Salt Lake City: "ramble out yonder"

More monsters, but always inside them, a moto line:





The landscape opened up to this awesome plane. Am I in Moab or Australia? (That's what Australia looks to me in my mind, Ayers Rock and all (it's called Prostitute Butte around Moab, no idea why. I kept looking at it for clues as it is seen for much of the way)







I thought navigation was very difficult. A map helped. So did the GPS, but still found it hard to figure out if I was on track.





What kept confusing me were the signs to "Pritchett" which were different than the signs to "Behind the Rocks". (Eventually I figured out the signs for Pritchett meant to indicate an easier way to get to that canyon other than BR).

After a few dead ends like this one, I kind of figured out where I was on the map.




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The BR trail had almost everything except mud: sand, rock, climbs, descents, slickrock....







This was a fun one, I think the Roller Coaster:



And White Knuckle Hill before



And after:



....but again, if you walk it, you can find easier moto lines...if you want them...




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This was another whew moment once I figured out the trail went to the right if this big drop into a mud hole:



Eventually I made it to the intersection between BR, Pritchett and Hunter Canyon at the NW corner of BR. I debated to go to the mouth of Pritchett Canyon, but not knowing what was in from of me in the way back, I was doing a loop, I opted out. Next time now that in familiar with many of these trails.



My plan was to figure out how to get to Kane Creek Canyon Rim Rd and to the "highly
desirable viewpoint" overlooking Kane Creek below.












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I did find the spur to that viewpoint, but pay attention, no signs. Only a cairn. And you can barely see the spur. The view is out of this world.



Not sure what I posted before. Many repeat pics. Sorry. Still, great views:





DO NOT MISS this spur viewpoint if you are in Moab. As impressive (or more) as Top Of The World. Both are MUST DO trails.



From here you can see Kane Creek, Hurrah Pass, the evaporation ponds, Dead Horse, etc. 180 degree view plus. Stunning!




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I then took the easy road back to the car.





Could not resist playing in these dunes, even tough I had the wrong bike:



Back to the TH. The Beta and the Beemer have served me well! Wish I could stay longer. Be back soon!




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Hopefully you're returning in Spring 2015 to guide your FL peeps on a week long tour.

So cool ! Can you list some of the trails you were riding ?

In order of difficulty of the obstacles encountered (totally subjective, decided by the number of times I recall dabbing, or the number of times or the amount of time I stopped to study a section, or if I turned around or the sheer physical effort)

Hells Revenge (with Gates of Hell)
Pritchett Canyon
Gold Bar/Rusty Nail
Golden Spike
Rose Garden Hill
Sovereign Trail
Behind the Rocks
Moab Rim
Amasa Back
Hells Revenge (without Gates of Hell)
Top of the World
Slickrock
Poison Spider
Onion Creek (not hard and not worth it except as a connector to Rose Garden Hill)
Gemini Bridges (not hard and not worth it except as connector to Gold Bar)

In order of subjective WOW factor either of the landscape, the view or the trail itself:

Top of the World
Amasa Back
Behind the Rocks
Sovereign Trail
Gold Bar
Golden Spike
Slickrock
Moab Rim
Pritchett
Rose Garden Hill
Poison Spider
Hells Revenge

Hope this helps.


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Been coming to Ogden for 10 years Xmas and summers and have lived here for three months and I just heard about this last week, 5 min from my house? LOL










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Amazing report! Thanks for taking all of the time to take the pics!

I just want to chime in and say I love:

1. This thread
2. Utah
3. Mises!

The government does not own those hot pools. They own nothing but that which they take from others by force.

Keep it up!

"For so heaven's justice goads them on, that fear is turned into desire..." Dante's Inferno, Canto iii

On My way to 5 Miles of Hell today...



-----

I just came accross this in Green River:



I learned how to drive in one of those, green to boot!



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Bring it on and let's see the trials bike in action.

Yes ! Let's see it !!!

Reporting from the Grand Canyon's South Rim. Hiking to the bottom tomorrow, got lucky w others not showing up to get their reservations....





OK, back to motorcycles....

Sunset on my way to the Swell. You can see both La Sal and Henry mountains.



Portrait of the rider as an old man the night before 5MOH at the campsite south of Temple Mountain.





And after finishing it:




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I started riding at 9 am, first eating, warming up w a campfire and waiting for a little bit of sun...



I know own a palace of a tent. Got tired of car camping w a tarp. It's from "Hilleberg the tent maker" --almost worth every penny. LOL.



I look up at the canyon wall and see this:



Zoom:



More zoom:



They figure in the left full of bullets....who does that? My redneck friends would approve...maybe...



I read these date back to 8,000 BC....unbelievable. They used uranium ore to create the paints...

Lots of mines and a few old houses for the miners on my way to Temple Mnt.



Part of the core extracted to build the shaft to the ore...Temple Mountain behind:



All right, it does look like a temple. It dominates the landscape for a long while.





My plan was to approach 5MOH from the south via the Green, Blue and Red trails. Navigation was a bit challenging. My GPS was useless without batteries, so that was left at camp. But w Temple Mountain and the La Sal, triangulation wasn't bad.





The singletrack from the south was stunning and in primo shape:















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I came across this trail, VJ, not on my map, so I took it. Highly recommended.



Great warmup for the Red Trail.



"Where is the Beta?" Could be a game...





After exiting VJ, I took the long cut. Lots of whoops.



There were lots of colored trails. I just knew that if I took the most difficult ones I would get to 5MOH. This was the Red Trail.



The red and 5MOH go in and out dozens of sandy washes. Trials bike works OK on sand.





The markings on the Red Trail are hard to see at times, especially exiting the washes. Gotta be on your toes.













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"All hope abandon ye who enter here." Dante, Inferno, Canto III







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A few minutes after entering I could hear the sound of motos in the distance. Like Dante I found riders suffering but unlike him, they were in joyful pain.



Surely a different kind of inferno.





The drops into the washes and the climbs out of them were insane....I just trusted those white dashes and went for it...









I rode ahead if these two guys to take pictures. More fun than the Beta standing still...





But they then sped ahead and didn't see them until the very end at the TH.













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I found two other trials riders.



This was the best ever: red neck turbo (a home made air box/filter combo) and no fender. It'll break and fall of eventually, no?



More punishment awaited me:











I ate it bad before this last step dropping into a wash. Bad line, high step, bike bucked me over the bars, almost, but my legs were cought by the handlebar. My shins hit the front shocks like hammers....ouch!








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