Five Miles of Hell

This weekend started out like the many before it, but with one major difference, I was by myself. With my main support rider, my wife, gone to Argentina,and all my regular buddies unavailable, without a tour to guide, I was left to explore on my own. However, 'on my own' meant I could ride any trail I felt comfortable and anxious to ride. Right away, a trail I had been wanting to ride for many years came to my mind. This ride has been whispered about and been legend to many as one of the hardest, most technical rides out there. I guess by the name, 5 Miles of Hell, I was compelled to believe the stories told about it. However, because of its famed difficulty, I was hesitant to do it on my own. I was told that once you began the trail, you had to finish, with or without your bike. There was no turning back. You must plan for every possible breakdown. My original intent was to go and find the trail head which is located in the middle of the San Rafael Swell and in the middle of nowhere. Once found, I then only intended to ride to just before the point of no return, to scout it out, and then head back. So, that is what I started out to do. I still packed my bike with everything I thought I might possibly need in case of a breakdown.
Now, for all those who know me, once I am faced with a challenge or someone says, "You can't do that", that is exactly what you will find me doing. Sure enough, when I came to the first technical section, my first reaction was not to run away but to say, "Cool, That looks fun. I can do that". For the next hour, I came upon obstacle after obstacle. With my 'go get'em' mentality and determination, I had the most fun I had had in awhile. Now, don't get me wrong. This was the tightest, steepest, rockiest, sandiest, most technical trail I have ever ridden. The temperature, by 9 AM, was in the 80's and every Juniper tree I passed tried to rip me off my bike. It left me sweaty and out of breath and I loved every minute of it.
I have found that in my many years of exploring that no matter how well you try and prepare for the unexpected, there is always something that gets you. This trip was no exception. You just have to learn to be creative and get through it. Because of the slow, winding technicality of this trail, bikes tend to to over heat. My bike was no exception. Well into the ride I heard a loud POP! I was engulfed in steam. Great. I knew I had the tools to take my whole bike apart: master links, chain breaker, rope, zip ties, liquid steel, etc... You name it, I had it. When my radiator line blew, I had a sinking feeling in my fut that this was one of those things I was not prepared for. I had a quick vision of me walking the rest of the way out. Before I would do that however, I took inventory of what I had to work with. I let the bike cool down in the shade of one of the deadly Juniper trees and assessed the situation. This is where creativity and experience comes in handy. My first thought was that my round sockets had put a hole through my radiator line. I took off the hose clamps and tried it. My largest socked is 12mm. To my disappointment, I needed at least a 14mm. It was so close! This did get me thinking about what other tools I had that were round and hollow. After a bit of a search, I found my spark tool. It was round, long, and after I took out the rubber stopper, hollow. To my great joy, after jamming it into my radiator hose, just the right size too. Fixed. I still had enough drinking water to get me the "hell" our of there. I rode two more days that weekend with my spark plug tool in the radiator line. Worked like a charm.
This happening has inspired me to start a "tip of the week". So, the tip for this week:
TIP# 1: Carry a couple of hose clamps and a small piece of pipe that will fit into your radiator hose, or remember your spark plug wrench.
I finished 5 Miles of Hell in time to drive to Moab and do another short but technical trail. This trail is called the Moab Rim Trail. If offers some of the best views of Moab and surrounding areas. The start rises some 7 to 9 hundred in less than a half mile. In Moab I'm often amazed at what a lifted jeep or other vehicle can climb over. A dirt bike is not much different. You just have to be creative with the line you ride. This ride was short and sweet in its rewards. On my way back down I passed a group that was turning around because one of the riders was not up to the challenge. It is not for everyone.
The next day, I had the pleasure to ride a bit of a single track that is also located in Moab. This ride is a newer one that has been put together to educate riders about riding respectfully in trail systems. The idea is to ride with respect so that these trail will remain open. I echo that in ANY riding you do, do it with respect for the beautiful area you are in so that we all may continue to enjoy these areas. This new trail in Moab is called the Sovereign Trail. It offered some moderate slick rock challenges and some good scenery. After riding, I fled the heat and drove home, very sore and tired.

Three activity adventure

Floating down the five miles of flat water, before the first anticipated rapids on the Green River near Green River, Utah, gave me unanticipated time in my little kayak to ponder and take in the beauty of the canyon the Green had carved out. With its high walls of cascading cliffs and rock fall that makes its way ever closer to the water’s edge, the banks are lined with the first of spring’s green-leafed cottonwood trees. Spending your morning in the contrasts of the dry desert and the green oasis’ that form along many of the river banks is a great way to start your day. One of the questions often pondered on the Green, especially with the spring runoff swelling the rivers banks is, where does the name “Green River” come from, especially when the waters are always so muddy brown?
We put our Back Country Adventure Tour group in at the put in named after a great Egyptian Queen, Nefertiti. It is named this after a rock formation with a likeness of her profile. Or as a guest pointed out, the rock looked more like the head of today’s TV character, Bart Simpson. However you looked at it, it was the figure that looked over the start of our three day adventure of river running and rock climbing.

We started out our Friday evening camping on the shores of the muddy Green under huge green cottonwood trees. Maybe that is where the name comes from? We ate well and then slept with the sounds of the river close by. After kayaking the river and loading our boats we made a quick dash thirty miles west to the San Rafael River in the Swell to do some climbing and kayaking of the river. Close to this emerald green river is a little known canyon with great crack climbing. We set up camp at the base of this wall and spent Saturday evening pumping our muscles, and minds, to their limits. We slept well that night, nursing the skin that was now the color of the rock we had climbed that day. The next day we had planned to kayak a section of the San Rafael River called the Little Grand Canyon. Mid May is the anticipated time that the run off of the mountain would allow us to float that section of the river. To our dismay, the river was still low with no additional run off to make the float possible. With our trip cut short and being sufficiently tired and sun-kissed, we headed home to plan our next trip or to prepare for the next group hoping to see these amazing places.