Sag vehicles: 1993 ford 12 passenger
1993 ford 7 passenger
* Both very new. The 7 passenger had 34 miles on it
when we started. (Boy were the people who rented
us those vans ever dumb) Little did they realize
we would fit 13 bikes on the roof, and take them
into places a Humvee couldn't go.
TEAM KOKO '93: Hugh, Wrentche, RC, Robin, Spence, SteveO, Brian,
Tim, Kay, Lizzy, Roz, JC, Bob, Kelly, Greg
Vans left FTC 12:00 Fri. afternoon. Randevoux'd with Hugh and Lizzy in Denver. Drove to GJ, picked up Greg and Brian (Hughes brothers). Met them at a Harley shop, one of Hughes old hangouts. First time I've ever been in a Harley shop. Pretty interesting, defintely a world away from your local bike shop. If You ever get the guts, try going into a Harley shop wearing something other than leather.
Arrived in Moab ~ 8:30 pm. All campsites were full, and they were not letting anymore people into the Slick Rock area. Thought we were hosed. not the case as Wrentche talked some local into letting us stay on some private property a mile away from Slick Rock with the best view of Moab around. How nice was it you ask? Well, our campsite was so nice, Esquire magazine did a photo shoot 200 yards away from us while we were there.
The ride totaled ~140 miles, and was broken into 6 legs, starting in Moab Utah, ending in grand Junction CO.
Course: Sand Flats Road, Porcupine Rim, Beaver Mesa
Total: ~25 miles
Temp: ~75
Terrain: Service Roads, 4-wheel drive, pavement,
Rating: Easy-Moderate
Riders: Hugh, Wrentche, RC, Robin, Spence, SteveO, Brian, Lizzy,
JC, Kelly, Greg
Started at slick rock heading southeast. Weather was ~75, dead calm, no clouds, and warming up fast. 9 Riders, Easy pace along a 4-wheel road ~ 6 miles. One flat tire (the only flat tire), within the 1st hour of the 1st day. The group splits 1/2 stay on the service road, others do Porcupine ridge. (A warm-up loop for things to come). We meet, collect ourselves, and proceed, climbing gradually 3,500 ft before working our way out to a paved road where we began a 20 minute decent on paved roads.
Course: Beaver Mesa, Fisher Valley
Total: ~25 miles
Temp: ~75 - 90
Terrain: Service Roads, 4-wheel drive, pavement, single track
Rating: Easy - Moderate
Riders: Hugh, Wrentche, RC, Robin, SteveO, Brian, Lizzy, Tim, Roz
JC, Kelly, Greg
Start immediately with a hill. About as long as the one we decended before lunch. Robin said it was a 1.5 hour climb to the top. Paved once again. Some new riders, fresh legs, and fresh spirits as we head up the hill. I'm 1st to the top, take a couple of pics, catch rays, great view. We assemble at the top, no longer paved, now dirt, and begin the decent. I am shocked at how good these people are at decending on dirt. They are fearless, I am not!. The dirt service road turns to 4-wheel drive as we continue on over rollers.
Note of interest : As we cross a cattle guard, we see a semi-fresh
dead cow with both legs broken in the cattle guard. Proof positiveThe trail starts getting real good as we continue to decend down a 4-wh road, off a mesa, into a valley. The view is asome all afternoon long. I'm very "contolled" on my decent while everyone else flies down with wild abandon. One hour of constant technical desending off a mesa, leaves everyone a bit tired and in a valley that approaches 90 degrees. (Awsome scenery the whole way down. Plenty of photo-ops). We ride through the valley on a pleasanr 4-wh road, not a lot of surprises, until the end. On the horizan, through the partially wooded landscape, we see a hill. Not just any hill, but a hill that is short (1/2 mile) and steep....very steep! That is the final challenge of an 8 hour day. Of the 10 riders, 9 meet the challenge of the hill, and concur it with out touching the ground. Once at the top, we do a nice little single track decent, then ride down a 4-wh road about 1.5 miles, and we randevous with the sags for the eve.
Cattle guards work.
Course: Fisher Valley, Dewey Bridge
Total: ~20 miles
Temp: ~75 - 90
Terrain: Service Roads, 4-wheel drive, single track
Rating: Moderate - Technical
Riders: Hugh, Wrentche, RC, Robin, SteveO, Brian, Lizzy, Tim, Roz
JC, Greg, Bob
One of the better rides of the trip in terms of scenery and enjoyable biking. Starting off through a canyon along 4-wh roads (very rough), we make our way to a hill and begin climbing to the top of a canyon. Some walking is required, even for the most experienced Mtn bikers. Once on top, riding is single track on loose slick rock along a beauty canyon rim. The ride is really getting good. It is on these rocks that I take a turn a little fast, and crash. A bone on rock sort of fall where the rock always wins. I clobber my hip pretty good, but am fortunate that I can ride it out. About 2 hours of rim riding we top out. Fun begins on a major decent on 4-wh and single track. Most of the decent is predictable, but a couple of spots get the adrenalin pumping. Again, Spectacular scenery. ~ 45 minutes later we bottom out along the Colorado river where we meet the sags for lunch.
Course: Dewey Bridge, Yellow Jacket Canyon,Plans deviate a bit from the schedule as the Co River is running extremely high, and covers up trail we are scheduled to ride during the 2nd 1/2 of the afternoon trek. Riders have a choice of 3 options; - OPT #1: Take a paved road to our next camp site.
