For my entire life, the Utah desert has always been an escape. A place to reset my mind and hide from the cold weather in Colorado or Wyoming. A place to shred mountain bikes, get dirty, bruised, battered and of course, sunburned. A place of solitude, exploration, and fond memories.
For me and many Southwest Coloradoans, an annual, spring trip to Utah is absolutely essential.
This year my three friends and I decided that a mountain bike trip along the stunning White Rim Trail in Canyonlands was going to be our desert excursion.
For those of you that are not familiar with the White Rim, it is essentially a 100 mile, 4wd road that picks its way along spectacular cliffs in the heart of Island in the Sky District.
It offers great mountain biking for both novices and seasoned professionals and unlike the obnoxious, crowded, drive thru parks like Arches, the White Rim offers solitude free of generators, RVs, cats on leashes, and buses full of tourists.
Nothing but good times in some of the most spectacular country imaginable.
Our crew all rendezvoused in Moab the night before the start of the trip to buy food and pack up my small truck with all the necessary supplies. Yeti's on the back of the truck, coolers full of beers, we were all set to go.
Although not particularly technical or dangerous, the White Rim Trail is remote and has no water. Proper planning and a plethora of water (and beer) is essential for a successful trip.
After we completed our hot, sweaty, glorious, booze-cruz, mountain bike adventure and returned home I remained in a desert induced euphoric stupor.
For weeks after the trip I was constantly reminded of the good times by the red Utah dirt coating my truck, bike, and clothes and I have since wasted hours daydreaming of my next spring trip to Utah.
Words and photography by Western Rise Team Member, @benjamin_kraushaar
