The 100+ Miles of Utah's White Rim Trail

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The 100+ Miles of Utah's White Rim Trail Stephen Patience Having drooled over many mountain regulations. If caught, I faced being sideways glances I received from tour biking magazine articles and pictures escorted from the Park by the Ranger. operators as Istarted out that morning. ofUtah, my aim was to visit thel US and Good, I thought, not only a bike ride, Do not underestimate a determined have the maximum fun on the but a 4WD safari as well! Kiwi with a goal in mind, I thought to minimum funds. This would require myself After cycling 33 miles, arrived some forward planning. The recommended direction of travel at the Island in the Sky Visitor Centre. was counter-clockwise around the trail Who cares about the taxi shuttle? became aware of an organisation for ease of self-supported riders for recreational cyclists in the US, requiring access to water from the After uplifting my permit, I made my known as Adventure Cycling. They Green River, which was satisfactoryfor 1,000' descent of fthel long andwinding publish their own magazines, offer an emergency, but Green River water Shafer Trail. It was once a cattle trail tours, sell maps and books, and apparently clogs filters and carries and then a road for uranium hunters. provide information for cyclists. Ijoined more trace metals than normal. A The scenery is SO spectacular that you for anominal fee and advertised int their further recommendation suggested feel insignificant against the tall magazine for a cycle companion to riding this trail in the autumn monoliths and buttes that encapsulate mountain bike in the area of Moab, (September) as it's one of the least the skyline. It is hard to believe that Utah. I subsequently received an hottest times. Certainly, the autumn this land was once under water. invitation to come mountain biking in wouldrequire extra water to be carried Denver, Colorado, which was later Many interesting textures were left in followed with further biking in Moab. I hoped these the reddish-brown rock at thet time the waters receded. The Park is also noted Moab is a mountain biker's dream for the cryptobiotic crusts that stabilise come true. It is similar to a small New others would be the desert soils. These are often Zealand ski town in the winter where damaged by errant mountain bikers everyone has a pair of skis on the car neighbourly and hikers wandering from the trails. roof; here, every driver has mountain bikes fixed to the jeep roof instead. My campsite for the evening was at the onhot days, especially for the energetic Airport Tower, a tall rock formation One of the rides that I did alone was mountain bikers on the White Rim Trail. appropriately named. It was fortunate the White Rim Trail located in the There is no water, food, or gasoline, that some rain had fallen at the site on Canyonlands National Park. This trip and little in the way of shelter in these the days preceding my visit. Potholes isr normally performed byt tour-outfitters, barren areas, butlhadi no choice; Ihad at the canyon rim were natural basins, accompanied by a sag wagon, over a to ridet the 100+ mile trail in a clockwise providing me with an ample supply of period of four days. I planned to do direction because of the sites that water which was able to filter Iwould the same, self-supported, staying at remained available to me. Therefore, later take every opportunity to top up various campsites within the park. had to substitute food volume for water, at these potholes as I passed them. SO I carried approximately 5 litres of Phoning to make campsite reservations fluids and only dehydrated meals. You The adjacent site was occupied by a was like calling the contest line at your can never carry too much water, and rowdy group of mountain bikers who local radio station. Reservations were when you really needi lit, will prove more had all the comforts of home packed being made well into the future, Iwas precious than gold. into their sag wagon. These guys sat told, duet to the immense popularity of on the edge of the canyon ands supped the area. After finally getting through, enquired about the price of a shuttle cold tinnies, watching the sun go down I was given the choice of what sites to the start of thet trail and visitor centre. while listening to U2. Iwas envious as remained over the period planned to The cost was more than expected So Isupped on the instant beer flavoured be there. I could not get the sites I awarm-up ride was in order. beverage that I had bought from the anticipated and had to re-hash my trip REI store. The directionsi requiredwater with what was available. Iwas offered set out on the morning of 2 October to be added followed by a gentle stir campsites near each end of the trail, and had not being going long before to allow the "head" to settle. Somehow but had nothing for the dayi in between. hadt to repair puncturest to the rear tyre. it wasn't like the real thing andlhoped When I said that I might share a site A few miles later thet front tyre suffered these others would be neighbourly. with others, ifthey werel hospitable like the same problem. I recalled a thorn