Stardate 2014.849

You Can't Beat a Dead Horse
Part II

It's Day Three of our trip; we stroll down to breakfast and fill up on biscuits, gravy, bacon and yogurt. I wish to ride yesterday's Dead Horse Point loops again and Snowcatcher is up for the task. Seeking time and distance, Snowcatcher will ride several trails and then get some road miles in, too.


I'm riding a little faster today, still admiring the wonderfully eroded topography.


While taking a breather, I enjoy the view southwest toward the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.


Brutal dune sand tests my balance, strength and aerobic capacity along several segments of the Twisted Tree Trail.


This is the land of towers and spires. Ya gotta love it! Actually, in order to appreciate it, one needs to take some time and visit the area.


Fast and flowy segments kept my smile in place. On the other hand, my smile remains ear to ear no matter what riding surface is thrown into the mix.


Aspen trees adorning the La Sal Mountains have shed their leaves. Many of the lower elevation cottonwoods are approaching peak. Another riding season is wrapping up. It's been a good one, and I hate to see it go. We leave Moab tomorrow; but as we leave the land of sandstone, we have one more distinct stop to make.

Do you like blood-red towers of stone? If so, come back in a couple of days.

Adios

Stardate 2014.844

You Can't Beat a Dead Horse
Part I

Day Two of our trip finds us driving down a spectacular causeway of red and buff colored geologic time. Stopping at our usual camera stops, we get... photogenic.


A siren emanating from the Fisher Towers area is about as spellbinding as it gets. Four massive desert towers rise out of the desert; it's hard not to turn in for a visit. We decide, once again, to visit this enchanting place on our way home. As is, we're only 20-miles from Moab, Utah, and would like to get a ride in before sunset.


The tranquil, yet deceptive, Colorado River carries its load of sediment past us and through the east portal of the Moab Valley. Not long after entering Moab Valley, the river will exit the valley via the west portal. The river visits some remote, wild and wooly desert before being stopped in its flow by Lake Powell's slack water. We had rooms reserved in Moab for the next two nights. Hence, we don't worry about finding a camp-site. Off we go to Dead Horse Point State Park to ride the Intrepid Trail System. Neither Snowcatcher, nor myself, have ridden this collection of mountain bike singletrack.


I'm in heaven! I can't get enough of the canyon country, perpetual erosion at its finest.


Wingate Sandstone, of the Jurassic Period, erodes into massive, time-diseased cliffs.


Snowcatcher hones her off-road skills on the Great Pyramid Trail, part of the Intrepid Trail System. The riding feels similar to many mid-1980s trails. I reminisce about a Moab of years past, and how far mountain biking technology has come since its infancy. Bikes didn't have suspension, disk brakes or light weights when I started frequenting Moab.


The ancient, rounded fin formations of the Behind the Rocks area always draw my attention. The 12,000-foot summits of the La Sal Mountains, rising in the background, add contrast, especially in the spring when they still have a coating of white.


Sinuous, flowy, singletrack of the Whiptail Trail meanders through a pinion/pine forest ecosystem. I end the day riding myriad stone steps and drops along the Twisted Tree and Prickly Pair Trails back to the car. Prickly Pair has two somewhat parallel versions, hence the intentional non-cacti spelling.

With daylight winding down, Snowcatcher and I drove back to our hotel and checked in. After dinner, we slid into the outdoor hot tub, enjoying the cool autumn evening of the high desert.

There will be more sandstone in forthcoming posts. So, check back in a few days.

Adios