Moab questions

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Mick

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I'm pondering a Moab trip. I can't do more than 3 days, possibly 4. Is it worth going for less than a week? If so, what are the must rides I need to squeeze in? Guided or self guided. What about accomodations? on trail or off? Any feedback is appreciated.
 
Go, you'll love it!

I took my first trip to Moab last year. We only had one day set aside for biking so, per jdog's recommendation, we rode "the whole enchilada".

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/enchilada.htm

We used Poison Spider Bikes for our rentals and Porcupine Shuttle to take us to the start of ride. Both were great.

If you're looking for less technical stuff there's plenty of other ride options, guided or not.
 
Mick said:
I'm pondering a Moab trip. I can't do more than 3 days, possibly 4. Is it worth going for less than a week?
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Yes it's worth it. Try for 4 days. 😉

Mick said:
If so, what are the must rides I need to squeeze in? .
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As Turbo said:

the whole enchilada

Also:

Slickrock
Amasa Back
Sovereign

More listed here (most are good):

http://www.discovermoab.com/biking.htm



Mick said:
Guided or self guided.
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If alone, go guided. If you want to not have to deal with maps, GPS's, etc, get a guide. If you just want to enjoy the ride, get a guide. If you are into exploring or the adventure aspect then no guide. I never used a guide there because I was always with people who knew where to go. Otherwise I would have.

Mick said:
What about accomodations? on trail or off? .
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Lots of places in town. Hotels, B&B's, houses, rooms to choose from depending on your budget. All will be fine to get to the trails via shuttle. Camping will get you closer to some trail heads if that's your thing. I personally like a shower & warm bed.

I will add that Fruita/Grand Junction is only about 1.5hrs away. Overall for me, I liked the riding a little bit more. So if you have a car, do 2 days in Moab & then 2 days in Fruita/GJ. You wont, regret it.
 
It is totally worth it, porcupine rim and poison spyder are awesome (although they closed a lot of poison spyder due to peeps falling off the side and dying) I would ride slickrock to say you did it but in my opinion not the best trail. The riding is endless, you could even take a break one day and get some great hiking in at arches national park.
 
Hit the whole enchilada is a must this takes you into porcupine rim trail, which was amazing!
 
Mick said:
I'm pondering a Moab trip. I can't do more than 3 days, possibly 4. Is it worth going for less than a week? If so, what are the must rides I need to squeeze in? Guided or self guided. What about accomodations? on trail or off? Any feedback is appreciated.
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When do you plan to go? When we went in early October 2011, the Burro Pass portion of the Whole Enchilada was closed due to snow in the mountains.
 
I have been there twice. First was a week with a big group. By the fifth day or so, your legs are smoked and you need a day off. I later did a long weekend ( about a decade ago. 🙁 ) I doubled up on rides each day to get to my favorite spots. It was great.

It has been so long that I hesitate to recommend specific rides or trails. Porc rim, slick rock and Amasa Back were among my favs. I never did the Whole Enchilada.
 
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Also if you are still in the pondering phase- Gooseberry Mesa area is fantastic- Mountain bike buddies run a shuttle and the guy is great if you are traveling with friends. I used Western Spirit- great guides but expensive- Mountain bike buddies run the shuttle for you and are a contact point if things go bad- alot of the insurance of a guide with minimal cost. If I can drum up another rider I may try to do this in the Spring.
 
Mick,

I just got back from Moab. You won't be disappointed if you go. The trail builders are doing some amazing work out there. The shuttles can take you anywhere you want to ride and a few of the trails will lead you right back into town.

I only had one day to ride so I did "Magnificent 7" and "7-up". Loved it!

I was hoping to squeeze in a ride at Amasa Back but it didn't happen. The "Captain Ahab" trail was highly recommended. I saw this on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/63329681
 
No,

We rode the loop the guys at Poison Spider suggested: Bull Run - Arth's Corner - Little Canyon - Great Escape - Gataway. We took a few minuted to check out Gemini Bridges along the way. It was an 18 mile loop that brought us back to where we parked. The start of the 7-up trail is in the same lot so we rode that for about 6 miles to where we parked our other rental along Rt 313.

