Now what? Post WRIAD post

Even before the deed was done I was thinking about what would be next.  WRIAD fulfilled my goal in doing a 100 miler dirt ride and took a lot of mental and physical investment to get there successfully.  So now what?

Not sure.

But before I go into that, some postmortem on WRIAD.

• It was not THAT hard.  OK, I am in very good shape, etc, but it was attainable.  This was not the Ruta de Espana, OK?
• I am glad I did not do it on the SS.  Besides the headwind, I think the hardtail aspect would have beaten me up more than my old back would have liked.  Would I do it on an SS?  Maybe, but I would want to be in even better fitness before I committed to that.
• It is fun to do crazy things like this, but this was a calculated crazy; driving 13 hours on little sleep, riding nearly 13 hours, then driving back the next day for 13 hours.  That was not lost on us as we were in the middle of it all, that nuttiness, but other than us not actually having BEEN there before, others had and we knew what to expect.
• I did my homework.  I read everything I could find on the White Rim and traveling over it by bike (WRIAD) in a day.  I knew the route and what it would take to travel it safely as far as water, food, etc.  Both of us had emergency shelters/bivys that were smaller than a good sized donut and would have kept us alive out there if we needed to overnight.
• FFW and I were not newcomers to this kind of thing.  We have been to the dance before.  We have over 50 years of combined cycling and mtn biking experience between us and we had done hard things before.  We knew our pace and what was sustainable.
• We were compatible both in temperament and ability.  We had trained together a bit and we knew that we could get along for a few days, that either one of us was someone that could be relied upon, and no one would be waiting for the other all day (unless something went awry physically..illness, etc)
• We had the right attitudes.  It was going to be hard.  It was going to be fun.  It was going to be an adventure.  It was going to be what it was and we would roll with that reality.  No whining allowed.

Now that is done, what is next?  Hmmmm?  Still not sure.  I certainly want to do more endurance stuff, both self organized and group events.  I think that a good bikepacking trip is the next focus though.  It needs to be over a couple of days and over a hundred miles.  I have been working on my kit the last year and I think i am nearly there.  I even bought a Ti cup the other day!

So I have the bike, the Lenzsport Lev 3.0.  I have the gear, the Carousel Design Works bags and shelters, bivys, etc.  I have the route, a multi day course in southern Utah.  I have a timeline in mind for this summer.  Now I just need to get at least one crazy guy to join me and the plans can come together.

After all, ya' got's ta have a goal!

WRIAD accomplished.

When I first read about the ride that is the White Rim In A Day, a 102 mile long loop through Utah's Canyonlands National Park, it caught my imagination as the right mix of difficulty, scenery and remoteness, and yet was regularly done so it was attainable by experienced and fit cyclists. 

It also fit into my goal of doing a 100 mile mountain bike ride, something that would nearly double my longest ride to date.  So plans were made and a date was set.  I put in some long rides, rode the SS a lot to improve overall power, and experimented with the right combo of supplements for sustained hard efforts.  A bike was built, a ride partner was found, and the days flew by.

And then I found myself driving along the highway with 'FFW' Dave pointed toward Moab.  Oh my.  Are we really doing this?  I had some doubts after my debacle with leg cramps on the Antelope Peak Challenge ride in Arizona.  That was only 60 miles albeit a hard 60 miles.  Still, I had a plan that, were it to fail, would leave me in a world of hurt in the middle of a lonely place.  Once you get into the White Rim a ways, you are pretty much committed.  I was concerned but the highway rushed on.

cuz ya gotta have a hat

My partner for this adventure was 'FFW' Dave, a well seasoned rider and all around good guy.  We had done some training rides together and had the same basic fitness and skills so our pace was very even.  That would hold true for the entire ride as we were never more than 100 yards apart, typically within 50' of each other for 103 miles and neither of us had to wait for the other.  We left So Cal after work in FFW's Magical Mystery Machine (well seasoned Saturn VUE) and hit St George at 02:00AM, grabbed a cheap but clean motel, and were back on the road by 08:00 AM.  Funny the things you talk about on road trips.  We swung from bikes, epic rides, the meaning of life, and cartoon/TV shows we loved as kids.  Just what was it that Hobo Kelly used to say into that looking glass?  In any case we both agreed that Felix the Cat rocked and the Master Cylinder was a great name for a villain.

