding time, 2,585' elevation gain

We parked the car at the junction of hwy 191 and 313, and rode up hwy 313 to the unmarked 7 Up Trail head which would easily be missed if not loaded into our Garmin routes. 7 Up and the others offer some great desert scenery without being too technical.

Will on the first stage of 7 Up

There's slick rock here and there too.

Will in a sandy section

Steve on a section of slick rock- photo by Will

Scenery is always changing

Will in the pinons

Steve riding a drop - photo by Will

Will rounding a corner

Arthur's Corner was short but slightly more technical than the other trails, and then we were on Gemini Bridges Road (jeep road) with some deep sand followed by a steep climb and a great descent back to the car.

View from the top of Gemini Bridges Rd. We'll descend now to the valley below - photo by Will

Day 5 - Tue 5 Oct 2021

Klondike Bluffs: Inside Passage, Jurassic, Agate West, Homer, Baby Steps Loop, Inside Passage

22.2 miles, 4:16 riding time, 2,077' elevation gain

We drove to the Klondike southern parking lot, but I strongly recommend driving to the northern lot which won't subject your car to so much buffeting and may even be a shorter drive without so much rough dirt roads paralleling the highway. It rained again last night and the forecast called for more rain this afternoon which had Will wanting to finish early.

Our route had us on almost flowy trails dodging large rocks, but without many rocks in the trail. Then we turned and climbed, and both of us pushed over some of the steep rocky sections. First thing this morning my camera's memory card was suddenly "full", so there are no morning photos from me. At lunch I deleted a few old photos which allowed a few afternoon photos.

Much of the trail wound its way through rocks without being rocky- photo by Will

There's also a lot of slick rock that looks like a super-highway. Here Will is on a section of it.

Steve on some slick rock - photo by Will

Will on Baby Ladder

Steve and Will on Baby Ladder

Ladders are apparently things too steep to ride and require either pushing or carrying a bike. We could push up Baby Ladder. We found a group of friendly ATVer's at the bottom who took the photo of us both. After Baby Ladder, the slick rock freeway opens up again.

Will on the long wide section of slick rock after Baby's Ladder

Will between two rocks on the return either on Jurassic or Inside Passage

Because of the possibility of rain, I couldn't talk Will into extending the ride on any trails, but he did allow me to ride up the road to get my day's accumulated elevation gain over 2,000 feet!

Steve on the road getting his last feet of elevation gain to total over 2,000'

Day 6 - Wed 6 Oct 2021

Bar M

5.8 miles, 1:08 riding time, 597' elevation gain

Will had a later flight from SLC, so as we drove north we had an extra hour or two for a short ride, and we both like some of the trails at Bar M. I'd taken a 2nd camera with me, so after yesterday's full memory card, I switched cameras. When I went to snap the first photo, its battery was dead, so I took no photos on this last partial day of riding. We usually switch bikes for a couple hours, and today was that day, so I was on Will's new Canondale Trigger - a better bike than mine, but I spent too much time adjusting to its small differences like its Scram shifters and handlebar controls of the shocks. I enjoyed Will's new bike, but I'd rather ride it in less technical conditions like at Klondike Bluffs while I adjust to the Trigger's slightly different controls and different feel. Will seems to instantly make those adjustments. Will has a fancy soft sided carrying case for his bicycle, and we spent close to an hour packing it up for its flight home.

Will on Steve's Trek Superfly 8

Logistics

2021's inflation has hit the motel industry nearly doubling prices since we were here in 2019, so we returned to the Lazy Lizard Hostel where we had a cabin with two bunk beds and a desk for just over $50 a night. Management and the guests in the main hostel seemed friendlier than in 2018 when we last stayed here. The bathroom was 100 feet away, but was immaculately clean. I'm comfortable returning here. Eating out was another story. The Moab Brewery, a favorite for years, has deteriorated to typical bar food- gone are the great salads, homemade breads, and extensive menu. Denny's, usually a good breakfast option, was operating only as a drive-in - call ahead for pick-up and on greatly reduced hours. One night we bought a rotisseried chicken and sides from the local grocery store for $20 and ate it from our cabin's pic-nic table, and that was my favorite dinner this year while there.