RIDES: MOAB APRIL 6TH-11TH

TRIP INVENTORY : SCRATCHED PLASTIC

BROKEN CLUTCH LEVER

SMASHED FOOT PEG

BUSTED PIPE

TWEAKED KNEE

SWOLLEN, BLISTERED HANDS

NO BRUISES !

3 DAYS/~ 175 MILES OF SPECTACULAR OF RIDING.

COUPLE MORE HOLES PUNCHED ON THE FUN CARD .

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TUESDAY 4/6/10

TUESDAY I MET BEN & TIM AT THE BLACKS CREEK REST STOP. WE WERE ABLE TO LEAVE TOWN ~ 12:30 PM.

WE HAD A STIFF TAIL WIND MOST THE DRIVE DOWN. HELPED OUT ON THE FUEL MILEAGE.

SEEMED LIKE IT TOOK 2 HRS TO GET ACROSS THE SLC VALLEY. THEN THE TOP OF SOLDIER MT SUMMIT HAD A SNOW FLOOR WITH A LIGHT SNOW WE HAD TO DRIVE THRU IN THE DARK. WE FOUND A CAMP SIGHT ALONG DALTON WELLS ROAD JUST OUTSIDE MOAB.

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WED 4/7/10

WED MORNING TIM BEN AND I RODE SLICK ROCK ~ 18 MILES

BARRY- “IT’S REALLY NOT A TAX IF IT’S GOOD FOR YOU “.

SOON AFTER THIS WE RODE HELLS GATE WHERE I HAD TWO SPODE ATTACKS. I TRIED TO SLIDE THRU SOME ROCK STEPS AND ENDO’D, THEN ON THE WAY OUT I LOOPED OUT UP OVER A STEP. BEN HAD TO RIDE THE BIKE OUT FOR ME.

I SMASHED THE LEFT FOOT PEG ON ONE OF THE FALLS. IT BECAME CRYSTAL CLEAR I WASN’T UP FOR 5MOH.

AFTER SLICK ROCK WE ATE LUNCH IN THE PARKING LOT THEN HEADED TO KANE SPRINGS

CAMPGROUND. DIDN’T SEE ANNE THIS TRIP, DIDN’T SEE ANY CAMP HOST.

AFTER GETTING SETUP WE HEADED UP PRITCHETT CANYON, WHICH WAS MY 5 MILES OF HELL. MOST THE LEDGES I HAD TO HAVE HELP PUSHING THE BIKE UP AND OVER.

RIDERS : TIM , BEN, DAVE, JEFF, BUTCH, GORDON

LOOP- 33 MILES

WATCH BEN, HE WAS OBVIOUSLY HAVING HAVING AN OFF DAY :-)

BEN AND DAVE HUNTER CANYON JEEP TRAIL.

THOUGHT WE COULD MAKE A LOOP BACK TO KANE CREEK ROAD, BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AND WE HAD TO DESCEND PRITCHETT CANYON.

WATCHING ROCK CRAWLERS GO UP A NASTY LEDGE.

ON THE LAST EDGE DOWN I ALMOST HAD IT- UP ON THE PEGS, THE RIGHT LINE, THEN I TAPPED THE REAR BRAKE, STALLED AND FELL OVER. THIS ONE BUSTED THE CLUTCH LEVER. I TOOK A GOOD FALL, DIDN’T GET HURT AND THE BIKE DIDN’T LAND ON ME.

THAT NIGHT I DREAMED I WAS RIDING ROCKS ALL NIGHT.

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THURSDAY 4/8/10

WE BROKE CAMP AND HEADED TO COURTHOUSE WASH.

COURTHOUSE WASH CAMPSITE

IN THE MORNING WE RODE THE SOVEREIGN TRAIL AND THE AFTERNOON THE BARTLETT CANYON SYSTEM.

WE MET JIM FROM MONTANA IN THE PARKING LOT AND HE JOINED US.

LOOP – 50 MILES

OUT OF THIS EARTH, JAW DROPPING VIEWS.

I STARTED OUT NOTCHY AND ROUGH. BOBBLED ON A STEP UP, TOOK 3 TRIES, THEN MISSED THE TRAIL, SEARCHED FOR ARROWHEADS, ETC. DIDN’T REGAIN ANY COMPOSURE UNTIL ~ 8 MILES INTO THE RIDE.

SLICK ROCK ON SOVEREIGN TRAIL.

MONTANA JIM

LUNCH STOP. A FEW MILES AFTER LUNCH I THOUGHT I HAD IT ALL TOGETHER.

I WAS AT LEAST KEEPING THE THE GROUP IN SIGHT, NOT MISSING THE TRAIL ( MARKED WITH BLUE PAINT ) AND UP ON THE PEGS WORKING THE BIKE. I WAS LOOKING DOWN THE TRAIL TO SEE WHAT WAS PAST THE NEXT STEP UP & I WACKED THE RIGHT HANDLE BAR ON A JUNIPER & IT THRU ME TO THE GROUND. I HOPPED BACK ON THE BIKE AND THE IT SOUNDED LIKE THE EXHAUST WAS GONE. THE POWER BAND WAS TERRIBLE. I KEPT RIDING TO CATCH UP WITH THE GROUP. BUTCH FOUND A HOLE IN THE PIPE WHICH WAS BENT AROUND THE FRAME AGAINST THE STARTER. BEN KICKED IT BACK IN PLACE.