WRIAD escape vehicle

It's a big desert out there

 I have been to Moab many times over the years so I knew the road and the town, but we had to get some supplies, drive to the park entrance and cache some water, then find camp at the end of a long dirt road.  We had decided to stage at the bottom of the Mineral Bottom switchbacks near the boat launch area and ride clockwise from there, climbing the 1000' foot gain early on in the dark, then riding into sunrise on the Mineral Road.  That was based on accounts I had read from other riders and avoided a big climb at the end of a long day.  I think it was a good plan although it turned out I had plenty of energy to get them done at the end of the ride, but who knew?  It would have been nice to camp up on the mesa for the views. 

Easter Jeep Week was spinning up in Moab so Jeepers were all over the place.  Cool.  I doubted we would see any of them on the White Rim though.  We hit up the City Market in town, grabbed a rotisserie chicken and chocolate milk for dinner and post ride recovery, then drove to the park entrance, cached some water and prepaid our $5.00 entrance fee per bike.  The ranger wished us luck and laughed just a bit as if to say, "silly, crazy mtn bikers".  We found our way to the river bottom area after winding down some pretty steep switchbacks.  This gave us a look at the opening 20 or so miles of road that would be the first leg of the next day.

Mineral Road

The Mineral switchbacks to the Green River

FFW

FFW, master tent builder.

A last quiet moment

Our home sweet home. Back yard landscaping by God

We set up camp down from the boat ramp area in a quiet spot and began checking over the gear and making the packs ready to go.  I was using my Osprey Talon 22 for the day and FFW had an Osprey Manta 30.  We both had two 100oz bladders and three bottles.  Add in food, tools, and some emergency stuff and we were packing heavy...likely 20+lb packs.  Ouch.  I did NOT want to be thirsty.  As well, the weather was changing and not for the better.  The temps had been in the mid 70s but now the ride day was to be 80+ and windy.  Oh marvelous.

Dave was on his Superfly 100 and I was on the new project Go-'Fish, a Salsa Spearfish with some Gucci but solid parts spec.  Both bikes were well suited to the task, but were we?  We dismembered the broiled chicken, then bat watched and star gazed next to the fire.  It was amazingly quiet out there.  I think we forget how quiet quiet can be.  City folks...bah!  The alarms were set for 04:00AM and we hit the tents with no small amount of apprehension of the next day.

We were rolling by 05:30 after some last minute "oops I forgot something" and a bathroom stop.  Pedaling out into the dark with our bike lights illuminating about 100 feet at a time, the Mineral Bottom switchbacks met us soon enough.  It is amazing how much the heavy packs weigh you down on a hill.  What felt OK just pedaling along a flat road was an anchor drag on that grade.  Still, we put those tight turns and the abrupt 1000' gain behind us and pedaled into the sunrise on the Mineral Road.  I think that was my favorite part of the ride.  Looking over at FFW as he rode beside me, the dawn gave light and shadow to the pastel hues of faded color, growing brighter and more vivid in the cool morning air.  It seemed quite surreal, all this.  And I was having a fine time.  We we actually doing this.

Magic time

We hit the highway to the park entrance, aware of the cows that looked ready to dash in front of the silly bike riders just to give us a scare.  Cow games!  Cows are such kidders.  Do they make party hats for cows?  But they were still waking up too so we were free of such merriment.  We tanked back up on water at the rangers booth and met another WRIAD-er from Colorado doing it solo.  Luck was wished all around and we rode over to the famed Shafer Switchbacks.  Oh my.  This is for real folks.  Once we drop down there, we are in up to our eyeballs in the White Rim.

Down there?

Really?  Down there?

Yes, down there.  And beyond.

It was about here that FFW's rear tire decided to be an airless tire.  FFW tried to make it seal by sheer willpower (and Stan's goo) but to no avail.  Stupid Small Block 8s.  WRIAD is no place for a racy, wimpy tire IMO.  Anyway, he fixed while I stripped clothing layers as the temps climbed a bit.

FFW can fix anything

We bottomed out and I have to say that it was here that I felt like I was in the game for real.  We were at a place where turning back would be a hard punt and we were 30 miles or so along.  Time to go.  The dirt and the miles sped by.  And it was grand.

