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Only going to have 2 days in Moab

3K views 12 replies 11 participants last post by  Steamer19 
#1 ·
come our September trip. What should we hit? Slickrock and Porcupine Rim seem to bet getting all of our attention.

We are looking to maximize our Moab experience in only 2 days. I know it's not a lot of time, but it is what it is.

Do each of these trails take up a whole day? If not, what are some other trails we can hit?
 
#2 ·
cnsaguy said:
come our September trip. What should we hit? Slickrock and Porcupine Rim seem to bet getting all of our attention.

We are looking to maximize our Moab experience in only 2 days. I know it's not a lot of time, but it is what it is.

Do each of these trails take up a whole day? If not, what are some other trails we can hit?
Slickrock, Amasa Back, Burro Down. Slickrock and Amasa one day, BD another, Do BD the first day. Heck, cancel your plane flight back home and stay another week!
 
#3 ·
Here's what I would do. I'd camp next to the Sovereign Trail system. This way you can ride the Sovereign trail late in the afternoon after you've done a big ride and be right next to your camp. Or alternatively you can wake up real early and do cool 1hr to 1.5 hr cruise and then knock out a big ride in town

Here's what I'd do in 2 days
1st day Burro Down (The Whole Enchilada) + Sovereign Trail or Bartlett Wash
2nd day Amasa Back + Jackson's or Poison Spider + Portal Trail ( I like the latter better). Afterwards do Sovereign Trail or Bartlett's Wash

Bartlett's is similar to Slick Rock but better because it's more remote and it's also close to your campsite by the sovereign trail. Check out this link and scroll down for links to ride reports for the above rides.
http://24hrbikeshop.com/Ride_Report.html
 
#4 ·
ilovemtnbiking said:
Here's what I would do. I'd camp next to the Sovereign Trail system. This way you can ride the Sovereign trail late in the afternoon after you've done a big ride and be right next to your camp. Or alternatively you can wake up real early and do cool 1hr to 1.5 hr cruise and then knock out a big ride in town

Here's what I'd do in 2 days
1st day Burro Down (The Whole Enchilada) + Sovereign Trail or Bartlett Wash
2nd day Amasa Back + Jackson's or Poison Spider + Portal Trail ( I like the latter better). Afterwards do Sovereign Trail or Bartlett's Wash

Bartlett's is similar to Slick Rock but better because it's more remote and it's also close to your campsite by the sovereign trail. Check out this link and scroll down for links to ride reports for the above rides.
http://24hrbikeshop.com/Ride_Report.html
this is exactly what you should do and you will have a GREAT moab expreience. When he says burro down you will be doing all of porcupine just starting much higher than the 2 lower entry points - this will be a LONG and FUN ride. You might be done for the day.

Amasa back is one of my favorite rides and adding jackson will increase the tech factor if you want more of a challenge.

Perfect 2 day moab trip.
 
#6 ·
Just got back from our second mini-trip to Moab, so I'll throw in my two cents. Last Fall, we did Porcupine starting at Hazard Co and it was great. Can't argue against the Whole Enchilada. Amasa Back is a must ride. We opted to come back down Amasa as opposed to Jackson's, but the fast descent was a blast and we had no regrets doing it this way. We rode Slickrock for the second time this weekend. I will admit it was starting to get a bit old halfway into this second ride, but still I'd recommend riding it at least once. Bartlett's and Slickrock are fairly similar...I would reserve time for just one of these.
 
#7 ·
I have to agree with most of the rides suggested. You might want to think about what kind of riding you like to do. "Best" rides in Moab can mean different things to different riders and ability levels. The Whole Enchilada is one that I would put on my "must-do" list. This will include Porcupine Rim as mentioned. It is a tough ride especially if you go from Burro down (you can start from Hazard County if there is snow up higher) and it is best suited to a longer travel (5-6") bike. Depending on your fitness level and energy, you might be done for the day after that ride. Slickrock, at least for me, is a cool trail ONCE. I know people love the experience and rave about it, but if you have to ride it (and I think everyone who rides MTB should) you could do an out and back there or hit the practice loop. Same experience, just shorter. That way, you can hit either Amasa Back or Sovereign for the 2nd ride that day. Amasa Back is a classic that has amazing scenery and Sovereign is a great network of singletrack trails that you can have a blast on. Hope this helps! Ride safe...ride often! www.ridethe780.com
 
#8 ·
Realistically only going to get to the Kokopelli section of the Whole Enchilada. Been raining all damn week. Hazard and Burro are typically later season runs....call the local shuttles, though, for up to date info. That being said there ain't a thing wrong with climbing to Porcupine and LPS and UPS or shuttling to Kokopelli....all epic descents.

Sovereign, yes...good info on the camping on Willow Springs too. Hit the last site after the Sovereign turnoff for some fun kickers and boulder hopping. That is, if I'm not there!

Rode the Brand trail route of Lazy EZ to Deadman's to BarB back to Deadman's to Lazy today....pretty mellow but fun techy singletrack. Would certainly suffice for a badass later in the day ride!

Also agree with Amasa....either rage back down or play your hand on Rockstacker and Jackson's, depending on your comfort level.

Enjoy!
 
#9 ·
camp next to the Sovereign

ilovemtnbiking said:
Here's what I would do. I'd camp next to the Sovereign Trail system. This way you can ride the Sovereign trail late in the afternoon after you've done a big ride and be right next to your camp. http://24hrbikeshop.com/Ride_Report.html
If one wanted to camp next to the Sovereign; can you give some detail about where you would go? I've read about the Highway 313 campgrounds here http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/recreation/campgrounds/highway_313.html but are there good dispersed options close to Sovereign?

Thanks!
Terry
 
#11 ·
Thanks for all the replies. Looks like we have enough to keep us busy for a few days.

Couple other questions:
- What is a good tire type to ride out there. We are all running normal xc tires now. Do we need to invest in a lower profile, better gripping tire?
-Also noticed in a lot of videos folks riding platform pedals. Do these have any advantages over clip-ins on the terrain?
 
#13 ·
I'm not a local, normally ride Rocky Mountains in southern Alberta but when I've been down in Moab, I didn't have any problems with riding clipless. If you're used to it at home, I think you'll be fine riding with the same set up in Moab.

For tires, I'm not sure that's worth changing either. Pretty much anything will grip on slick rock and after a week of riding, you'll notice significant wear so I'm not sure I'd invest in anything special. Also, higher volume may be beneficial when plowing through sand.
 
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