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Moab
Finally

Most people that know Nate or I would certainly agree that we like to mountain bike. Heck, half this trip was supposed to be all mountain biking. I only own three bikes, Nate has four. So it would be a safe assumption that we either a) spend too much money on gear or b) really like to bike. Now, one of the things that you learn after getting into mountain biking is that “you have to go ride Moab.” Nate, being the adventurous one, had already fulfilled that requirement. I, however, was still incomplete in my development as a mountain biker and intelligent adult. Well, I am finally complete. As a mountain biker, not that adult nor intelligent part yet.

After coming back from Thanksgiving break, we hopped in the van and made a beeline straight for Moab. After waiting for the outside temperature to hit 30 the next morning and pounding a couple bowls of oatmeal (lots of raisins and brown sugar please), we hit the trail. The landscape in Moab is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. Well, except for Escalante maybe, but this time we were allowed to ride bikes. Just outside town is a sea of slickrock hills, that stretch up towards the snow covered La Sal mountain range. The Colorado River cuts a deep gorge through the area, and left mesas and valleys dotting the landscape after years of erosion. And if the scenery wasn’t nice enough, the riding kicks a%$. We rode the Porcupine Rim trail, which makes a 30 mile loop. Thankfully, we parked the van at the bottom of the loop, so we started with the 15 mile climb. Nate no longer had the hand hardware, so he was itching to get back on the bike. He was also itching from the rash, but that’s a different story altogether. I suffered up the climb while Nate pedaled nice and slow to wait up, but we finally made it to the top. Then it was a 10 mile rip back to the bottom (followed by 5 miles on the road for all you Math majors). One of the great things about the trail was the huge variety of terrain we saw. Fast fireroads, technical rock ledges, loose rocks and really difficult short drops and climbs were all part of the loop. And the whole time we only saw two people (and one dog that I mistook for a wolf). By the end of the ride, I was toast. And not even toast with butter or jelly, just dry, burned, crunchy toast. Which made it the perfect time to jump in the van for the 1200 mile drive to Austin, Texas. Yeeeeeehaaaaaaa!


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