We stopped only to mix some bottles of drink mix or take a very quick pic or two.  We intended to keep a 10mph average pace so there was little time for dawdling.  Lunch was at about 11:00 or 50ish miles.  Still to come was Murphy's Hogback at 60+ miles.  That was a suggested lunch stop and it would have been great, but when the dinner bell rings, you should answer.  We did not want to run a deficit energy wise.  The wind was a factor though.  It was a head wind or cross wind and was costing us energy and time.  I bet we were off one or two gears for 30 miles or so due to the wind, but it was what it was.  It did keep us cool.  I was wearing a long sleeve jersey from Alpinestars over a tank base layer and wool shorts.  It was a good set-up and I never had to change anything the rest of the day.

Mmmmm...Chunky Chicken spread and a salted nut bar from the dollar store.  I roll that way...cheap.

29ers rock WRIAD.  We had chosen wisely.

 

FFW sez':  "Hey grannygear...can we go already?"

The views never stopped for long.  Sometimes I had to say to myself, "hey dummy, look up!"

Canyonland's Stonehenge

We did some ups and downs and generally climbed for quite a few miles.  I kept wondering about Murphy's Hogback.  Had we already ridden it?  It seemed like a formidable obstacle in the reports I had read so that was unlikely.  It seemed like we should have been there by now, running around the 60+ mile mark.  Then we passed by a sign that said Murphy's Wash.  Oh?  And there it was.  The Hogback.  You have got to be kidding!  This pic does NOT do this over 20% grade justice.  Ride that?  Nope.  That would overdraw the leg bank and frankly, pushing the bike was just about as fast.  Not long, but 'wow!' steep.

Really?  What crazy person graded that road?

65 miles turned to 75 then 85.  The legs felt good and the supplements were treating me well.  I really struggle with leg cramps.  If I do not cramp, I can pedal long and strong.  So I was dropping three Endurolytes every hour and I had a light amount of Citrus Elete in my bladders.  I was mixing three bottles at a time from one of the bladders:  two were Fluid Performance drink mix and one was Clif Shot drink mix.  I have found that the Fluid Performance drink does a great job of supplying long term energy and I hardly needed to eat any solid foods.  It keeps depth in my legs, but it lacks a bit in electrolytes (as I found in Arizona).  So the third bottle of the three has the Clif Shot mix which I prize for the salty-ish goodness but does not fuel me as well as the Fluid.  They seem to get along in my stomach and I never had any bloating or upsets all day.  And not ONE CRAMP, even when trying for a trophy run at Hardscrabble Hill.   Yep...more walking.  No shame in that.

Soon enough we were in the home stretch as we dropped to river level, negotiated the sand traps of the last few miles, then hit camp.  I had one more swallow of water left and then I was empty.  great timing.  We actually ran into that young guy from Colorado about 10 miles from the end and invited him to our camp to stock up on water.  He had only 10oz left and several hours of riding left to get back up to Horse Thief campground.  He was a grateful lad, that one, when we filled his Camelbak.  Fare thee well, brother.  He was stoked to know that he had chewed the biggest part of the challenge off and had the bit well in his teeth and the end in sight.

We were in camp and happy to be there.

Near the end, FFW contemplates a long day, a good ride, and world peace

103 miles and 12.5 hours overall with 2 hours of that off the bike.  I had in mind a 12 hour time so we were right in there.  I was very grateful for all the gear that worked so well.  The Salsa Spearfish with the SRAM XX drivetrain and the Roval carbon wheels with Continental X King Protection tires was a smooth, fast, and efficient beast.  The Fluid Performance drink along with the Clif Shot mix, Elete, and Endurolytes kept the cramps away.  I expected to be pretty shattered by the day, but while I was weary, achey, and ready to stop pedaling, I had good energy at the end and legs that were still putting out the horsepower.  Sweet.  Thank you God.  You sustain me.

We ate what our tired bodies would handle, washed as best we could, and hit the sack in earnest with no 04:00 alarms this time.  The next day we broke camp and drove into Moab after grabbing our water cache.  Breakfast at the Jailhouse cafe and a long drive through snow flurries had us both satisfied and on edge, but we were headed home satiated by the experience.  We had drenched ourselves in and soaked up the red dirt of Canyonlands until our bodies and souls could not absorb any more and we were all the better for it.  FFW, you are a fine fellow and I would ride with you anywhere.

But not for a couple of days :)

More WRIAD thoughts to come as I reflect a bit and think of what is next for me.

The vacant stare of the zombie..or is he asleep?

"Yes waitress, I would like everything in column B, stat!"

"Well, it is a good start, anyway"

Headed home in 29* weather.  Utah is awesome.