Here's a map from the Discover Moab site: http://www.discovermoab.com/images/mb/Mag7.jpg
 
Gotcha. When we did Mag-7 last fall, we parked our truck at the lot where the Portal Trail ends, then had Coyote shuttles take us to the Bull Run Trailhead. We started with Bull Run - Arth's Corner - Little Canyon like you did, but then continued towards the Colorado River on Gold Bar to Golden Spike and ended with the Portal Trail. Gold bar and Golden Spike aren't marked as well as the earlier trails are so you have to keep aware (or bring a GPS like we did). But the Portal Trail made it worth the trek. An unforgettable experience. We did ~26 miles point-to-point that day.

This map shows the trails closer to the River.
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/maps/Mag7-Print-LRes.jpg
 
Thank you all for your feedback,. I was hoping to get out there around Columbius day weekend. As luck would have it, life gets in the way and it will be another year older before I get out there.
 
Mick said:
Thank you all for your feedback,. I was hoping to get out there around Columbius day weekend. As luck would have it, life gets in the way and it will be another year older before I get out there.
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Ahhhhh come on! -- blow off "life" and get out there! 😀
 
I'm bumping this thread because Pearl and I are planning on heading to Moab ~May 2015.

We've already bothered thee Utah with questions but no reason not to ask the MTBNJ community as well.

-Bike shop rentals?

-Hotels/Cabins? *Currently looking at Canyonland's Cabins & Best Western/Ramada. Anything not too crappy under $100 per night wins.

-Car rentals? *Looking at flying into Grand Junction, CO and driving west.

-Hitting Fruita/GJ at the end of the trip worth it? Bike shop rentals in that location?

-5-6 days versus a full week?

Thanks for any help you are all willing to offer! 🙂
 
I really enjoyed my bed and breakfast. The host was awesome, knows more about moab mountain biking than probably anyone. Happily works on your bike when you get home so you don't have to bother going to the bike shop to adjust something. Helped me plan rides. Fed me breakfast. I think it was $100 a night too and you can ride bikes to town.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roost-Wrench-and-Ride/351892251505533
Ashley (mom) really liked the one she spent a night in as well.
http://www.launchpadmoab.com/
same deal, total moab knowledge.

Car rentals are monumentally cheaper in Vegas. you may consider adding that, a cheap night in vegas, a day in Zion. It's ~5-6 hours away total. Zion is cool as hell.

IIRC the bike rentals in Fruita were a decent amount more money.

I just did 10 days and it wasn't enough out there. Would certainly go back next year. You should plan your trip for Sept next year and we'll all rent a house together. I know Tim and Ash would totally go back again.

Seriously consider borrowing a full suspension bike and riding Cannonball and top of skyline a BUNCH OF TIMES to get yourself prepped for the trails out there. There are easy trails, and the "normal" trails aren't crazy hard, they are easier than Cannonball but you'll really want to familiarize yourself with using the suspension on a full suspension bike, and dealing with riding around a 6" travel bike.
 
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-Bike shop rentals?

Find a shop with a bike your size that you want to ride. I would think with all the competition that pricing will be around the same but do some comparing.

-Hotels/Cabins? *Currently looking at Canyonland's Cabins & Best Western/Ramada. Anything not too crappy under $100 per night wins.

I stayed at the Ramada in Moab yrs ago & it was fine for what it is, a simple inexpensive hotel. Probably better places to stay but of course for more money.

-Car rentals? *Looking at flying into Grand Junction, CO and driving west.

Flying in GJ gets you the most riding time out of your trip. You can take an early flight & be there in time to get a ride in that day. Of course that most likely means paying a little more for a rental. Price shop.

-Hitting Fruita/GJ at the end of the trip worth it? Bike shop rentals in that location?

I think you would be making a big mistake not trying to get a day or 2 of riding in Fruita/GJ. I really enjoyed riding in both spots. A lot different than Moab. Not a whole lot of choices for rentals there. Again price shop it.

-5-6 days versus a full week?

More is better. If you do the 6 days maybe take a rest day somewhere in there and do some hiking/site seeing. Your legs will thank you.

There will be snow in the high mtns in May, so the Whole Enchilada will not be rideable.
 
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