22-24 March 2008

Nine of us headed for the desert for our annual spring break weekend mountain biking retreat. For several years prior, we have camped and ridden the White Rim trail in Canyonlands National Park near Moab, Utah. This year, for a change we traded tents for the Super 8 Motel and the isolation of the desert for the small town of Fruita, Colorado. Now, for those readers who are non-Coloradoans, you need to know that Moab and Fruita have a bit of a rivalry over which is the grander mountain biking hotspot. Knobby-tired folks will have long debates over which locale they like better and why they are right about this opinion. I’ll just settle the score right here by telling you that a weekend of riding in either place will not disappoint.

Fruita is located on the Western Slope of Colorado in the Grand Valley of the Colorado River. Colorado National Monument National Park stands just outside of town, on the edge of the Uncompahgre Uplift, offering scenic views of vertical walls, sedimentary rock sculpted by years of erosion, the valley below, and the Bookcliffs in the distance. A four hour drive (for those of us with lead feet) from Boulder, the temperature is not so much warmer, but less snowfall and drier terrain means rideable trails in March while our Sugarloaf Mountain singletrack is still subsumed in snow.

In true Boulder-slacker style, seven of the nine of us managed to play hooky from work on Friday, all arriving in Fruita by early afternoon. Ira and I had brought our road bikes to check out the Monument, while the others got a teaser of dirt. The whole gang convened in the evening at the Hot Tomato. Jen and her crew treated us well for some proper carbo-loading of pizza and pints, as well as some tips for Saturday’s route.

--- heading up into Colorado National Monument ---

--- Independence Monument ---

Saturday morning we headed out to ride Zion Curtain, an alleged 20 mile loop that skirts the Colorado-Utah border (or as the guidebook calls it, the border between the “free world” and the “not so free world”). After a short diversion at an over-sized anthill, we hit the main trail and climbed the sweet singletrack to the overlook (mandatory group picture was taken here.) We were just about back on the dirt road that would shortly bring us back to the trailhead, when a wrong turn was involved in the ride, leading to some extra (unnecessary) climbing. It still remains unclear who exactly is responsible for this “bonus,” but one thing is for certain; my out-of-shape hind-quarters were not happy about this “diversion.” We all retired to our rooms for post-ride naps and reconvened for a proper Mexican meal at a local restaurant.

--- heading out ---

--- the oversized anthill ---

--- Zion Curtain overlook ---

Sunday, the vehicles were all loaded up and we headed out to the 18 Road riding area. This was a great choice after our unintentionally epic ride on Saturday, as there are plenty of trails, all looping back to the parking lot, for as little or as much riding as one fancies. After some fun on Joe's Ridge and Kessel Run, we all headed back to Boulder and reality... well, sort of.

--- staying on top of Joe's Ridge ---