WE RODE ON DOWN THE TRAIL.

ANOTHER SPODE ATTACK.

AFTER THIS CLIMB WE DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO CAMP. JEFF, JIM AND I TOOK THE SANDWASH WHILE THE OTHERS TOOK SOVEREIGN BACK.

JEFF HELPED ME GET THE PIPE OFF. IT TOOK A FEW WHACKS WITH A HAMMER.

TIM HAD FMF GNARLY HE BROUGHT AS A SPARE THAT HE SOLD TO ME SO I COULD KEEP RIDING.

TIM GOT A FLAT ON THE SINGLE TRAIL BACK AND HAD TO CHANGE THE TUBE WHEN HE GOT BACK. THE TIRE DIDN’T SEAT WHEN THEY PATCHED THE HOLE ON THE TRAIL.

IN THE AFTERNOON WE CROSSED THE HIGHWAY AND RODE THE BARTLETT SYSTEM., SOME CRAZY STUFF !!!!!!! THEY TRIED THEIR BEST TO SCARE ME. FORTUNATELY I RODE BETTER THAN IN THE MORNING.

VIEWS FROM SANDSTONE LEDGES WE WERE RIDING ON THE CANYON RIM. SOME SPOTS TIGHT AND HIGH !

“OVER THE EDGE”

THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED YOUR MAN CARD TO ENTER. I LEFT MINE AT THE TRUCK !

IT’S A STEEP SAND STONE WALL YOU HAVE TO RUN DOWN W/O TOUCHING THE BRAKES UNTIL YOU GET TO THE SHELF BELOW.

BUTCH AND JEFF CLIMBING UP TO RIDE MY & JIM’S BIKES DOWN FOR US.

BUTCH FIX’N TO ROLE OVER THE EDGE WITH MY BIKE.

THAT'S ME !

TIM

BEN AND DAVE DECIDING WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO SHOW OFF ON A TOILET BOWL.

TOOK A BIT TO FIND THE WAY OFF THE MESA. THE TRAIL TAKES YOU TO ANOTHER TOILET BOWEL YOU HAVE TO LET THE BIKE ROLE DOWN SOME STEEP SIDES TO THE BOTTOM.

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FRIDAY 4/9/10

WE LEFT COURTHOUSE WASH AT 8 AM TO MEET BRIAN AT WHITE SANDS WASH. HE WAS GOING TO SHOW US “ ALL THE STUFF IN ONE DAY” ~ 80-100 MILES OF TRAILS.

VIEW FROM OUR CAMP AT WHITE SANDS WASH.

LOOP ~ 75 MILES.

BARRY – “I KNOW IT’S NOT A TAX IF IT’S GOOD FOR ME”

BRIAN EXPLAINING CRYSTAL GEYSER TO FAMILY ON SPRING BREAK . CRYSTAL IS A CO2 GEYSER THAT REACHES ~ 90ft IN HEIGHT.

THEY THOUGHT HIS EXPLANATION WAS THE MOST ACTION THEY WERE GOING TO SEE. SOMEONE TOLD THEM IT HAD JUST GONE OFF ~ 1HR BEFORE.

TRY DOING THIS AT YELLOWSTONE.

THE BEST THING ABOUT KLIM GEAR IS I DON’T LOOK SO FAT.

FROM HERE WE STARTED BACK TOWARD CAMP THRU SOME NEAT LITTLE CANYONS AND WASHES.

BEN AT REST BREAK ME.

NICE COTTON WOOD GROVE.

WHEN THEN MADE OUR BACK TO CAMP FOR ANOTHER BREAK BEFORE THE SECOND LOOP OF SANDWASHES , SLICK ROCK (I CAME CLOSER TO GETTING MY MAN CARD) AND SWEET SINGLE TRACKS ACROSS THE DESERT.

JEFF’S VIDEO OF THE RED SAND DESERT AND MARY’S TRAIL THRU THE SLICK ROCK.

GIVES GOOD PERSPECTIVE FO THE SLOPES , VERTICALS AND DROP OFFS. SOME OF THE RUNS YOU FELL LIKE YOUR GOING STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN. A DIFFERENCE OF 2-4ft COULD REALLY CHANGE YOUR RIDE.

