Spring Utah Biking 2026 Day 4

Drove over to Fruita, snagged a campsite to Rabbit Valley and rode a short section of the Kokopelli Trail.  Pro Tip, do not ride this on a gravel bike. Thank you.

When we got back to camp the wind was blowing a steady 25 mph with gusts to 40 mph, so we moved to a more somewhat more protected site nestled between some large boulders and drove into Fruita to eat at the iconic Hot Tomato.  Really. Good. Pizza.

We closed down the pizza joint escaping the wind and drove back to camp, had a brief argument with a drunk in the site beside ours. Evidently,  he did not like the fact we came in at 9:30 pm and woke him up.  So sad, too bad.

Woke up the next day and had an uneventful drive home.  Well that wraps up out travel until after the upcoming Pedal to Phoenix Ride.

I am grateful I can eat solid food.

Spring Utah Biking 2026 Day 3

Woke up feeling marginally better.  Still not able to eat but improving.  I regret not taking pictures since the route passes through Glen Canyon, Natural Bridges, and Bears Ears, but all I wanted to do was nap in the truck.  Toward the end of the day I was able to keep down some yogurt and noodles.

After spending two days sick, I wanted to start heading home so we dove up to Moab, showered at the YMCA, ate dinner and snagged a campsite at Hittle Bottom Campground, on the banks of the Colorado River.

I am grateful we live in such a remarkably beautiful part of the United States.

Spring Utah Biking 2026 Day 2

Woke up in the middle of the night retching beans and rice – nice.  Struggled to get my morning coffee down and did not even try to eat anything. Nonetheless, hope springs eternal, so we started the day hiking to the exit of the Leprechaun Slot Canyon.

After taking a few pictures I drug my sorry ass back to the campground and started riding.  Made it five miles before pulling off at the Hog Canyon Rest Stop.  I must have looked pretty bad, because a young couple asked me if I was ok.  Just an upset stomach I replied.  Lisa pulled in a few moments later and we discussed me staying there and her returning to get me after riding to the truck.  The couple overheard our conversation and offered to give me a ride.  I immediately took them up on the offer.  They probably regretted their decision, since I rolled down the window and puked a few minutes into the ride.  After stopping, I walked to the back of car got down on my hands and knees and got rid of the rest of the beans and rice, I ate the night before.   After retrieving the truck, I drove back, picked up my bike and spent the rest of the day sagging Lisa.  I am grateful I did not have to ride that day.

Spring Utah Biking 2026 Day 1

42 miles, 3:36 ride time , 11.6 mph, 2152/2897 ft ascent/descent, 119 watts NP.

Lisa and I drove down to southern Utah to test out the bikepacking setup we plan to use on the GDMBR.

We selected a short section of the American Cycling Association’s Wester Express Route, between Hanksville and Blanding Utah.

As described on the ACA website, “This section of the Western Express Route is considered very difficult due not only to terrain (grades from 6% to 14%), but also due to lack of water, temperature extremes, and long mileages without services. In most cases, there are no homes or ranches between services. Carrying a water purifier is strongly advised for water access at Lake Powell and for miscellaneous reservoirs, creeks, and lakes at primitive campsites. Utah is extremely dry and most of the route has only rocks for shade. Note that the only bike shops on this section are in Cedar City and Dolores, with the exception of limited gear and repairs in Monticello.”

To stack the odds in our favor, we drove the route and staged water every 25 miles and parked the truck at the half way point.  That way we could ride west one day, east two days and back west the fourth, while staying within 50 miles of the truck at all times.  We are so smart!

We are retired and all so we do not set alarms, or rush getting moving in the morning and it turns out driving around dropping water off takes time so we did not start riding until 3 PM.  Luckily,  it was more down than up, we had a decent tailwind and it was only 43 miles, so we were able to average 11.6 mph getting us into camp before dark.  After scarfing down some beans and rice it was off to bed.

I am grateful for tailwinds.

Canyoneering Day 2

Sandthrax Campground lived up to its name,  woke up with a dusting of fine sand covering everything in my tent – I can not live in these conditions.   The hike to the Leprechaun Canyons left from the campground, but we missed the trailhead and ended up wandering up and over a few large sandstone domes.  The views were extra stunning and I walk much better on a hard surface than sand so that was another win.  The ass on my jeans were blow out from the previous day, but that is not my problem, people walking behind can deal with it.  Torn up jeans must be a beginner thing, because a young couple, one of which is a Canyoneering Guide blew past us in shorts, down climbing one of the rappels, sons of bitches. It is great seeing folks showing off fitness, it brings back memories.