Go-'Fish

WRIAD looms large

Last weekend was a bike build in the rain.  Today is raining again and I spent quite a bit of time packing, organizing drink mix bottles, etc.  Rain seems to be a curse laid on the weekends making long training rides difficult.  Sigh.  The bike still has not been ridden due to a stripped bolt in the crank spider.  That concerns me a bit as I wanted to burn the bike in better than that before heading out into the near-unknown.  Oh my.

With the parts on the way, I grabbed the Carve SS Pro and clicked off some laps in the local hills to the tune of 5 hours and 40 miles with maybe 5K' of gain over that.  I felt good enough at the end to do one or two more laps with no real suffering and then a couple more if I wanted to walk the steeps so I think I am decent shape.  Gotta love the cruel training partner that singlespeeds are.  They make you strong.  I do kind of wish that I was taking it to Moab, but it makes more sense to first-time it with gears and full squish.  Maybe next time?

SO...the parts should be here by Monday.  Then I can finish the bike and get it out for a couple of rides so things shake loose and settle in.  One good thing is that all the parts are proven.  Nothing is truly new except chains and such so that is in my favor.  If I cannot get it working well enough to be happy with, I will grab the Camber and use it.  Heavier, but proven in battle.  Hopefully though, I will be riding this:

I think I can get everything in the awesome Osprey Talon 22.  The new Escapist 30 would have been even better, but I shipped that to Guitar Ted to play with.  I will be carrying 2 100oz reservoirs and 4 bottles at the beginning.  Then, I will mix bottles of Fluid Performance mix and Clif Shot mix as I go along from one of the reservoirs.  The other reservoir will be pure water.  I also have Elete drops and Endurolytes to go along with all that.  It looks like temps could be into the high 70s.  Too bad.  I would have preferred temps in the high 60s to low 70s but there is no call for rain or wind, so I will take what I can get.

Besides the water and mix, I have an emergency bivy (fancy space blanket), a bike light for the first two hours of the ride (and in case something goes wrong and the day turns to night), 2 tubes, chain lube in a tiny sample bottle, the GPS, printed map, real food and trail food, sunscreen, and the dear to my heart iPod Shuffle.  Of course all the normal tools, pump(s), first aid kit, clothing as needed and a song in my heart.

That ought to do.

We are going to break up the drive by overnighting in St George.  That will get us into Moab in daylight with time to shop, grab dinner, cache some water at the park entrance if we care to and head out to camp at the bottom of the Mineral Bottom switchbacks.  It seems that the best way to do this is clockwise, getting the first climb and long dirt road/paved road section out of the way in the dark.

Then, we pay our money and take our chances.

Road to WRIAD 2

FFW, the myth, the man, the legend.

The second training ride this last Sat was just FFW Dave and I.  FFW is the only guy so far to wave at me and say "Aye" to the plan in March, so we got together to spin around the country a bit, talk and plan.  FFW is a darn strong rider and very accomplished, so there is no question as to whether he is a worthy companion.  I am stoked to have him along.

I have done this loop about 4 times or so and it is always hard.  This time I was very pleased at how I felt.  The first 8 mile climb was into a headwind.  Ugh.  I was concerned what that would do to me over the rest of the day.  But the second climb went by without even any pain...we talked all the way up.  The third climb was not even hard and normally that is a sufferfest.  The next 10 miles of dirt intervals hurt a bit, but nothing more than it always does, even if I have not ridden 4 hours beforehand.  Interesting.  We even added in some extra credit climbing and singletrack at the end.

I took the time to regularly stretch the legs, focusing on keeping the hamstrings, inner groin/thighs, and quads from pulling up tight on me.  One bottle of Fluid Performance drink, two bottles of Clif Shot drink mix, 3 Endurolytes, 100oz of water, 6 oatmeal cookies, one oatmeal bar, and some trail mix.

I think I am on a good path here, but could I have done this ride twice?  No, not likely.  That concerns me, but I have some time yet to train further.  I was also trying to test the pace of the ride.  I think we need to be on a 10mph average for WRIAD.  So, this ride was in that zone and it felt good.  We could talk, take short breaks, but still move efficiently. 

Sat's tale of the tape:  42.8 miles  5,526' of elevation gain, 4.35 riding time, 5.26 total time.  9.3mph average.

FFW in The Narrows

Going Fishing.

