Don’t miss this mountain bike race series happening 5/21/11 in beautiful Moab, Utah!

Lemans start hill climb race on Amasaback Trail followed by a chainless downhill race from finish of hill climb back down to the creek! Hill climb will start at 8 am for men’s class and 8:08 am for women’s class. The chainless downhill will begin as a mass start at 9:15 am from top of Amasaback trail. $8 entry fee for one race or $12 for both races. (we recommend you do both!!!)

WRITE A LETTER OR SEND AN EMAIL TO THE BLM SUGGESTING THE ISSUES AND WHY THIS TRAIL IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF NON-MOTORIZED RECREATION.

USE YOUR OWN WORDS AND IDEAS, BUT HERE ARE SOME SAMPLES:

*FUN…ENJOYABLE…BEAUTIFUL….SCENIC….EPIC RIDE OR LONG RIDE,
CHALLENGING …CLEAN AIR NON MOTORIZED RECREATION.

*PROVIDES MORE SINGLETRACK TRAILS IN GRAND COUNTY/THE MOAB AREA.
*THE TRAILS WILL PROVIDE MORE ADVANCED-INTRMEDIATE SINGLETRACK.
*THE TRAILS WILL BE GOOD FOR THE GRAND COUNTY ECONOMY.
*THE TRAIL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE MORE BUSINESS FOR SHUTTLE OPERATORS.
*THE TRAIL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE MORE BUSINESS FOR TOUR OPERATORS AND GUIDES.

*THE NEW PROPOSED MAG 7 – BULL RUN TRAIL-HEAD AND ENTRY THAT IS DIRECTLY OFF OF THE GEMINI BRIDGES ROAD, RESOLVES THE CONFLICT OF CYCLISTS AND BIG HORN SHEEP IN THE UPPER BULL CANYON AREA OF THE ORIGINAL GREEN DOT TRAIL. THE NEW ROUTE IS STILL ALONG A VERY BEAUTIFUL CANYON AND EVENTUALLY REJOINS THE BULL CANYON RIM BEYOND THE SHEEP MIGRATION ZONE.

*THE PROPOSED MAGNIFICENT SEVEN TRAIL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE A SECOND “EPIC RIDE” THAT WILL GIVE CYCLISTS A CHOICE BETWEEN THE WHOLE ENCHILADA AND THE MAG 7 TRAIL SYSTEMS, THEREFORE DISPERSING RIDERS ONTO TWO TRAILS.

*THE MAG 7 SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE MORE SINGLETRACK OFF OF THE POPULAR 4X4 ROADS LIKE GEMINI BRIDGES ROAD AND GOLD BAR RIM 4X4, THEREFORE, EASING CONFLICTS BETWEEN MOTORIZED AND NON MOTORIZED USERS.

*SEVERAL OF THE TRAILS MAY BE RIDDEN IN A VARIETY OF COMBINATIONS THAT COULD RETURN TO THE GEMINI BRIDGES ROAD, THEREBY PROVIDING OPTIONS BESIDES DOING THE WHOLE MAG 7 RIDE FROM HWY 313 ALL THE WAY TO THE POTASH ROAD, HWY 279. EXAMPLES WOULD BE COMBINING THE ARTH’S CORNER WITH THE LITTLE CANYON CUTOFF.

*THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN TRAIL SYSTEM INCLUDES PORTIONS OF THE TRAIL FORMERLY KNOWN AS LOWER BLUE DOT OR GOLD BAR SINGLETRACK THAT BRINGS THE RIDER ALMOST TO THE GOLD BAR RIM. THIS TRAIL SEGMENT HAS BEEN RIDDEN FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. IN THOSE YEARS THE BIG HORN SHEEP HAVE NICELY CO-EXISTED WITH CYCLISTS, THEREFORE THIS IS REALLY NOT A NEW TRAIL. THE TRAIL WAS NOT DESIGNATED IN THE 2008 BLM RMP (RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN). THE MAG 7 – GOLD BAR SINGLETRACK TRAIL SEGMENT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ITS ENTIRETY TO THE RIM. PLEASE DO NOT OMIT THE TRAIL SEGMENT THAT LEADS TO THE RIM.

SEND LETTERS TO:
BLM Moab Field Office – Attention Katie Stevens
82 E. Dogwood Ave. Moab, Ut. 84532

EMAIL KATIE STEVENS: katie_stevens@blm.gov

THE MAG 7 SYSTEM PROPOSAL DOES NOT INCLUDE THE UPPER BLUE DOT RIM TRAIL IN THIS PROPOSAL. ONCE THE GOLD BAR SINGLE TRACK TRAIL REACHES THE GOLD BAR RIM, THE ROUTE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE GOLDEN SPIKE 4X4 ROAD TOWARDS POISON SPIDER OR THE PORTAL, EXITING ON THE POTASH ROAD, HWY 279. Trail Mix would like to propose an alternate single track route to the illegal Blue Dot Rim Trail that would be close to the rim, but acceptable to the BLM, wildlife, bikers, hikers and environmentalists. If you have ideas please contact someone at Trail Mix. Sandy Freethey, Scott Escott, Jeff Van Horn or others.

There are plenty of cycling events and new trails to be had this fall as well. Fall is a great time to do the 100 mile White rim trail, 1 day for the masochist or 3 to 4 for the rest of us. What about new trails? Upper Porcupine Single track (UPS) is legal and open. UPS allows riding any section of the Burro Down trail system, 7000 ft of decent in 33 miles. Dead horse St Park’s Intrepid trail, fast and scenic. The Bar M loops, close to town and lots of options. The Amasa Back trail has also been extended, the new section called Rock Stacker has been legalized and opened, adding about 4 miles of trail.

As for cycling events for Fall, we have some of the best in the U.S.. The Moab Ho-Down Mt Bike festival, brought to you by Chile Pepper Bike Shop, has group rides, Super D race, DH racing, dirt jump comp, film premier and costume party. Look it up at www.moabhodown.com.

For the skinny tire folks there’s the Moab Century Tour, www.skinnytireevents.com. And you can’t forget the the 24 hours of Moab which will be holding the national championships. Granny Gear Prod

So if your looking to put a great end on your mt bike season gather your friends, count your change and start driving.

Fall Season Has Started!

The canyon sits in the Pack Creek area on the South side of the La Sal Mts. The trail starts out fast and flowy at 9500 ft in high aspen groves and evergreens then continues down to scrub oak with nothing too crazy, just good La Sal Mt. biking. BUT… Just as you thought you had the trail dialed, you come out of the trees with a great view of Moab Valley and enter into scrub oak where the gates of Hell open up. This is where the trail starts to parallel the top of Hell’s Canyon and becomes steep, loose, rocky… super technical. Mommy!

Even though the upper section is good for most levels of riders the lower section is for expert riders or for aggressive hikers. You should be proficient at navigating in the forest and take map, compass, food and water. So if you are interested in the gnarliest trail in all of the NFS come into the shop and say I want to go to Hell.

Yours truly: Dark Lord

We also have news that Shumans Trail is good to go as well. Ryon and Tracy are up there today clearing the winter debris with their chain saws and shovels!