Kokopelli Trail

MEETING TIME AND PLACE

This trip will meet at 7:30am MST at the Clarion Inn, 755 Horizon Dr, Grand Junction, Colorado, 970-243-6790. You will need to spend the night before in Grand Junction. You may begin and end your trip in Moab if it is more suitable to your travel plans. Please call us for specific instructions. Please eat a hearty breakfast before meeting for this tour; you should dress ready to ride.

ENDING TIME AND PLACE

We will return to Grand Junction between 5:00-6:00 pm on the last day.

ITINERARY

TRIP DAY 1

We start our trip with a quick shuttle to the Mary's Loop Trailhead in Loma. Our day starts with a gentle doubletrack climb to a high bench overlooking the Colorado River. From here the singletrack begins and connects us to both the Lions Loop and Troybuilt trails. The singletrack riding here is so good that the locals from Moab travel to Grand Junction to ride these very trails. A stout singletrack climb and some hike-a-biking takes us to our lunch spot where the support truck will be waiting. Our afternoon ride is a fun rolling doubletrack through Rabbit Valley and into a sandstone walled canyon. We will camp at Knowles Canyon Overlook perched high above the Colorado River. TOTAL MILEAGE - 32 miles

TRIP DAY 2

Shortly after we leave camp today, we will cross the state line into Utah while riding through a beautiful canyon. The riding this morning is on a rugged four-wheel drive road which climbs out of the canyon to the higher pinyon juniper covered plateau. We will descend to lunch on the banks of the Colorado River, at the Westwater boat ramp. Downstream, the river cuts through Precambrian rock which is approximately 1.8 billion years old. Not only is Westwater Canyon known to river runners for it's Class 3-4 rapids, it is one of the only times this ancient rock is exposed along the river until the bottom of the Grand Canyon gorge. A quick shuttle after lunch bypasses some open desert riding and delivers us to more fun jeep roads and singletrack. We'll cross the Colorado River and ride a final section of dirt road that takes us to our camp at the base of the Entrada Sandstone bluffs. TOTAL MILEAGE - 30-35 miles

TRIP DAY 3

This morning we start with a major climb, ensuring a good strong appetite for lunch. This famous 2,400 foot climb will take us to the top of Sevenmile Mesa, rewarding us with great views of the Uncompahgre Plateau and the Dolores River canyon. There is a spur ride off our route called "Top of the World", which is pretty much how it feels! Toward the top of the climb the road gets rough and the riding gets technical. It's good practice for the downhill because good bike handling skills are needed in order to enjoy this descent. Wildlife abounds in this remote country and we may see bighorn sheep or a bald eagle. We'll eat the lunch we packed on the edge of the spectacular canyon and then descend down Rose Garden Hill into Fisher Valley and Onion Creek. Our camp tonight will be at the Hideout, a favorite of Butch Cassidy and his pals. TOTAL MILEAGE - 22 miles

TRIP DAY 4

Now we have reached the La Sal Mountains and to start we must climb up to North Beaver Mesa. The riding is loose at the beginning but improves as we gain altitude, as do the views, which are truly incredible. The La Sal Mountains were named by the early Spanish explorers who called them "mountains of salt." These mountains seem to rise right out of the desert. They are laccolithic which means they were pushed up by volcanic forces but the crust was never broken, resulting in their rounded appearance. Just over the top, having gained several thousand feet, we will stop for lunch near some very distinct dinosaur tracks in the slickrock high above the valley floor. We will also enjoy a great view of Fisher Valley below. Happy from lunch we descend on pavement into Castle Valley, then settle in to the climb up the other side. We're straddling ecosystems here with alpine over the left shoulder and the desert's red rock canyons over the right. The last section of today's ride is back on dirt on one of our favorite segments of the Kokopelli. A two track swoops down off the shoulder of the mountains and this is where the aspens meet the slickrock. We'll camp tonight at Maloy Park, right on the edge of Castle Valley with sunset views of Arches National Park. TOTAL MILEAGE - 32 miles

TRIP DAY 5

From camp this morning we will head down the Sandflats Road, which is also the route of the Kokopelli Trail. Today is payback for all the climbs we have done along our way. The sun is at our back as we descend, lighting the finned rock and the red wall cliffs of the Moab Rim in front of us. Our views reach as far as Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. We'll stop on our way at Moab's famous Slickrock Trail for an exciting lap around the practice loop. After lunch we'll shuttle you back to Grand Junction. TOTAL MILEAGE - 20 miles

TERRAIN

Riding Surface: Variable. Includes packed sediment, some rocky and sandy sections of double and singletrack, some smooth dirt sections and some asphalt sections.
Technical Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult. Some steep and technical sections.
Physical Difficulty: Difficult. Steep climbs, long days and technical sections make this ride a challenging one.
Altitude: 4,000-8,500 feet.

Please Note: This tour contains some difficult riding on technical jeep roads and some singletrack trails. A high level of skill and fitness is required to enjoyably navigate much of the route. We will be without vehicle support during many sections of the ride. If you do not consider yourself to be an expert rider and doubt your ability to complete this tour, please call us and we can help you determine whether this trip is appropriate for you. 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

Travel Logistics
GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO

GETTING THERE

-Driving
Grand Junction is 250 miles west of Denver and 50 miles east of the Utah-Colorado state line on Interstate 70.

-Flying into Grand Junction
Airport Code: GJT

TAXI SERVICE
Sunshine Taxi 970-245-8294

LODGING

It is a good idea to book your rooms ahead; here are a few recommendations.

Clarion Inn
$100-124
970-243-6790

Ramada Inn
$110-120
800-272-6232, 970-243-5150

Best Western Sandman
$110
800-544-3782, 970-243-4150

Quality Inn of Grand Junction
$100-160
800-790-2661, 970-245-7200

All of these hotels offer airport shuttles. Above rates are approximate.

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

You will receive a tour packing list with your tour confirmation package. Weather on the Colorado Plateau can be unpredictable so be sure to bring all the warm clothing and rain gear listed! When you arrive for your tour, we will give you a dry bag in which to pack your gear. 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 moderate 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 Western Spirit Cycling, 478 Mill Creek Dr., Moab, UT 84532; 435-259-8732. It is critical that you include your name 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. It is imperative to have your bike finely tuned and cleaned before your tour so you know it is in top running condition.

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

MAPS

Your guides will have all the maps necessary for your trip. If you would like your own copy for a souvenir, here is all the info:

Fruita Grand Junction, Latitude 40 Maps
This is the best map for our Kokopelli trip.

ACTIVITIES
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
Colorado National Monument is a great destination for road riding, hiking or just a scenic drive.