SLICK ROCK TRAIL

The Slick Rock trail is like no other trail around. The main trail is a 12 mile loop with some side spurs that lead to scenic overlooks. The trail sits on a bluff forming a peninsula with the Colorado River on one side and the town of Moab on the other. The trial follows the rolling terrain of ancient sand dunes that have turned into sandstone. The trail is marked by white dashed lines painted on the rock. The trail is very technical in places with seemingly impossibly steep descents and drop off's. The good news is that the traction one gets from the sandstone/rubber interface is tremendous. I would recommend using the widest "slicks" you can find for unbelievable traction! Knobbies seem to hold for awhile until the knobs themselves start to "smear" and let loose. It takes some getting used to, if you have never ridden here before, a ride on the "Practice Loop" is a must. This will give you a taste of what's to come if you decide to ride the Slick Rock Trail. Even though the trail is only 12 miles long it takes anywhere from 2-8 hours depending on what kind of shape you're in. Bring lots of water and some food. There is no shade to speak of on the trial.

Directions To The Start: From Main Street in downtown Moab, head East on 300 South Street then turn right on 400 East Street. Turn left on Mill Creek Road and veer left onto Sand Flats Road (there will be a cemetery on your left). Stay on Sand Flats which passes several scenic spots. 1st up on the scenic spots list is on your right, halfway up, Americas Most Scenic Dump. 2nd is Lyons Back, which is at a hair pin corner 2/3 the way up. If you look to your left you can see vehicle tire tracks heading straight up a huge narrow chunk of slickrock. Anyway, back to the directions, stay on Sand Flats Road past the kiosk where you have to pay you use fee. The money goes directly to maintaining the campgrounds and surrounding area. Definitely a worth while cause! Once past the kiosk you'll pass a campground on your left and another quarter mile down the road is the parking lot for the Slick Rock Trail, also on your left. There are bathrooms and garbage cans there, but no water as of 5/96.

The Ride: Start at the sign board which has information about the area and follow the trail over to the cattle guard at the fence. Cross the cattle guard and turn right onto the trail. Follow the white dashes up to the high spot where you can usually see people waiting for others to finish the ride. You will see painted on the ground, directions to the practice loop. The loop is a short side loop off of the main trail that is a must if you have never ridden the Slickrock Trial before. It is not hard to follow the trail due to the black tire marks of previous riders and the white paint marking the trail. You will eventually come to a split in the trail where you can go left (easier) or right (harder). Left is clockwise around the loop and right is counter clockwise. Either way you go, there are several scenic overlook spurs that you can take. These often lead to very exposed areas that overlook Moab and the Colorado River. These are very much worth the extra effort and be sure to bring a camera. Don't be afraid to walk your bike if a particular section looks too gnarly. Just about everyone walks at some point. This type of ridding is like doing intervals. Your heart will be screaming one minute and then back to nothing the next. This is repeated every few hundred feet of trail you ride. Once you get back to the trail split (left easier/right harder) follow your original route back to the parking lot.

PORCUPINE RIM TRAIL

Porcupine Rim (aka Pork) is no Disneyland trip. People have gotten lost and died ridding this trail. Yet it is second in popularity only to the Slickrock Trail. The first time I rode it I wondered how anyone could get lost on it. A group of us were riding on a Sunday and found we were sharing the trail with dozens of other riders. It certainly looked like Disneyland. There were riders of all types, from racer types to folks with no water, no helmets, no suspension, on Huffy's. Not that you have to have suspension, it is just that Porcupine Rim Trail is one rocky bumpy trail, no forested single track here. The second time I rode this trail, it was during the week and there were just a handful of other riders on the trail. If you are in great shape the only way to do this trail is to start in Moab and climb Sand Flats Road to the trail head, ride the trail, and complete the loop by taking Hwy 128 the 6.4 miles back to Moab. This makes a thirty plus mile ride, truly epic!