Moab - Amasa Back - Sept 30 2007
words
and photos by Sharon Bader and Lee Lau unless otherwise noted.
|
Moab - Amasa Back - Sept 30 2007 words
and photos by Sharon Bader and Lee Lau unless otherwise noted. |
Moab, the mountain biking mecca in the desert. Often we travel to Utah to ride with our friend who lives in Salt Lake City. SLC is usually the climatization, buying beer and starting point of our trips deeper into the desert. We often pass by Moab stopping for a day or two to get a red rock fix before heading east to Fruita or farther south to visit more of this vast desert land. While sitting in a bar in Vancouver and talking to Pete Stace-Smith who goes down there twice a year for the last forever I thought... hmmm practically a local. He could probably show us some cool stuff, and he did!
Amasa Back, Rock Stacker was our destination. Having ridden there back in 2003, we were looking forward to exploring more of this twisted desert land.
The road climb takes us up through the Wingate monoliths - created as a Triassic sea - that tower as sentinals over pretty much every ride in Moab.
Trish and Lee cast
in the Wingate Shadows.
Trish, Jamie and Lee.
Lee and Trish.
Trish
Eventually we get to the Slickrock rollers. This is what you come to Moab for.
Jamie, Pete and Dave
The natural bowls made for some interesting riding features!
Offering ever more amusement to Trish and Lee!
Further down the Amasa Back we come to the pot hole! A cool little hole in the sandstone. The rock climbers who weren't wearing clipless pedals were able to get around easily on this feature. We stopped here for lunch only to be joined by a large group which included some Whistler Locals we knew and have run into in other remote places! Hello again Keith and Lee!
Leave it to the guys to make rocks into toys!
Jamie landing it!
Pete pulling a nose wheelie on this sandstone roll.
Love the colours!
We continue on along the twisted Entrada/Navajo sandstone dreamscape.
After venturing so far we turn back to ride down Rockstacker. The Colorado river guides us to our final destination.
One last crossing of this small run off creek. Unfortunately Lee suffered a bit of a bruised rib two weeks before this trip and the constant ledge climbs took its toll so he didn't have a lot left to get his bike up the bank...
Elevation profile
over distance
Another trail follow this creek to a smaller crossing which the rest of us took. 580m of climbing in 5:50.
Great day!
Gatherer/Hunter/Pritchett Canyons
Geyser Pass
3/4 of the Enchilada - Hazard to
Porcupine
Barlett Wash
Gold Rim Trail
Fruita
Fruita - 18 Road
Emigration Canyon