It’s hard to believe it’s been over a month since I was mountain biking in Moab. This post has just been sitting partially written.

The final ride I did in Moab was the Kane Creek/Harrah Pass/Amasa Back Loop. This loop was the first ride I ever did in Moab. I had never been to Moab and went out to race the Tour of Canyonlands. My friend was working the evening before the race so we left late. We got to Moab about 3 AM and I got a few hours of sleep before showing up for the race. Over the years since then, I’ve ridden the loop several times both in racing and just riding.

The last time I had tried riding this loop was in 2004 when the Tour of Canyonlands last used this course. I had gotten sick with aches and chills on the way out a couple days before the race. The day before the race, I felt well enough to ride up Amasa Back but was still weak.

I figured I’d start the race and see how I felt. Even when I haven’t been sick, I often don’t feel good before a race starts. How I feel before a race is never a good indication of how well I’ll race.

Within a couple miles, it was clear I’d be struggling just to finish. I considered just riding it easy but was concerned I’d do my body more harm than good. There had been a big rain a couple days before and the first water crossing that was normally a trickle was flowing pretty good. I hung out with some other people and watched some vehicles get stuck and unstuck.

While I was watching, emergency vehicles went by. Then we started hearing that there had been a bad accident with the racers. I would later find out that “Ben” Hall had been killed in a collision with a truck. Although I often saw him at the races and we’d be back and forth sometimes, I never really got to know him. It truly was a sad day in the mountain bike race community.

Although it has been 4 years since the accident, it was on my mind as I set out on my ride. The Kane Creek road is actually pretty boring but makes for a nice warm up. Right about where I thought the accident had happened from what one of my teammates that saw had told me, I saw a simple cross with a chain ring on it.

I always enjoy the views while riding up Harrah Pass. It’s also an enjoyable climb for me since it’s not too steep and I can power up it. I took a short break at the top before the fun, fast descent down the back side.

It always seems like it’s farther than I remember from the bottom of Harrah Pass over to Jackson Hole and the base of Jacob’s Ladder. I actually enjoy being back there so it’s not that I’m not having fun. Less sand would be nice but it’s not all that bad.

Even though I did a lot of work on my bike the first day in Moab, I didn’t change my chain because I didn’t have a new cassette. I also didn’t think my chain had that much wear on it. I was wrong and my chain broke. I carry the Crank Brothers Multi 17 Tool and I really like it because it’s small and has almost everything you could need on the trail. I do find that the chain tool can be bit difficult to use but it’s still much better than not having one. I had trouble fixing the chain and apparently didn’t get it right. About 15 minutes later it broke a 2nd time. That time fixing it went smoothly and it didn’t break again.

The first time I raced on this course I had no idea what Jacob’s Ladder was. Before the race I kept hearing people talking about it. I asked my teammate that had raced the course before what it was like. He pointed to some high cliffs and said, “It’s pretty much like those cliffs except there’s a broken section you scramble up.”

I only half believed him and thought he was just messing with me. I would find out soon enough that his description was pretty accurate. Unlike most of the other racers, I always liked Jacob’s Ladder because I always made up quite a few places on it. It’s no harder than doing the Manitou Incline except that you’re carrying a bike on your back. It’s much easier than doing Gray’s Peak in Montezuma’s Revenge.

Once at the top of Jacob’s Ladder, it’s just a quick descent down Amasa Back. The short steep section back up to the Kane Creek road always seem brutal after descending.

Related Links: 7 Mountain Biking Confidence Killers | Saltwash and Sovereign Singletracks | Gold Bar Rim and Portal Trail

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A 7-year-old boy playing with matches ignited a brush fire yesterday that destroyed the Old Dewey Bridge that is part of the Kokopelli Trail from Fruita to Moab. The suspension bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1916 and was the state’s longest bridge without supports in the waterway it crossed.

The Dewey Bridge was within sight of the new bridge on Utah Highway 128 so it won’t keep mountain bikers from riding the trail. It’s still a big bummer since it was a cool bridge and part of riding the Kokopelli Trail. I’ve driven by it many times and rode across it when I did the Kokopelli Trail lat year. I just saw it when I was to Moab a couple weeks ago.

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Today I rode Gold Bar Rim and the Portal Trail. I rode Gold Bar Rim once before and really wasn’t struck with it. When I asked for readers favorite Moab rides, 3 readers mentioned it so I decided to give it another try.

The other time I did Gold Bar Rim, several of us had started from our camp at Sand Flats. We took the road over to Poison Spider. We then did Poison Spider, Golden Spike, Gold Bar Rim, back to town, and up to Sand Flats.

I was fit and ready for race season so the distance wasn’t bad. The issue was that we had a couple slower riders that we spent a lot of time waiting for. We all ran out of food and water. It wasn’t pretty. I was also headed home that day and was very late picking my wife up in Grand Junction. She brought it up again Sunday when we discussed when I’d be picking her up tomorrow.

Today was nothing like that day. I had felt really tired yesterday after just doing Saltwash and Sovereign singletracks. I decided I’d go part way up Gold Bar Rim and then turn around.

I hadn’t realized that there was singletrack that followed the rim instead of going up and down like the jeep trail. I copied the directions from my route book on finding the singletrack. Of course I forgot and left them in the vehicle when I started riding. They may not have done much good since I don’t have a bike computer or GPS on my mountain bike. The key thing I remembered was always go left and up if you end up back on the jeep trail.

The singletrack was easier to find and follow than I expected based on what the book said. There were a fair number of cairns and blue paint lines. Still I lost the trail several times but always found it again pretty soon. Still there are several places you have to carry your bike so if you don’t like getting off a lot, it’s probably not a good trail for you.

I got to where I could see Poison Spider Mesa and the rock dome where the Portal Trail drops down. I was having way too much fun to turn around so I just kept going. Of course that was about when it seemed like the rock dome wasn’t getting any closer.

The Portal Trail has a lot of exposure. It’s not for people that are scared of heights. I have a rule that even if the trail is easily rideable I get off and walk if falling most likely would mean death. I did some walking on the narrow sections of the Portal Trail. It’s not something to take lightly because people really have fallen off there and died.

Once I got past the narrow sections, the descent down was fun and I was at the road. I hadn’t been looking forward to the ride back to the Gemini Bridges parking lot. It ended up seeming shorter than I had expected. Another fun day of ridng in Moab and I get to ride a part day tomorrow before heading back.

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