Gooseberry Mesa Singletrack

MEETING TIME AND PLACE

This tour will begin at 9:00am MST at The Lexington, 850 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah 84770, 435-628-4235. After loading up we have a short shuttle to the start of the riding. You will need to spend the night in St. George because none of the shuttle services from Las Vegas or Salt Lake run early enough.

ENDING TIME AND PLACE

We will return to St. George between 3:00-4:00 pm on the last day. You will have time to catch a shuttle back to Las Vegas, but not to Salt Lake.

ITINERARY

TRIP DAY 1

After our meeting in St. George, we will load into the van for a short shuttle to the goods.  Who would think such a quick drive would take you out of the city and onto some of the best desert singletrack around?  We are headed for the Santa Clara River Reserve- an incredible new network of trails.  This area was set aside to preserve open space and protect  prehistoric cultural resources, riparian areas and incredible scenic vistas.  After lunch we have some rolling terrain and a few short climbs and then begin our fun ride back to the trailhead.  A quick shuttle will take us to our camp for the night where will have great views of the surrounding geology.  TOTAL MILEAGE -12-17 miles

TRIP DAY 2

We will have a hearty breakfast and shuttle out of camp to our ride for the day, the JEM trail.  Named after John (known to us as Johnny Concrete, per his formal occupation vs. his love of trail building), Ellen and Mike, this trail offers high speed desert cruising and a cliff side ride along the Virgin River.  We will pedal our way along the edge of the Virgin River Canyon and head toward the colorful bluff of Gooseberry Mesa.  The climbing continues up a wash and onto some technical singletrack before we top out to have a lunch stop towering over the Virgin River drainage.  We climb a couple miles on dirt road to be rewarded by more rolling singletrack; and then the fun really begins!  Swooping through the desert on unbelievable singletrack, you might just laugh out loud carving eight miles all the way back to the start.  All smiles, we will load up and shuttle to our camp on Gooseberry Mesa.  TOTAL MILEAGE - 24 miles

TRIP DAY 3

This morning we will begin with a shuttle to Little Creek Mesa, a trail system that has been a long time coming.  Although trails existed here for numerous years, it was discovered that they traveled right over, around and through Anasazi Indian routes, so it was closed to mountain biking.  The BLM, along with IMBA has worked tirelessly to reroute the trails and our patience has paid off!  Riding these trails is a technicolor experience as the rock colors change every time you look down.  This is our first day of riding on rock, and a good introduction for the days to come on Gooseberry Mesa.   We will shuttle back to our camp on the mesa.  TOTAL MILEAGE 12-18 miles

TRIP DAY 4

We will awaken to sunlight pouring across the mesa top before enjoying our hot coffee and freshly prepared breakfast.  The mesa top is a hard layer of Shinarump conglomerate which forms a cap over the underlying red and white striped Moenkopi Formation.  Moenkopi is a mudstone so it is deeply eroded along flanks of the mesa.  The Shinarump is a prime surface for a tight technical mountain bike trail.  The smooth slickrock sections are intermingled with clusters of junipers to dodge and little rock canyons to squeeze through.  There is barely a 30 foot section of the trail where you can see exactly where your bike needs to go next.  Couple the fun riding with the incredible views off the edge into Zion Canyon and you have the recipe for a memorable day on the bike.  We will return to the same camp for the night.   TOTAL MILEAGE – 10-15 miles

TRIP DAY 5

We will head out this morning to pedal more of the trails that the mesa has to offer.  This time the loop is a little more technical, with steep short climbs onto slickrock knobs and tight switchbacks down off the other side.  A little off camber riding adds to the fun and some singletrack through the firm sand lets you relax a little!  There is so much to ride on the mesa, we never seem to run out of options.  Plus the rides are so amazing you will want to ride some of them again!  When it is time, we will head back to St. George.   TOTAL MILEAGE -8-10 big miles

TERRAIN

Riding Surface: Slickrock, singletrack trails and some dirt roads.

Overall Difficulty:  Intermediate/Advanced

Technical Difficulty:  Strong Intermediate with some more difficult sections; slickrock singletrack is tight, and the dirt sections can be loose and rocky.

