For those who missed the 2010 version of my Rim Trail ride, here is the low-down on what, where, who and when. The White Rim Trail is a 100 mile four-wheel drive road in Canyonlands National Park just west of Moab, Utah. Here’s the link for more detail. White Rim
In order to “ride” the White Rim Trail, you need to get a camping and travel permit. It is very much like a river permit. You enter a lottery and if you win the lottery you get to take 15 people on the selected date. Our trip was a supported trip where we took two trucks to carry our gear and mostly water. 100 gallons of water is what we took along. Not to mention five coolers loaded with ice and food. For those of you who have been on a Grand Canyon river trip or actually any multi-day river trip it is very much the same with all the conveniences being carried along with you.
As you can see we set up a pretty elaborate kitchen, thanks to Marti from Carbondale. He has most complete Galley set up of any river outfitter that I have seen. We are even able to pull out a condensed version of the kitchen for lunch stops including umbrellas.
The campsites are about 20-25 miles apart. And there’s only two or three campsites at each of those locations. So you do not see too many other travelers or cyclist along the way. Needless to say, this is the desert at it’s most beautiful and serene state. Various red and colored sandstone geological features give stark contrast with the deep blue sky. Because it’s so dry and arid, there aren’t very many insects or animals, so it’s possible to sleep out under the stars without a tent.
The ride is easier than it looks, since the daily mileage is only about 20+ miles with frequent stops to admire the vistas, rock scapes and distant river valleys. This region is actually the Island in the Sky because both the Green River and the Colorado River converge close by. We were able to swim in both rivers for a welcome treat. A mountain bike with very low gearing is a requirement to climb all the hills and their wide tires are the only way to get thru the frequent sand pits.
Best of all are the people along for the ride. This group has been guiding and running rivers for almost 40 years and it’s a treat to hear the stories and adventures they’ve experienced. I’m lucky to have caught up with my long ago friend who’s invited me along on these last two times.