WE WERE MAKING A RUN DOWN PINNACLE (AKA WOUNDED KNEE)TRAIL AND ON A PORTION OF SLICK ROCK SOME HOW BRIAN LOST CONTROL. HE SAID THE THROTTLE SEEMED STUCK . HE REALIZED HE WAS GOING OFF A 7ft LEDGE AND HE GUNNED IT AND THEN TRIED TO SEPARATE FROM THE BIKE. TIM WAS RIGHT BEHIND HIM AND SAW BRIAN ACCELERATE AND LOOP OUT WHEN HE WAS AIR BORN . THE BIKE CAME DOWN AND THE REAR WHEEL GRABBED HIS LEG, SUCKING IT UP IN TO THE SUB FRAME. TIM DROPPED HIS BIKE BIKE, JUMPED OFF THE LEDGE AND UNTANGLED BRIAN FROM THE BIKE.

JEFF’S VIDEOS OF THE CRASH SCENE AND RESCUE :

THE GUYS GOT HIM CARRIED TO SHADE AND ELEVATED HIS LEGS.

HIS LEGG LOOKED IN BAD SHAPE AND IT WAS OBVIOUS WE WEREN’T GOING TO GET OUT BY OURSELVES.

JEFF SPOTTED SOME 4 WHEELERS AND WENT TO RECRUIT THEIR HELP. BRIAN WAS PRETTY LUCID AND WASN’T “SURE” IF HIS LEG WAS BROKEN. HE TOLD US HE HAD SPOT BEACON , WHILE WE WERE DECIDING WHETHER TO HIT THE “SEND HELP” BUTTON, HE TURN ON HIS BLACKBERRY AND HAD A SIGNAL ! HE CALLED 911 AND GOT PROCESS STARTED.

BARRY- “BECAUSE OF ME YOU WILL NEVER DIE WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE”

BARRY- “ YOU SHOULD BE THANKING ME !”

JEFF FOUND THE 4 WHEELERS AND GOT THEIR HELP. BLM RANGERS AND COUNTY SHERIFF ARRIVED FIRST. THE BLM WAS WELL ARMED S&W 40 CAL, M16 & 12G SHOTGUN.

THE RANGER WANTED TO KNOW IF WE WERE ON A DESIGNATED TRAIL, LATER HE SAID WE WERE. LATER HE TOLD US MOST OF THE IDAHO VISITORS WERE ALWAYS ON KTMS.

OTHER STATES WERE YAMAHA & HONDA.

AFTER BRIAN SAID HE THOUGHT THE THROTTLE STUCK THIS RANGER WANTED KNOW IF HE WAS RIDING A PIRUS !

WHEN SEARCH AND RESCUE AND THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED WE HAD QUITE A CROWD.

A COUPLE OF THE CAMPERS WERE EMT’S AND HELPED THE AMBULANCE CREW.

BRIAN WAS STRAPPED INTO A BACK OF A RANGER AND TRANSPORTED TO AMBULANCE THAT WAS ~ 1/3 MILE AWAY.

PAUL HELPED US OUT. HE WAS ALSO CAMPED AT WHITE SANDS AND GUIDED US BACK ON THE ROADS BACK TO CAMP. SATURDAY HE TOOK BUTCH BACK TO HIS BIKE ON AN ATV AND THEN CARRIED BRIAN’S GEAR BACK.

AS BRIAN WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE AMBULANCE DUSK WAS ROLLING IN. BUTCH FOUND HE HAD A FLAT TIRE ! HE DECIDED TO LEAVE HIS BIKE A DRIPPING SPRINGS CG AND RIDE BRIAN'S BIKE (W/O A WORKING HEAD LIGHT) BACK.

LATE FRIDAY NIGHT TIM GOT A CALL FROM BRIAN. THE MOAB HOSPITAL DETERMINED HE HAD COMPOUND FRACTURES AND HAD HIM LIFE FLIGHT’D TO SLC.

SATURDAY I DECIDED I HAD ENOUGH -SWOLLEN KNEE& HANDS, BLISTERS AND JUST TRIED. I STAYED AT CAMP WITH BRIAN’S DOGS WHILE THE OTHERS DID ANOTHER 60 MILE RIDE. SPENT THE DAY WRITING THIS BLOG !

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DAVE’S PICS FROM THEIR SATURDAY RIDE

SUNDAY

VISITED BRIAN IN THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH HOSPITAL. HE SAID THE AMBULANCE RIDE INTO MOAB WAS PAINFUL. AFTER BEING FLOWN INTO SLC HE STARTED GETTING THE SAME ROUND OF QUESTIONS. SO WHEN ASKED WHAT SURGERIES HE HAD HE TOLD THE NURSE “ A HYSTERECTOMY, TWO BREAST REDUCTIONS , ETC”. HE SAID THEY WEREN’T AS AMUSED AS HE WAS.

I VOLUNTEERED TO HAUL BRIAN'S GEAR AND DOGS TO POCATELLO.

BRIAN THOUGHT “GOODENOUGH” CAMPGROUND WOULD BE A GOOD SPOT.

WHEN I GOT CLOSE, IT LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BE SNOWED IN SO I BACKED THE CAMPER & TRAILER ~ 1/2 MILE BACK DOWN THE ROAD AND FOUND A DRY SPOT WHERE I COULD LEVEL THE CAMPER.