Road to WRIAD

Well, it seems like it is on, at least for now, so that means I have a few more weeks to make rides count towards getting the saddle time I need to survive 102 miles and more hours then I have been on a bike to date.

So, this past Sat I was on call and could not get too far from home or phone service.  That meant a local ride, home based if possible.  I opted for a ride I call Triple Bypass.  It knits together three different loops of about ten miles and one hour + each and makes for a pretty good workout.  I am fighting either a cold or allergies...not sure which, so that was a bummer, but it is what it is.

More to come, but the tale of the Triple Bypass:  32.4 miles D to D, 4,330' of elevation gain.  4 hours of 'out there' time.  I felt OK actually, a bit tired, but I had much more in the bank at the end.  Good base miles to build on.  Hopefully the week nights can be hard but short efforts, lots of SS time, and then at least one good ride on the weekends to drive some depth into the legs.

We shall see.  The Epic Marathon was working well and the carbon Rovals shod with the new tubeless Conti X Kings were all I could ask for.  I need to R&R the front Reba with some fresh lube, but I think it is ready.  if I get another frame in time (in the works) I might take that but only if I get the build done early in the month of March.  No way will I go into WRIAD on anything but proven stuff.

I need to sort out cargo capacity.  I think I might pop the bikepacking seat bag onto the Epic and carry clothes and emergency shelter in there.  That would leave the water toting duty to the Osprey Talon 22.  Need to work all that out.  I am thinking about 2 large water bladders + some bottles and bags of powdered mix.   I sure wish the Epic had more than one WB mount.  Silly race bikes.

Blowin' In The Wind

I stuck my head out of the outer door of my hilltop work building and nearly lost what hair I have left.  Oh great...windy, eh?  The timing on this wind surfer's dream state was not in my favor as I had a reprieve from my normal Thursday night schedule that allowed me to get in a longer ride.  And I sure needed a longer ride. WRIAD, something I have on the calendar for the end of March, was looking like a bust as I had no partner in crime to do it with me.  Not a solo ride IMO, not for this guy anyway, I was thinking it would fall away to the end of the year but recently FFW, a local endurance rider, stuck his little hand in the air and volunteered his body for science.  WRIAD is back on.  In the words of that sage doggie Scooby Doo, "Ruh Roh!"  Time to get some miles in!

I know that FFW is stronger than I anyway and he has been logging some 60 miles loops lately.  Dang!  I am slacking.  So when I got home the winds were still jammin' right from the direction I would be pedaling for at least an hour...uphill.  Sigh.  Sure would have been easy to write it off, but I suited up, put my light onto the Carve Pro SS, packed some extra layers and clear glasses for post sundown work, and pedaled out.

The 20 Mile Loop is a great training ride and especially so on an SS as it is one big set of intervals from start to near finish.  Climb, drop, climb, drop, rinse, repeat.  This ride used to be my litmus test for fitness.  If I could ride it (geared) with out feeling like my legs were gone, I was doing OK and a 2 hour and 30 minute time was about right.  Phah!  Now I do it on the SS in two hours door to door.  Time marches on but sometimes the beat (or beat-down) changes.

The wind was pretty bad and set me back a full ten minutes at the 10 mile point.  It did make for a better workout though.  I was the only one out there on an SS.  Shoot, I was the only one out there at all on ANYTHING without a motor and climate control.  Cold wind, too.  What to do?  Pull the Buff headwrap down over the ears and turn up the iPod shuffle a notch or two.  Pedal.  Pedal.  Pedal.

Hitting the dirt I was still well ahead of sundown so I stopped to stretch the hamstrings and quads.  I have been adding some body weight squats of different kinds, including one legged versions, and following with targeted stretching of those areas.  I have some thoughts as to my issues with leg cramping and tight muscles.  Will being more limber help there?  Not sure, but being well stretched is good for all living things so it can't hurt.

The first dirt climb is a real booger.  Steep, loose and steep, it is a real bummer on an SS.  However, a recent ride on Gridley Trail, a 90 minute granny ring climb, seemed to show that the leg squats have been building some leg power.  I felt this way again on this dirt climb.  Legs good.  Lungs/heart less so.  I recover very fast as far as cardio goes, but I just cannot hold those high heart rates like I used to in my younger years.  Oh well.  The Carve with the American Classic SS wheels and the Protection X Kings from Conti are a pretty awesome combo for getting up a steep rise in the trail.  Push hard, go up.  I am getting spoiled here with a lighter, faster SS ride.  Makes even old guys look good.

