Today its time to escape the masses flocking to the parking lot at Loma and try another set of desert trails. As with all Fruita trails you start with technical climbs.

Right after the climb - there's a flattish section then somehow we end up on this incredibly technical rocky trail. Later we find out that the trail is closed. The CLOSED sign had disappeared from the direction we rode. Here Brian drops in.

Brian keeps styling on his new Yeti.

Sharon always smiles when she's riding

The green grass, the sage and the slickrock - quite the contrast.

Quickly we're in the slickrock where I find benches of sandstone on which to play

The trail then winds along a river basin. Check out the syncline of rock - folded by unfathomable pressures into a wave.

The rock is not just alive - the climbs seem to reach out and grab your wheels today making all the climbs very tough. The sand makes traction difficult. I wish I could say that all of us had such trouble with the climbs - Kevin isn't at all fazed and makes it look easy.

I don't have quite the same success.

However, I can make some of the easier less steep climbs. The traction mojo is not with me.

I have to settle for hucking sandstone ledges to flat.

The dogs love the slickrock traction as much as we do.

Following Kevin up yet another technical climb.

Kevin and his best buddy Lula.

Although not a long ride at 20km, with 573m of ascending, its tiring and we're very happy to be done. We're off back to Vancouver and the wet and rain tomorrow - hell of a way to end a fun road trip.