A-Maze-Ing

Six friends, two guides and I recently returned from a five day mountain bike ride in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park, outside of Moab. The trip was outfitted and led by Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, based in Moab, which specializes in adventures throughout the West. It was our first trip with Western Spirit, and we were not disappointed. The organization was stellar, the guides professional and friendly, the route appropriate, and the food…well, it surpassed all expectations! We were taken aback by how good the menu and execution were. Just fantastic.

The Maze District is the least accessible district of Canyonlands, and in fact has the reputation of being one of the most remote areas in the Lower 48. The start of our ride was a 3+ hour drive from Moab, so the anticipation built as we got closer and closer. The five days of riding covered almost 100 miles (plus one 7 1/2 mile hike to view ancient petroglyph and pictograph panels, which required some quite technical (for me anyway) rock scrambling).

As you can hear by the dialogue, the guide was dictating our every step. Without that, I, for one, could never have done this. Here’s a look at the scramble site from afar.

The long-distance (and blurry) picture is of two women who were in the middle of a multi-day hike, loaded down with heavy packs. We ran into them later. They decided to turn around and retrace their steps, as the scramble was too tough with their packs, even with ropes to hoist them up.

And this was our reward for completing the hike: panels of petroglyphs and pictographs from eons ago.

In the interest of full disclosure, two of us (the two oldest, including me) used e-mountain bikes. I was on an Ari Nebo Peak, a low-power e-bike that provides less assistance, and smaller range, than a full-power bike, but has the advantage of lower weight. By way of comparison, Ari’s full-power mountain bike, the Timp Peak, weighs approximately 51 pounds, while the Nebo Peak weighs just around 40 pounds. That’s a huge weight savings, and more than makes up for the lesser power and range. We are not sponsored by Ari (we wish we were!), but we are huge fans of their bikes. More about the bike later.

As I mentioned earlier, the route was…appropriate. The group ranged in age from 58 to 73, and was of varying mountain biking experience and abilities. While there were some technical sections, the route was entirely on a jeep road; no single track. But there were several chunky, twisty sections that threw me for a loop (literally). Here’s an example:

Fortunately, I saw the “chunk” coming, and I clipped out of my pedals, so my feet were free, and I was able to land on my feet. Listen carefully (you may have to “unmute”) and you can hear my Garmin bike computer notifying that it had detected a fall. Had I not responded by essentially telling it I was OK, it would have sent a satellite message to Cub Reporter Gail that I was in trouble. A very handy feature.

While I was physically fine, I was totally spooked by the near escape, knowing how bad it could have been. I spent the rest of that day’s ride in fear, lacking any confidence. I must have been clenching my teeth the rest of the day, as that evening, while I was snacking before dinner, I broke a tooth! Ironically, the night before, another member of our group broke a tooth as well. Must be something about technical mountain bike riding!

And that brings us to the food. We anticipated the breath-taking scenery we encountered on the trip, and the skills, helpfulness and friendliness of our guides, Trey and Cullen. But not in our wildest imagination could we have predicted the quality of the meals. We’re not talking freeze dried camp food. No way. Trey and Cullen whipped up breakfasts, lunches and dinners that would have done fine restaurants proud. Menus included: breakfast sandwiches of grilled croissant bread, arugula, fig spread, gouda cheese and egg; lunches featuring intricate chopped salads and sandwiches; and dinner…oh, my. Chicken Marbella, grilled salmon, enchilada lasagna, with appetizers of asian dumplings and egg rolls, charcuterie platters and more. One evening, in celebration of an upcoming birthday of one of our group, Trey baked a pineapple upside down cake in a Dutch oven! All beyond any reasonable expectations.

As promised, back to the bike. When thinking about this post, it was to be all about the trip, not the equipment. But I would be remiss not to mention how much I loved and appreciated my choice of bikes. I struggled with whether to bring an e-bike or an acoustic bike (the trendy name for a non-electric, human powered bike). Am I really old enough to go to the dark side? My answer is, it’s not a matter of age. While I am in good shape for my age, for me, it was a matter of enjoyment. I am not a skilled, technical mountain bike rider. I spend a lot of energy just negotiating the terrain, let alone being able to survive the mileage and climbing. Having the e-bike allowed me to focus more on the skills necessary (for the most part; see crash above) to make my way through the route, and spend more time enjoying the views, without ending up each day totally exhausted. I would absolutely make the same choice again.

So, my advice to you is let go of your ego when it comes to this question. Make your choice based on what will maximize your enjoyment. If conquering a ride like this under your own power will enhance your enjoyment, by all means, go for it. But if, like me, you think it would leave you totally spent and diminish the experience, don’t hesitate to pick the “easy route”. You will be glad in the end. My acoustic days are far from over. But going forward, when faced with similar circumstances, an e-bike is the way to go for me.

Finally, about Western Spirit. This was the first fully supported, commercial outfitter we have used for a point-to-point adventure. Yes, we hired Trek Travel for our Girona trip, and they were great. I would not hesitate to use them again. But this trip was different. The Trek guides only had to deal with the rides and biking equipment; they did not have to concern themselves with accommodations, food prep and the non-riding aspects of the trip. With Western Spirit, for this trip, Trey and Cullen were jack of all trades. They did it all, and they did it flawlessly. I am confident that Western Spirit hires guides that are similarly skilled, friendly and accomplished. Many of our friends have enjoyed Western Spirit adventures, and they all, without exception, have the same opinion. We look forward to many other trips with them in the future.

Keep moving, stay safe, have fun!