Bikepacking in Moab - October 2019

Many consider Moab, Utah as the mountain biking mecca of United States. It sports some of the most spectacular and challenging mountain biking terrain anywhere. It has a very well maintained network of mountain bike and off-roading trails, and not to forget the unique view of the desert landscape. The bikepacking loop we decided to do, was a mix of jeep road, single-track and backcountry routes. First day riding was a bit time crunched and hence we had to rush through few sections so that we could reach our water cache before it was too late or we ran out of water. First night camping was totally out in the open and night time temperature was sub-zero. Second day riding, we slowly transitioned from open land to canyon land. Goes without saying, being the desert we had to deal with a LOT of pushing our bikes through the sand, which was more tiring than the actual riding. Due to this we got behind schedule and decided to find an alternate shorter route to our second night campground. It turned out the 4-wheel drive route on the map was not quite accurate and we ended up pushing our bike in the drainage and getting inside the canyon. One of the memorable part of the day was 'climb a bike' to get out of the canyon and back on the regular off-road. Third day riding included the 20+ mile single-track in the Magnificent Seven area. Highly recommend at least a front suspension, since a rigid frame meant my butt was getting constantly hit by the seat like a Pogo stick (annoying and painful). At the end, the views, being in the outdoors, the camaraderie, climb a bike ensured it was a memorable trip. 75+ miles of riding, with an average or 20+ miles per day and approximately 4000ft of elevation gain. Moab we will be back!

A very long drive from Bay Area to Moab.

Stashing water prior to the trip was critical to staying hydrated during the trip.

Getting ready to rock and roll - Willow Springs.

Desert Landscape, riding for the next three days!

Crossing the freeway, bikepacking is all about variety.

These are the moments that makes your trip every bit worth it.

Staple freeze dried food as dinner while camping on first night in the cold.

Hearty breakfast to kick-off the day!

Technology helps - kept our camera unit, phone and GPS alive.

Transitioning from prairie to canyon land.

Second day riding was a lot of pushing our bikes in the sand - not fun.

Another highlight of second day - climb two bikes.

Met a couple of fellow bikers and it was time well spent sharing some stories and beer.

Always mesmerizing to sleep under the night sky!

Third day riding was mostly single-track with great views.

Moab we will be back, until next time.