Fish Ford to the Cisco Takeout
Total: ~20 miles
Temp: ~90 - 105
Terrain: 4-wheel drive, single track, *Sandy trail (brutle)
Rating: Moderate - Technical
Riders: Wrentche, RC, Robin, Tim, Roz, Spence, Kelly, Bob, JC, Lizzy
* Riders: Spence, Robin, Kelly(OPT #3): Yellow Jacket Canyon is HOT and the trail is mostly loose sand with a little bit of slick rock thrown in. Scenery is desolate, but intreging. The trail is poorly marked. We ride along making good time as it is a small group. End up missing a turn and proceed to go way off course. This is not a good place to be if you've gone off trail, as temperatures approach 105. Water goes fast and we realize things are not as they should be. We begin breaking out the heavy artilary (compass, map, and eagle scout- Bob), but to no avail. We can not find the right turn-off. We end up riding all over Yellow Jacket Canyon, heading toward the canyon lands. Eventually we start backtracking, looking for the right turn-off. Since we only have an eagle scout (Bob), and no experience on the trail, we don't even know what the turn-off looks like. After 3 failed attempts to get on the right track, we scrap the mission and back-track out of the canyon. By this time it's approaching 5:00 pm, we've been out 4 hours already this afternoon, we started rationing our water about an hour and a half earlier, so things are not looking good. We make it back to Dewey Bridge, bum water from some happy campers and head down the pavement on to our next destination - Fish Ford, to Cisco Takeout. We make it about 5 miles down the paved road to where Fish Ford begins and are quietly surprised (and relieved) to see one of our sags waiting for us. They wait to tell us Fish ford is unrideable due to high water, and our only alternative is the paved road. At this point, we have a choice, ride or be sagged. Since the 4 of us are already dehydrated, and tired, we opt for the sag. We rack the bikes, and head on out.
- OPT #2: Ride pavement to the trail head leading to Fish Ford, then trail
along to Cisco Takeout.
(We find out it is Un-do-able due to high water)
* Riders: Tim, Lizzy, Roz
- OPT #3: Ride Yellow Jacket Canyon, Fish Ford, to Cisco Takeout.
* Riders: Wrentche, RC, Bob, JC
* Point of interest: The river is running so high, members of our group spotted a cow (dead) floating down the river as they bathed.
Course: Cisco Takeout, Westwater, Rabbit ValleyHeading into the final day, we begin with a very long hot stretch. The 1st 15 miles are pretty low key. a nice flat ride through the praire. Things get interesting as we hop on a trail that works its way to the top of a mesa. Tim breaks a chain. We have trouble fixing it as it is a Shimano Hyperglide. Soft pins are not cool when the temperature is approaching 95. Finally get it fixed, and we hurry to catch up with the rest. The ride is nice along the mesa top and lasts about an hour. Then we go down! Down a Steep 4-wh road, that is a bit hair raising. I feel much more comfortable on this decent than I did on similar down hills of day 1 & 2. SteveO manages to crash on the hill. Says he's lucky he fell to the inside rather than the outside. Falling outside would have been at least 100 foot drop. Once at the bottom, the temp. is HOT, and the trail dusty; Rabbit Valley. Rabbit Valley goes on forever, and some members of the morning ride begin to fade. The ride is moderate at this point, and scenery is pleasant. Some canyon rims, a washout, and lots of 4-wh road. About 1.5 hours of Rabbit Valley, and were finished with it. It is as hot now as it was yesterday in Yellow Jacket Canyon. Only Wrentche & I have done both rides, so for the rest, this is a new experience with extreme temperatures. All except Wrentche & I who rode the morning opt to ride in the afternoon.
Total: ~33 miles
Temp: ~75 - 100
Terrain: Service Roads, 4-wheel drive, single track, slick rock, sand
Rating: Moderate - Technical
Riders: Wrentche, RC, Robin, SteveO, Brian, Tim, Spence, Kelly
Course: Mack Exit on I-70, Mary's Loop, Loma boat launchOnce again the ride is cut short due to high water levels. We rack our bikes, drive ~10 miles to the Mack Exit on I-70, and begin our final leg on Mary's Loop. It starts off with 3 killer hills to get up and over a ridge that opens up into an awsome valley. Mary's Loop is the most technical part of the ride, and also the most spectacular. The trail follows a canyon rim that at times is ~300 sheer. At the bottom is the Colorado River. We ride this section pretty hard and finish at the Loma boat launch at 4:00. The sags are there waiting for us. Once off the bike, I walk down to the river, and plunge head 1st. The water is cold but feels great. After about 2 minutes in the river my body is sufficiantly numb so I get out, head back up to the van where a cold DOS XX waits patiently in a cooler.
Total: ~13 miles
Temp: ~85 - 95
Terrain: Service Roads, 4-wheel drive, single track, slick rock, sand
Rating: Moderate - Technical
Riders: Wrentche, RC, Brian, Roz, Lizzy, JC, Bob
A quick dinner, a few goodbyes, and we jump in the vans for a long haul back to FTC. Leave GJ ~7:30. Arrive in FTC ~ 12:00. do some initial van unpacking, and it's off to bed.