By the time I got back from the Alps, I had to face the harsh cold fact that winter was over and it was time to put my K2 Got Backs to rest and resuscitate my Trek Fuel EX8 mountain bike and trusty Metolius climbing harness.
Before my muscles had very much time to readjust to summer activities, I eagerly left LA to join up with fellow rock climbers, Dave, Tara and Walter at Red Rocks. The weather was certainly not conducive to climbing, but we made the best of it. The first day was shockingly cold and windy which made our exposed 4-pitch climb one hundred percent more scary. We climbed in our puffy coats, yelling at the top of our lungs during the entirety of the route. Who would of thought Red Rocks would be so cold and unforgiving in mid-May?
As a little side note, I'm so proud of you Walter for starting a climbing consulting company that can be viewed at onropeconsulting.com !
We all let out a few stingy tears the next morning as rain graced us with its cold sloppy presence. In turn, we grudgingly decided to spend the day gorging at all-you-can-eat buffets and gambling on a plethora of casino activities. Expectedly weary of Vegas, I decided to leave the following day to meet Nicole, Joe, Asher and Matt in Moab for a mountain biking adventure.
After seven hours of driving through a series of isolated, torrential downpours, I quickly reached Moab and quickly fell in love. After meeting up, my friends and I quickly decided to find refuge at the Slickrock Campground, holding our breaths all evening as the ominous clouds sporadically drizzled on us.
For those of you that don’t know, the Slickrock trail made Moab the mountain biking Mecca it is today. Hosting nearly 100,000 mountain bikers a year, Slickrock is perhaps the most popular trail in the world. Interestingly, the name “Slickrock” was conceived when early settlers noticed their horses sliding on the barren sandstone in the area. In contrast, however, mountain bikers find the same barren sandstone to have amazing grip, allowing riders to go down the most radical angles. Needless to say, my friends and I were all excited to experience the hype for ourselves.
Morning came and with great relief, we all stepped out of our tents and indulged in warm beams of desert sun. It was the perfect day for mountain biking!
To put it as simply as possible, the Slickrock experience is intense, steep and unique. The whole trail crosses an elevated platform of sandstone surrounded by petrified sand dunes and cliffs cut out by the Colorado River all complimented by the La Sal Mountains to the east.
I honestly didn’t think I’d make it the finish line as I huffed and puffed my way up and down behind my four amazing mountain biking friends. To my surprise, I found just enough strength to make it through 12 miles of steepness. Not until the end did I realize I had just completed the best mountain biking trail I have ever been on!
Immediately after the four-hour Slickrock experience, my friends and I drove straight to the grocery store and purchased everything we could find with a high calorie count. It took a family-sized bag of Doritos, a few slices of pepperoni pizza and copious amounts of beer before my puny mountain biking muscles began to de-cramp enough so that I could go to bed.
The next day was another sunny surprise. Despite the pain and odd new cuts from slipping on clip less pedals, I followed my friends on the Porcupine Rim trail. Another fantastic trail that was less strenuous as it was mostly downhill, but much more technical than the Slickrock trail.
The Porcupine Rim trail is probably the second most famous trail in Moab. It is 15.6 miles of everything you would expect out of a highly technical trail, perfect for fit expert riders. However, don’t let it intimidate you. As a relatively novice mountain biker, I was able to survive by walking my bike down dangerous sections that required god-like mountain biking skills.
Needless to say, I left Moab knowing I’d definitely be back.
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