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Visiting SLC/PC and Moab

913 views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  th3legacy 
#1 ·
I'll be visiting my girlfriend in SLC from July 1-10 and I'm looking for some help on a couple of things.

She is going to be working July 3rd-5th, so I'm looking for some rides to do to keep myself occupied for those days. I'm also looking for some folks to ride with those days if anyone is willing. I'm an intermediate level rider with a hardtail bike. If I'm riding solo I'm looking for some advice on the following trails, but would be willing to do others:
Mid-mountain Trail PC​
Mill Creek --> Desolation Lake --> Dog Lake --> Mill Creek​

ALSO!

My girlfriend (beg/int rider) and I are traveling down towards Arches/Moab for a couple days. We are going to take in all of Arches the first day. The next day we'll be looking to do some riding and are looking for any recommendations on trails to hit. Basically looking for rides that will provide the best scenary and a moderate challenge (don't think she's quite ready for Slick Rock or Porcupine Rim just yet). So far I've come up with these:
Interpid Loop (Dead Horse SP) - for the afternoon since it might be a touch cooler there​
Klondike Bluffs​

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
highly doubtful Mid Mountain will be ready to ride by then. Not sure about Millcreek, it might be good by then. I've ridden Glenwild/24-7/Flying Dog in Park City, BST in Kaysville and SLC, Corner Canyon in Draper, and Mueller/North Canyon (aside from construction) and they all are in pretty good condition.

As for Moab, Klondike Bluffs is an easy, good ride...just be ready for some HOT weather!
 
#3 ·
Bad news, most of the Salt Lake Valley is still under 10-20 feet of snow which puts Mid mountain and Desolation lake far out of reach. Good news is that we have a very good amount of trails that are dry. Check out Flying Dog and the Round Valley trail system for starters. Contacting local PC bike shops or asking questions on utahmountainbiking.com will help get you an idea of what's dry when you get there.

Though I've never rode the trails at Dead Horse Point, I can say that it is an absolutely stunning landscape to take in and it is probably worth a trip out there even if you just do the driving tourist thing. Klondike Bluffs is nice (maybe a bit tough for an inexperienced rider) but I might suggest the Bar trails (lazy-ez is a fantastic loop for inexperienced riders). Monitor and Merrimac is a great, easy, and short loop with nice scenery and don't count out the practice loop at Slickrock. There's not a lot of milage in those rides (unless you get crazy at the bar trails), but you can always do a ride in the morning and another in the evening as the temperature goes down.
 
G
#5 ·
ALSO!

My girlfriend (beg/int rider) and I are traveling down towards Arches/Moab for a couple days. We are going to take in all of Arches the first day. The next day we'll be looking to do some riding and are looking for any recommendations on trails to hit. Basically looking for rides that will provide the best scenary and a moderate challenge (don't think she's quite ready for Slick Rock or Porcupine Rim just yet). So far I've come up with these:
Interpid Loop (Dead Horse SP) - for the afternoon since it might be a touch cooler there​
Klondike Bluffs​

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I think you're on the right track with the Intrepid trails at Dead Horse Point. Really awesome scenery and moderate difficulty. Maybe consider a morning ride up there though. Spring has been awesome in Moab this year - It's still cooler than normal and we have yet to see really hot temps. Still, it's never a good idea to plan Moab rides in the afternoon in July. Even at 6,000' on Island in the Sky. Consider riding early up there - then checking out Dead Horse SP and Canyonlands NP by car / foot later.

In the summer, the best time to ride in Moab is the early morning. Temperatures drop a lot overnight and generally don't get really hot again until after 10:00 AM. In the afternoon, things generally don't cool down enough until after dark. Afternoon is the hottest part of the day. It doesn't cool much, if at all, even by late afternoon / early evening.

One of the benefits of Klondike is that it's out and back descending on the return. So even if you got caught by the (late morning) heat, you've got gravity (and a bit of breeze) on your side back to the car. Intrepid still seems like a better bet though.

Of course the specific weather you'll find when you're here will dictate what's doable. Your first day in Arches will give you a feel for what might be doable the second day.

Have fun on your trip.

FW
 
#6 ·
In Park City, agree that Round Valley, Glenwilde and Flying Dog will all be good and are intermediate. For a challenge, Sweeny's and John's to The Mid Mountain Trail are clear and dry. The MM trail from John's to Spiro was ride-able with some snow banks and downed trees 2 days ago with Spiro wet with some mud up high. Skid Row and lower Deer Valley area trails are good, now. Everything should be better in 2 weeks.

For Moab, Baby Steps, and Monitor and Merrimack (2 great, scenic intermediates) are good choices. Slick Rock practice loop and Slick Rock, if you go early enough to escape the heat, are harder but doable for intermediate riders. You could hike the Moab Rim Trail for a ways to see what constitutes a HARD climb in Moab!
 
#7 ·
Thanks for all the great feedback.

I guess I'll have to check the mid-mountain conditions when I get there to see if it's ridable. Hopefully you all get some warm weather there. Flying Dog / Glenwilde seems like a great alternative in the PC area. Plus I can head over and hit some of the shorter runs at the resorts after I get done.

Also thanks for the tips on Moab. Seems like there is a whoooole lot to do. Guess we'll just have to see how adventurous we're feeling when we get there. Maybe throw in a more difficult ride to just to see how it plays out.

I'm also thinking I might hit Thunder Mountain on my way up from Vegas, seems like an awesome flowing ride and its not too far out of the way.

Anyone riding in the SLC area on those days 7/3-7/5?
 
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