11:30 last night, I pulled into Moab finally. I found a little campsite, put up my hammock and fought the mosquitoes all night. Due to the fact that Moab is in a desert, it is near impossible to ride during the middle of the day, so I woke up first thing and found a trail. Slickrock Trail, is the most famous trail in Moab, and that was my destination. After a little searching, I made it to the trailhead at about 8AM. The landscape is amazing, everything is read and Moab lies in a big valley surrounded by red canyons and outcroppings, with the Rockies in the distant background. The SlickRock trail is about 10 miles long, but it takes about 2 hours. I swear it is like riding on Mars. The trail ( and by trail, I mean painted dots on a rock) is unlike any other place that I have been. It is very jerky and nothing really flows. There are times when you are shooting down a boulder, you go through a sand pit, and then straight up another boulder that looks to steep to hike up much less bike. Somehow, your tires hold onto the rock, and if you stay in Granny Gear and stand up, you can make it up the rock. The trail is not a great "trail" perse, but it is one of a kind and it is a must ride in Moab.
Right now I am camping next to a hostel. It cost $6.53 and there are two great cottonwood trees for a hammock. They also have a bathhouse that I can use for free. I was going to just go find some Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in a canyon somewhere and camp for free, but half of Moab's appeal is that everyone here rides, so there is an awesome culture. I decided to sacrifice a little camping beauty to meet some cool people. In fact a guy from England that I rode with this morning is the one that told me about the hostel.
I have not decided my afternoon/night plans yet. Right now I am just staying out of the 100 degree heat and waiting for the sun to go a little further away. There is an epic 30 mile loop called Porcupine Rim that I am thinking about doing tonight, but I have to think about the heat.
The town of Moab is as cool as the trails. On every corner there is some kind of biking, outdoor, and coffee shop. I could definitely live here.
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