Thank you for the report and pictures. I love seeing Rivendells in places that are usually mountain bike territory or bikepacking rigs. What tires were you running? Randy in WI
On Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 12:03:12 PM UTC-5 John Rinker wrote: > April in the Kootenays (BC) is a good month to throw camping gear in the > van, load up the bike rack, and head south to warmer, drier climes. The ski > hill is closed and my driveway turns to muck, so a few weeks away keeps me > from pining for the slopes and allows the road up my mountain to solidify. > > [image: IMG_0719.jpeg] > > My goal this Spring was to tour some of the fine national parks in Utah > and Arizona as I headed for my Dad's place in the shadow of the > Superstition Mountains near Phoenix. I also planned to do a few days on the > East loop of the Sky Islands near Patagonia, AZ, and to ride some of the > trails near Moab and the Canyonlands. > > [image: IMG_0756.jpeg] > > The Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, Zion, and the most magnanimous abyss > of them all, the Grand Canyon are simply stunning this time of year. Cold > nights for camping and warm days for hiking/biking really make these desert > environments a beautiful, welcoming place. > > [image: IMG_0300.jpeg] > > The Sky Islands East Loop > <https://bikepacking.com/routes/sky-islands-odyssey-east-loop/> winds its > way through the Santa Rita mountains on beautiful gravel roads in > high-elevation grasslands. There are some rough sections, but for the most > part, one can amble along enjoying the constant twitter and song from the > many bird species endemic to this area. In addition, I came across > pronghorn antelope, white-tail deer, javelinas, and coyotes as I wandered > these open grasslands. I rode a shorter version of the loop, dropping off > the main route before Kentucky Camp on a ridge that took me into Hog > Canyon. The 3 days I rode certainly stoked my desire to return and. > complete the entire Sky Islands route. > > [image: IMG_0835.jpeg] > > On my way back home I spent a few days riding in and around the > Canyonlands. While not as deep as the Grand Canyon, dropping off the rim of > the Island in the Sky definitely filled me with similar awe as hiking off > the south rim along the Bright Angel trail. A crucial difference is that > bikes are not allowed below the rim of the Grand Canyon, but in the > Canyonlands, you can ride the Shafer road that drops 400m in a few > kilometers to the White Rim trail. This is a spectacular ride down steep > switchbacks among towering, canyon walls and huge, natural amphitheaters > carved by the wind. The White Rim trail is equally dramatic with great > drop-offs and stunning views of the Colorado River as it carves its way > through these sandstone canyons. > > [image: IMG_0323.jpeg] > > As is usually the case, my Atlantis with swoopy bars and a basket on these > trails tends to raise some eyebrows among the many cyclists kitted out with > full-suspension bikes, but on the Atlantis, I rambled over these roads and > trails comfortably and joyfully. During one conversation with an > incredulous mountain biker, I remembered that the tires on my Atlantis were > once the fattest mountain bike tires one could find, and they ride just as > well today as they did 30 years ago. > > [image: IMG_0954.jpeg] > > Here are a couple of GaiaGPS links to my rides in the Sky Islands > <https://www.gaiagps.com/public/amS93UECI5fRbtz7nIDP1UKo> and the > Canyonlands <https://www.gaiagps.com/public/sAxIgUPtynMqNtfR4CwyH5JE>. > > Cheers, John > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/2a802279-348f-4689-a348-fe1ace3be013n%40googlegroups.com.
