Book Cliffs

Monday we rode the Edge Loop around the Book Cliffs north of Fruita.  This IMBA Epic trail really does define what it means to be an epic ride.  The trail starts with a leisurely 18km climb up an increasingly steep jeep road.  Eventually, just before the magnificent viewpoint you’ve earned, you get hurled down one of the most technical[aka “oh my god don’t crash and die!] down-hill sections I’ve ever ridden.  Loose baby-head rocks bounce you every which way as your brakes howl trying to maintain a not-too-crazy rate of speed.  The hill is steep enough that you’re forced to sit waaay back, nearly planting your chest on your saddle.  Otherwise, you risk going ass over tea-kettle down an even steeper cliff-side.  I’m betting half the folks who come out here walk all or part of that section.

Taking in a little lunch we sat and took in the view; the Rocky Mountains that lie beyond Fuita and Grand Junction.  Back on the bikes, we rode along the cliff’s edge along narrow bench-cut trails that required the strictest of attention or risk catastrophe.  After traversing a few ridges, we were ripping through the creek-bed, whooping and hollering the whole time.  Perhaps we should have paid more attention to the trail markers, but we blew by our exit from the creek and had to back track a little while.  Oh well, just means more time riding!

With a few more ridges to traverse, we soon hit the Vegetarian Trail; very fast rolling terrain taking us down-hill on a slight grade.  It was tremendous.  Back at camp, we ate like fiends and were soon in bed, dreaming of the next Epic ride…