The wind had dropped off and the next 5 miles were bliss....tricky carving corners full of loose rock and ruts, fast drops that require a dropped outside pedal and a Clint Eastwood squint to commit to the line without flinching, then drawing the six shooter on the next rise in the trail, never sitting down, just shooting from the hip like Clint would.  Good, bad, ugly as applied to 29" wheels and one gear.

As the sun hung on by the fingernails on the horizon's edge, I turned right and dropped into Foreplay to G-Out.  This added some miles and more cimbing, something I typically do not do at this point, but FFW is taunting me with his thrown gauntlet to go bigger.  Ok then.  Hero dirt on a roller coaster of a trail was the reward.  No one else, just me.  I am really getting dialed into the Carve and it just ripped it up down there...flow happened.

Turn left and up...up...up...and just as the sun went to bed I topped out at The Towers.  No wind...huh...it was actually warmer now then when I began.  Nice.  Layered up, light on, dropping in.  Fast is as fast does and I can coast with the best of them....zoom zoom.  The new home made light is so darn good.  Bright enough to scare the zombies away and very rideable in beam pattern.  Total success so far.  I barely even need a headlamp now, but that is coming too...headlamp V 2.0.

Rolling home I passed a pizza place and the aromas coming from there were stunning.  I thought of how cool it would be to stop in, get a pizza, warm up my toes, and head out for another loop.  But family called and someone was waiting at home for me.

FFW, I am the guy behind you in the sarape, standing in the middle of the street next to the saloon.  See the squint?  The guns are next.

It's a date

March 31st.  WRIAD.  One ride.  One gear.  One hundred miles or so.  Pedal little grannygear, pedal.

The more things change...

...well, the more they stay the same. 

Lately some really cool stuff has been coming though the garage.  Carbon wheels, carbon bikes, etc.  And I will tell ya', carbon when it is done right is a real game changer.  Last weekend I did a pretty big ride with the carbon wheels on the Epic and they are pretty amazing.

You know what I miss the most right now?  My singlespeed.  Crazy huh?

Then, when discussing the possibility of a WRIAD ride next year, I was talking about it with Ed The Tall and I casually mentioned that many folks do it on an SS.  "Really?", he said?  I could see the wheels turning.

And it brought out from the shadows of my mind that I really would like to do it on an SS as well.  Silly me.  I worry that my body may let me down.  Gears and full suspension help a lot when it comes to avoiding a beat down.  But the SS always amazes me as to how well it can cover ground.  I swear there are times on the trail that I am going faster than a geary guy and not working as hard.  Over and over again, if you compare my times over a typical ride between SS and geared, I am the same nearly to the minute.  But there is little grace there to tired legs.  No cruising gear.  Just a pedaling gear and a walking gear.

Then there is the punishment to the low back.  I avoid geared hardtails due to all the sitting and pedaling and most hardtails these days come with oversize seatposts.  Whap...whack...smack to the back.  But could I make it work with a very compliant post, a good saddle and a low pressure tire?  I would sure like to find out.

I just think that it is funny, when I could be riding a uber-bike or when I am considering doing the longest MTB ride I have ever done, I find myself drawn to the simplest bike I have.  I do have one consolation though.  I am building up another SS, just to make it even harder to choose.

WRIAD on the brain

WRIAD:  White Rim In A Day.  The 100+ mile loop in the Canyonlands Natl Park that most sane cyclists do with SAG over a few days.  Other not so sane riders do it in one shot, pre-dawn to dusk. 

Photos are from this blog here.

The route is not terribly difficult from what I have read.  The elevation gain is moderate at, IIRC, 5K' or so.  And it is not really all that technical.  But 102 miles offroad is still 102 miles and 9 to 12 hours in the saddle is not something to take too lightly.   It is remote with no water or supplies over the course and no cell phone coverage.  The weather can play into the time it takes to complete the loop and when you are so far in, keeping going is just as good as turning back.  Mechanicals need to be dealt with.  No easy way to get out of there.

Still, it is well traveled as far as backcountry routes go and the jeep road (no singletrack) is well marked and easy to follow.  The scenery is like one postcard shot after another.  It is quiet that far out in the Canyonlands.  Moab and the surrounding areas are magical in many ways and you can look around and feel like you are the only man on earth.

Just one man, all alone, who has a long ways to pedal.

I am intrigued.