We drove from the North Wash area to Angle Point at the end of day 1.  Angle Point is everything Sandthrax was not.  Stunning view, not a single person within 10 miles of us, soft soil with some decent clay content.   Plenty of room between sage bushes to set up a tent.   Unfortunately,  Chris and John had to get back to work so we drove back to Fort Collins, CO.

Drone videos (1, 2, 3, 4 )

Canyoneering Day 1

My Garmin watch told me I slept long and calm, almost 8 hours with only 4 min of awake time.  We ended up doing Blarney East Fork (4 stars), Lucky Charms (2 stars), and Conundrum (3 stars) all a short hike or drive from the campsite.  Tom’s Canyoneering Guide (link) gives good descriptions, I would only add that the area is known for skinny canyons and Blarney and Luck Charms were dry.  Although we had to do some modest rappels, for climbers the rope work and downclimbs were  simple. 

This was the first climbing type trip since my Parkinson’s Diagnosis so I was a little concerned about all the exposed hiking, but it was not an issue.  I did notice my left leg drags around a little more than typical when walking in the sand and I wince when I look at the videos.  Oh well it still got the rest of my body where I asked it to go.

Lesson’s learned from day 1, it gets hot in the desert, canyoneering is hard on your clothes, fine sand blows into your tent.  I went to bed content knowing I still have a bunch more of these trips in me.  I am grateful I have friends still willing to drag me around.

Canyoneering Day 0

John picked me up and we rolled out of Fort Collins by 9 am, making speedy time to the Sandthrax Primitive Campground in the North Wash area, east of Hanksville, UT  by late afternoon.  Sandthrax was surprisingly clean, but being right on Highway 95 had some road noise.  I would classify it as an efficient place to camp since it sits within walking distance of the Leprechaun canyons.  The high pressure system sitting over the western drove the temperature to 90 degrees, 25 degrees above normal.

Las Cienegas to Tucson Airport

1/27/2026, 61.1 miles, 5:o8 hr: min, 1824 ft. vertical

What took 2 days of uphill riding flew past in a few hours, as we descended over 3000 feet into Tucson.   The no shoulder section of Highway 83 that took half a day on the way up flew by in less than an hour, as we descended as fast as our nerves would allow on fully loaded bikes. Arriving before 4PM, we had enough time to drive a few hours to Willox, AZ, where we stopped at Taco Bell before checking into a KOA cabin for the evening.

Strava (link 1, link 2)

 

 

Tucson to Las Cienegas

1/25/2026, 52.5 mi., 5:39 hr: min, 3226 ft. vertical

For the final three days of the trip, we took our bikepacking gear out for a ride.  After parking the truck in long-term parking at the airport, we headed up to Sonita.  We rode the busy Valencia Drive on an acceptably wide shoulder.  From there, we connected to the Tucson Loop Bike Path. As a side note, the loop has 137 miles of paved, car-free pathways (link). The bike path got us most of the way to Valencia, where we connected to Old Sonita Highway.  This section had new pavement and no traffic.  Unfortunately, after ~6 miles, it tees into Highway 83. For the next 12 miles, it was slow going with grades up to 9% and no shoulder at all for miles at a time.  Finally, we made a left into the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, got water at the Empire Ranch Visitor Center, and started looking for a place to camp.  The Cieneguita Campground was full of campers, and the dirt road beyond it was mostly full. We asked one of the campers where we could camp, and he said it was dispersed camping, so anywhere.  Great, I replied, “How about that clear spot close to your camp. ”  Oh he replied, I was afraid you would ask, you probably want something more secluded. There is a much better site about 1/4 mile down the road on the left by a big tree.

So we continued on as the sun went down over the mountains. The site he recommended was taken.  The next spot had a decaying cow closeby.  The next site was too muddy due to the recent rain.  The next spot had a no camping sign.  We ended up settling for a marginally acceptable spot that was flat, not too muddy, and clear of poky plants.  By this time, we needed to put on our headlamps to set up the tents and cook dinner.  The temperature had also dropped into the 30’s F, so it was going to get cold that night.  It is amazing how big my bladder is when it is below freezing, and I am cosied up in a warm sleeping bag.  I had my 13F comfort-rated sleeping bag and slept well.

The next morning, we woke up to a half-frozen water bottle and a thermometer that read 28F.  By the time we boiled water for instant coffee and oatmeal, took down the tent, and packed up the bikes, it was past 9 am and still in the 30s.  Luckily, there was no wind, and as soon as the sun rose over the mountains, it warmed up into the 50s.