Joined
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12 Posts
So, h0zzer called me to notify me he had finally procured a TW and was working on getting his tags. The calendars came out and the trip was planned. I was lucky enough to break away from a handsome 2 week old baby boy and we loaded up the truck for the weekend.
First order after getting into town was to unload and get some food. Moab has tons of dining choices but we opted for some grocery, we got some cheddar brawts and utilized the BBQ where were staying. We cruised around a bit to make sure the bikes were ready for the next day and tucked into bed in the plush upstairs of a good friends house.
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After a hearty breakfast at the Moab Diner, we headed out down the Kane Creek Road toward the Hurrah Pass/Chicken Corners area. Lots of traffic but the dust was down due to recent rain.
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As we began to hit rougher terrain heading up Hurrah Pass, hozzer's chain blew out.
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We lacked the tools to properly bust a link out and do a field repair so we wondered how long he could ride on the broken chain. Answer, about two hills. We were both glad we were in a very accessible area. Tried it again and after that time we just picked up the chain up and headed downhill. We decided that I had better ride on and get the truck from Moab and we can haul it in, h0zzer proceed to hike-a-bike for 4.5 miles back to a reasonable pickup point.
We were able to find a chain for him. The last 428 chain in Moab that was long enough. I will let him elaborate with a follow up post. But it sparked long discussions about the price of not being prepared for your own fixes. It took a long time to get the chain. A second (closed) shop had one and the first shop was able to get them to open up and sell them the chain. Come to find out then that the chain breaker at the open shop was broken as of the previous day. Lots of hoops to jump through. Thankfully we were able to get his bike rolling again and now he sports a brand new DID X-Ring. (any recommendations for a good chain tool to carry?)
That Evening we took another ride and had a moment that we would both call magical. I have spent more nights in the Utah desert than anyone I know. I worked as a river guide for 4 full summers out of Moab and I know what wonders a desert sunset can hold. This is easily one of my top 5 experiences. For those of you who know them, the switch backs into Arches NP are just plain fun to ride. As we headed up the switchbacks the sun was setting behind the opposite Bluff. It became somewhat hazardous as cars were all pulling over to snap their pictures but we didn't let that ruin it. It was spectacular! We both rode right through it knowing that no photo could capture the feeling of the moment, the warm but cooling air, the sunbursts off any shiny surface of your bike. It seems so simple to describe it, but it was sublime.
We took the Willow Springs Trail out of the park to the west. It was fun riding with the sand, sandstone, and the approaching night. The sun completely set on us before we hit the highway and we rode in dark back to Moab. I hit reserve about 4 miles outside of town but lucky for me I had just read somewhere on the forum to practice blind switching to reserve. (I actually practiced and it payed off) That night h0zzer's cousin-in-law(?) was playing at one of the bars in town so we celebrated his new X-Chain listening to Buffet and Grateful Dead covers.
H0zzer in arches before we took to the dirt.
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Self Portrait as the sun set for good. I think we saw 3 good sunsets that night.
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The following day we rode up into the Sand Flats Recreation Area and rode the Jeep Trail 'Fins and Things'. I have no pictures from this. But it was a blast! So I will have to defer to H0zzer to finish up the ride report. To be continued....
First order after getting into town was to unload and get some food. Moab has tons of dining choices but we opted for some grocery, we got some cheddar brawts and utilized the BBQ where were staying. We cruised around a bit to make sure the bikes were ready for the next day and tucked into bed in the plush upstairs of a good friends house.
After a hearty breakfast at the Moab Diner, we headed out down the Kane Creek Road toward the Hurrah Pass/Chicken Corners area. Lots of traffic but the dust was down due to recent rain.
As we began to hit rougher terrain heading up Hurrah Pass, hozzer's chain blew out.
We lacked the tools to properly bust a link out and do a field repair so we wondered how long he could ride on the broken chain. Answer, about two hills. We were both glad we were in a very accessible area. Tried it again and after that time we just picked up the chain up and headed downhill. We decided that I had better ride on and get the truck from Moab and we can haul it in, h0zzer proceed to hike-a-bike for 4.5 miles back to a reasonable pickup point.
We were able to find a chain for him. The last 428 chain in Moab that was long enough. I will let him elaborate with a follow up post. But it sparked long discussions about the price of not being prepared for your own fixes. It took a long time to get the chain. A second (closed) shop had one and the first shop was able to get them to open up and sell them the chain. Come to find out then that the chain breaker at the open shop was broken as of the previous day. Lots of hoops to jump through. Thankfully we were able to get his bike rolling again and now he sports a brand new DID X-Ring. (any recommendations for a good chain tool to carry?)
That Evening we took another ride and had a moment that we would both call magical. I have spent more nights in the Utah desert than anyone I know. I worked as a river guide for 4 full summers out of Moab and I know what wonders a desert sunset can hold. This is easily one of my top 5 experiences. For those of you who know them, the switch backs into Arches NP are just plain fun to ride. As we headed up the switchbacks the sun was setting behind the opposite Bluff. It became somewhat hazardous as cars were all pulling over to snap their pictures but we didn't let that ruin it. It was spectacular! We both rode right through it knowing that no photo could capture the feeling of the moment, the warm but cooling air, the sunbursts off any shiny surface of your bike. It seems so simple to describe it, but it was sublime.
We took the Willow Springs Trail out of the park to the west. It was fun riding with the sand, sandstone, and the approaching night. The sun completely set on us before we hit the highway and we rode in dark back to Moab. I hit reserve about 4 miles outside of town but lucky for me I had just read somewhere on the forum to practice blind switching to reserve. (I actually practiced and it payed off) That night h0zzer's cousin-in-law(?) was playing at one of the bars in town so we celebrated his new X-Chain listening to Buffet and Grateful Dead covers.
H0zzer in arches before we took to the dirt.
Self Portrait as the sun set for good. I think we saw 3 good sunsets that night.
The following day we rode up into the Sand Flats Recreation Area and rode the Jeep Trail 'Fins and Things'. I have no pictures from this. But it was a blast! So I will have to defer to H0zzer to finish up the ride report. To be continued....