They weren't. my fellow New Zealanders, I was bush I must have ridden over on my sternly lectured byt the guy on the other previous day's ride which was now Itopped up my water supplies and left end oft the phone. Iwas remindedi that causing me more grief than expected. at al leisurely morning hour after fixing camping with al bicycle is restricted to Ihad to search for and remove thorns a slow leak in my rear tyre. Those designated campsites only, and that that had embedded themselves in the damn thorns just wouldn't go away! my intentions were contrary to Park walls of the tyres. I can recall the The trail went past many white-edged TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING canyon rims. I stopped and lunchedwhilstl looking over the Gooseberry Canyon. The trail often came close to the edge of the canyon and I had to remind myself not to let the awe-inspiring views allow my handlebars to aimlessly wander. No-one would know where to come looking for me! The only other peoplel Imet on the trail that day was a small group in two 4WD vehicles. They were travelling in the opposite direction andstopped at my lunch spot. I had read that people in 4WD vehicles normally carry extra water and may oblige the weary and thirsty mountain biker. My supplies were okay and the cloudy day meant thatldidnot have to draw on my reserves too much. Colorado River from Lathrop Lookout Stephen Patience A steep climb up Murphy Hogback scarce around this side of the trail; tourniquet to his arm and severed it broughtr met to thei Murphy Camp about however, the Green River, murky as it with his pocket knife. He survived the 4:3 30pm. This is where I had planned was, was an alternative water source, ordeal and lived well into his 70s. tos stay andtaker my chances, asldidn't shouldineed it. have a reservation. All three sites were 1 also planned to ride the Gemini empty and the sky had started to The outlook over Potato Bottom made Bridges Trail which was a downhill darken. Dramatic electrical storms awelcome and refreshing change with shortcut to Moab. The late afternoon couldbe seeni int the distant sky, making the contrasting green of the Tamarisk sun was diminishing and I wanted to their wayt towards me. Ihad also read trees on the banks of the Green River, get to Moab before darkness fell. The about peoplel being struck byl lightning against the red canyon skyline. The: Gemini Bridges Trail is a ride of 13V2 every yeari in southern Utah as: storms white rim sandstone at this point also miles thati is walledby: slickrock fins and caught people unawares. These began to fade. I climbed up taperedi facades. The sun createdlo long storms pass as quickly as they come, Hardscrabble Hill only to drop down to shadows of these rock formations, and can be unpleasant if caught in the Labyrinth Camp, located at Upheaval making it visually compelling. Todd open or on high ridges. Bottom, arriving at 2:00pm. Ihad made Campbell writes in his book "Above & pretty good progress till this time, so I Beyond Slickrock" about the Gemini Iset up my tent and ate, awaiting the decided to make a push out to Moab. Bridges Trail, noting: "Some debate arrival ofp people tot this site. There was The comfort of a bed at the Hotel Off occurs as to whether the bridges plenty of open space and I knew that Center beckoned and the Power Bar I actually: span a watercourse, forit's the no-one in their right mind would had eaten earlier seemed to give me rare person who has seen it flow". I begrudge me the site this late in the more energy to cycle for longer. then had a fast downhill road ride, day, and with the weather the way it arriving at Moab just on dark. was. No-one arrived to claim their The ride around the White Rim Trail reservation: which also allayedr myt fears ended as I climbed up the 1,000' My total ride covered a distance of 151 of being caught by the Ranger. The Horsethief Trail in the heat of the day. miles and a climb of 6580. only visitors I had were the Kangaroo The glint of the sun on metal caught mice who sneakedi into the tent during my eye and I noticed some old Ifinished up sampling a few of thel local the night to gnaw at my food supply. crumpled vehicles which must have beers at Eddie McStiffs. This is where They have a knacki for making a racket been driven over the edge. The all Moab mountain bike trails end, and far out of proportion to their size. switchbacks were bulldozed in the where the fat tyre cats meet. Rich, a 1940s for mineral access. Apparently, guyt from Seattle wholmet at thel Hotel After leaving Murphy Campsite the Art Woods who cleared the trail, had Off Center, later told me that he following morning, the ride was all suffered a life-threatening mishap observed: some mountain bikers on the downhill. passed mountain bikers when he side-hilled his dozer too White Rim Trail with their sag wagons, coming in the opposite direction who steeply, rolling it and pinning his arm and thought of them as "candy-assed were also travelling with the aid of sag between the dozer'st tread and thet trail. Americans" in comparison to my 3 day wagons. The potholes were more In a moment of lucidity, he applied a self-supported journey. TRAMPING & MOUNTAINEERING