On the hard stuff in Moab

I’ve been to Moab in Utah a couple of time in the past, and it really is an amazing place. Here’s part of feature I shot there back in the early 2000’s, and on the road!

Driving in from the record summer heats of Colorado I was having serious second thoughts about the whole meaning and purpose of my visit to Moab. Not to say that it was my first visit to this slick rock mountain bike Mecca. But that was exactly it – this was fat tire town, would a guy with dropped bars and skinny tires be run out of the place by a band of hairy legged full suspension riding cowboys? In all my time I’d never even considered riding on the paved roads of the Canyonlands, let alone heard of anyone else doing so – was I to be the pioneering road missionary of Moab? The answer here was to be a happy and emphatic no!

The other thing rolling back and forth through my driven out mind were the numerous grins and head noddings given by those I’d so far encountered along the way. I felt like some kind of biblical character; “ I’m going to Moab to ride on the road.” I’d say, that poor unfortunate grin and nod almost always came back in response; “ Road bike? Moab? July?”  Yes okay, some could get their heads around the first bit – but Moab in July, that was hot season, in fact it was positively baking season – and this year the surrounding forest fires of Colorado had wind sent their smoky delights across the Canyonlands area to add to the effect.

Rolling through the mid afternoon heat haze I trundled into town via Poison Spider Bicycles, the road bike centre of fat city. The guys there had prepared some ride info and arranged for a series of bicycles at dawn show downs for me to partake of. These early starts are crucial for mid summer riding in these parts. Get past mid morning and the heat is seriously intense on the desert roads, so it’s necessary to manifest into some kind of demi-vampire like biker of the desert in order to survive.

A couple of early morning slow bakes seemed like a good option before attempting the formidable La Sal Loop. In normal conditions it would still prove an epic ride out, but given the mid morning temperature curfew it would be a race against time and the desert spirits in mid summer. Potash Road and the Arches were first up, mid distance ride ins which are ideal for acclimatisation and summer riding in the area. The Potash is a flat ride alongside the Colorado River. The gorge is amazing, intimidating even. It also gives you a great spiritual sense of the area when you see ancient rock art and etchings on the red rock faces above you. As for Arches, what can you say; this is possibly the most imposing and dramatic of the areas parks, and an amazing ride out.

But inevitably the big day loomed, and it was an early breakfast at La Sal peak on top of the menu. The sun was rising lazily from behind the gentle and distinguished La Sal mountains as we sped across the desert towards them, gently dazed by the early morning sun and the lack of a caffeine kick start. At first it’s just a heavy and mildly draggy road, but almost before you know it the battle is on, the battle with an un–named cross bread desert mountain beast who upon slaying would be named La Sal Pass, which is Steve speak for something unprintable.

On and on, it becomes a battle of survival. With the rising height and awakening sun so the slow boiling process begins, though it is so much cooler up here than the furnace bellow. After an eternity of climbing we roll out onto a deserted alpine plateau, from where we can make out the distant orange shapes of the desert below us. It really is another world up here, and so far removed from the moonscape bellow us. 

As we cruised along in the refreshing morning air a bear reared up in the road before us. Yes, seriously, a brown bear cub out for a morning hike decided to check out the strange Lycra clad figures heading towards him. It wasn’t long before he fled to the bushes, though I still had time to snap him – that’s what you call a once in a ride time experience, so don’t bank on seeing bears if you take on this ride.

The ridge top road dips and dives it’s way along the crest of these admirable heights, winding it’s way through sun speckled aspen trees before kissing the coolness behind on it’s way back down to earth. 

The newly surfaced Castle Valley road is steep and narrow, and very twisty. It’s also one of the most amazing descents you’ll find anywhere. The transformation from the alpine greenery to the high pillared red rock desert is quite bewildering. Bellow us the huge rock pillars and outcrops of Castle Valley slowly but surely emerge from the smoke-smattered haze to become surrounding realities. This is real Wild West stuff, and amazing to ride through.

By now we’re back down towards start level, and it’s toasting it’s way towards mid morning. It’s more or less downhill through Castle Valley, thankfully. Next up is the final windswept rolling slog back to Moab. This final section is almost an hour long and weaves it’s way through a huge walled red rock gorge with the Colorado River running besides you all the way back to town. And it’s just in time for a late breakfast, before fleeing home to the chilled air con safety of my hotel room.