Physical Difficulty:  Moderate;  singletrack is unsupported.

Altitude: 3,000 - 5,700 feet.

Please Note: We will be without vehicle support during all of the singletrack sections of the ride. Itineraries are subject to change due to weather, road conditions, rider safety, and other factors which may affect the logistics of the adventure.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS

GETTING THERE

Driving

St. George is located 120 miles north of Las Vegas on Interstate 15.

There is parking available at the hotel.

Flying into St. George

Airport Code: SGU

Flying into Las Vegas, NV

Airport Code: LAS

There are two options for getting from Las Vegas to St. George.

1. Take a shuttle with St. George Shuttle, shuttle time is about 2 hours. The cost is $25 each way or $50 round trip. If you are traveling with your bike, it must be in a bike box and there is a $5 surcharge each way. Shuttles depart from the Las Vegas Airport and St. George nine times daily, keep in mind that St. George is one hour ahead of Las Vegas. Call 800-933-8320 for times and to make a reservation.

2. Rent a car in Las Vegas and park it at the hotel.

Flying into Salt Lake City, UT

Airport Code: SLC

There are two options for getting from Salt Lake City to St. George.

1. Take a shuttle with St. George Shuttle, shuttle time is about 5 hours. Call 800-933-8320 for times and to make a reservation.

2. Rent a car in Salt Lake, it is a 5 hour drive.

St. George Taxis

Quality Cab 435-656-5222

Taxi USA 435-656-1500

LODGING

It is a good idea to book your rooms ahead. Below are a few recommendations. Rates are approximate.

The Lexington

$69 - 89

435-628-4235

This is where the trip meets and ends. They are very friendly! Mention Western Spirit when you make your reservations to get the discounted rate.

Hampton Inn

$90-120

800-426-7866

They have a van service that will take you to the meeting place in the morning.

Comfort Suites

$70-100

800-428-0754

Ramada Inn

$80-120

888-704-8476

Best Western Abbey Inn

$80-120

888-222-3946

Budget Inn & Suites

$50 - 70

800-929-0790

WEATHER

There are really just two kinds of weather: weather you like and weather you do not like. Come prepared for both and you won't care what the weather does.

If you have questions about temperatures for your specific trip please feel free to give us a call 800-845-2453 or email us at biking@westernspirit.com. We will be happy to give you packing suggestions and help you with ideas for things to do before and after your bike trip.

PACKING FOR YOUR TRIP

Temperatures average from lows in the 30's and 40's to highs in the 70's and 80's. You will receive a tour packing list with your tour confirmation package. Be sure to bring everything on this list. Come prepared. Weather can be unpredictable. No matter what time of year it is, you should bring warm clothing, rain gear, and a tent. Please pack all of your gear in a medium to large duffel bag. It will ride in the trailer. If you have any questions about anything on the list, please call us.

SHIPPING YOUR BIKE

You are welcome to ship your bike to us in advance of your trip. For a $160 fee we will unpack it, build it, and ship it back home to you afterwards. Bikes can be insured to $4,000. Domestic shipping only. If you decide you want to go this route, you must call us in advance of your trip so we can inform the shop that your bike is on its way.

To ship your bike UPS, send it to Red Rock Bicycles, 100 S. Bluff St , St. George, UT, 84770; 435-674-3185. It is critical that you include your name, "Western Spirit Cycling" and tour date on the outside of the box. Check with your local UPS people for the number of days needed for it to arrive in time. Your guides will pick up your bike and bring it to the hotel the morning of the trip.

If you have any other questions about trip logistics, please feel free to send us an email or, better yet, to call us at 800-845-2453. We will be happy to try to help you answer any other questions you might have about our bike trips.

THINGS TO DO

RESTAURANTS

The Painted Pony, located in Downtown St. George, offers casual fine dining. Open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. We love this place!

ACTIVITIES

If you are considering planning a special event in Zion National Park, in addition to your Western Spirit trip, and would like advice on activities there, contact Zion Events. Park activities include rock climbing, hiking, canyoneering, and road cycling.