Okay, so mountain biking in Fruita, Colorado has nothing to do with Utah, but the town is just over the border, and the landscape is very Utah-esque. Therefore, riding in Fruita is like riding in Utah if you ignore that “Welcome to Colorful Colorado” sign at the state line. But why travel so far to…
Tag: trip report
Autumn winning seasonal tug-of-war
Winter can wait. Autumn is a schizophrenic season where sometimes the weather doesn’t know what it wants to be. Summer and winter play tug-of-war over the months of October and November, and we’re all caught in the middle. For those of us who recreate in the outdoors, the highs and lows of the temperature roller…
Bike rental: $45. Memorizing your credit-card number: expensive!
The day after wrecking my husband’s bike, I walk into Over the Edge Sports bike shop in Fruita to pick up my rental, thinking I’ll be renting some crappy old hard tail. No. There it is, a Rocky Mountain full suspension with disc brakes. It’s all shiny and cute and most importantly dark green with pretty maple leaves painted on the frame. Immediately I fall in love with it, almost like my crush on Christian Slater in Robin Hood Prince of
How to work the word “endoed” into a conversation
Once again I’m sitting on my husbands’ beat up Specialized Rock Hopper mountain bike. Why? Seriously. Why? I guess it’s the camaraderie found on two-wheels. We’re heading out on the trail near Fruita, Colorado, and once again I’m the second to last rider amongst a bike posse of 14. Rolling over the bits of slick rock and sand, I’m finding my balance after weeks of not biking. I can tell we’re close to the end of the trail and figure the good riders are probably onto the next trail.
Mountain biking the Great Salt Lake’s Antelope Island (video)
Mountain biking on Antelope Island is like riding on another planet. The strange landscape, covered in rocks over a billion years old, surrounded by a dead, salt filled lake, is an other-worldly place to pedal a bike. This fact alone is reason enough to make the drive to the Great Salt Lake and explore Antelope Island by bike.
Mountain biking to Hole in the Rock
The Hole-in-the-Rock Road near Escalante, Utah, is the route used in 1879 by Mormon pioneers on the way to settle the Four Corners region. Huge cliffs descending to the Colorado River blocked the way, so they blasted a slot through the rock where wagons could be lowered 1,000 feet down the the canyon bottom. This passage was named Hole-in-the-Rock, and evidence of the incredible event still remains. Lake Powell now occupies the bottom of the canyon where much of this accomplishment took place, but the road still exists and can be traveled year round by vehicle and by bike.
Rock climbing Castleton Tower’s North Chimney
Castleton Tower is a place that is one of the “must climbs” of the country. It’s a perfect sandstone tower right out of a Roadrunner cartoon that rises up from the desert floor near Moab. Spring is a good time to go and tackle the tower as mild temperatures keep the climb comfortable, especially while ascending the North Chimney route.
Canyoneering in Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
When it comes to outdoor adventure in Southern Utah, there is nothing quite like canyoneering through a sandstone slot. Canyoneering gets you down into the earth, where you are forced to touch and interact with the rock, sand and water. Canyoneering is dirty, wet, sometimes dangerous,
Dogs in the Woods in Mill Creek Canyon
There isn’t much in life that’s happier than watching dogs run free in the woods. Before being let loose, they remain calm on their leashes, yawning in anticipation. But as soon as the sound of the leash unclicking is heard, they’re off, bounding wildly into the brush, neck and neck like racehorses as they playfully bite each other’s legs and roll over one another along the way.
Hiking Chesler Park in Canyonlands
When I first moved to Salt Lake City, a co-worker told me that Chesler Park in Canyonlands National Park is the most beautiful place in the State of Utah. When I finally made it down there with my wife, Callista, I saw first hand what he meant. Of course there is the usual red-rock formations…