|
Photos and Story by Monique Beeley  Utah has thousands of miles of mountain bike trails within its boundaries. The names are as epic as the rides; Slickrock, Porcupine Rim, Gooseberry, Bearclaw Poppy, Dark Hollow, Virgin River Rim, Thunder Mountain, Park City Mid-Mountain, Wasatch Crest, Bonneville Shoreline, Skyline and then there is the granddaddy of all epic rides, The White Rim. It’s neither the ultimate single-track nor the grueling, grunting climb followed by an awesome swooping descent, but the White Rim is known in the biking community as a must. Whether riding the entire 100 miles in one day, or doing a multi-day with friends complimented by a trailside barbeque with, of course, some refreshing cold beer, or hiring the support of a guide service, the classic White Rim holds a spot in the heart of every biking enthusiast.
The White Rim trail lies in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park. This majestic park preserves 527 square miles of remote desert wilderness of the Colorado Plateau. Water, weather and erosion have been the prime artists of the landscape, sculpting layers of rock into hundreds of colorful canyons, mesas, buttes, hoodoos and arches. At center stage are two magnificent canyons carved by the Green and Colorado rivers. Surrounding the rivers are vast and very different regions of the park: north lies Island in the Sky; in the west, the Maze; and southeast, the Needles District. Native Americans, cowboys, early-day river explorers and miners dared to enter this rugged treasure of Southern Utah. To a large degree, Canyonlands remains a land of wild untamed desert and an ancient spirit. Its roads are mostly unpaved, trails primitive and rivers free. Throughout its grounds desert bighorn sheep, coyotes and many other animals native to this land roam free. Having checked off all of the other epic rides in Utah the White Rim, for some reason, was uncharted territory for me. Sure I’d had offers to join friends for this ride, but for one reason or another it just had not happened - until last Memorial Day weekend. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy the unparelled landscapes of Canyonlands, before the heat of the summer sets in. We decided to go with Rim Tours of Moab on a three-day trip for my first taste of this infamous ride.  I called Jim and Michelle Clonts, friends who had done the White Rim many times on several day trips and a few multi-days, to see if they were on board to join the adventure. “We’re in, of course! After hearing so many tales of this upcoming adventure, I was not quite sure what to expect. I had spent some time in Canyonlands so I had an idea of the riding and terrain, but all the stories I’d been told over the years did not do justice to this, the epic of them all. From Musselman Arch to White Crack, Candlestick to Potato Bottom, Hardscrabble Hill to Horsethief Trail each bend in the road offered a new and exciting panoramic vista. Today, the question that still resonates in my head - is it the peace and spirit of the desert, the camaraderie of friends, the ever amazing eye-candy, the excellent support crew (thanks, Rim Tours!) or is it about the bike and the ride?…..Well, my answer to that question is that it’s the whole package. It’s all about doing what you love to do (ride!!) and being with great friends surrounded by the peaceful beauty of the desert. Just as Utah has an abundant of epic rides like the White Rim, the state has more than its fair share of epic guides to make the ride about the ride and not only about the support. Rim Tours offers 5-day tours on the renowned Kokopelli Trail, riding through the land of the mythical wandering flute player for which it’s named. Also on the schedule for 2007 are some women’s rides. www.rimtours.com Summit Adventure Company offers the Bryce National Park to Brian Head multi-day tour that includes the singletrack epics Thunder Mountain, Virgin River Rim and Dark Hollow, as well as multi-day trips on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and high mountain backcountry rides on Park City’s finest singletrack. For Summit’s 2007 trip schedule see www.Springdalecycles.com. Escape Adventures offers 5-day tours into The Maze, which is the most remote and least visited section of Canyonlands National Park and also 3-day tours near Zion National Park, including one of Utah’s best, Gooseberry Mesa. For all Escape Adventure’s 2007 trips, go to www.escapeadventures.com
|
