Moab - help me decide

General
1

I really like the idea of the Moab Muni weekend and I know a lot of people had fun there last year. I’m definitely thinking about going and I asked my Travel Agent/Mother to look into airfare (as an airline emplyee, she has ways of finding deals). Now she’s talking about getting me the tickets for Christmas, so I need to be sure.

So, who knows about the Moab Muni weekend? Who’s going, who went last year, what did you think? It’s safe to say I won’t know anybody there, unless I happened to meet them at UNICON this past summer. I don’t mind meeting people for the first time (it was great at UNICON). I just want to make sure this is the sort of thing that is cool for a stranger to stroll into.

Finally, have any of you camped at Moab? I think thats what I would do. Just want to get some thoughts.

2

I am planning to fly into Salt Lake City, possibly with Nathan and a small group of others, then rent a van and drive down to Moab. This is about a 5 hour drive. With your mom’s airline connection, she can probably get you to a closer airport, or you could probably hook up with us. My group would probably consist mostly of people you met at UNICON. Rolf Thompson was also at UNICON, and you may have met him as well.

They call their event the Moab MUni Fest.

I went last year with Jacquie. We met Brett Bymaster and David Maxfield, as well as the Thompsons, when we got down there. Brett camped, but I don’t know the details. There’s plenty of camping in Moab as it’s geared toward outdoorsy types. I prefer a hotel.

Practice up, you’ll be riding at around 5000’ altitude, with lots of ups & downs. It is still the most tiring ride I’ve ever done. But riding on the slickrock is also a lesson in attention to detail. You have to pay attention all the time, because the riding surface doesn’t give like dirt does. And the traction? Through the roof!

3

I too am planning on attending the Moab Muni Fest this next April and I am going to be flying to SLC too. I am almost positive I can go because I will be able to stay with family there for a week and a half. So I am 90% sure I can attend but am unsure with the fact of them driving there as it is long drive home. Maybe i could catch a ride with John Foss if he’d let me.

-Eric

4

I live near SLC and so I will be attending IF I can get a ride and IF I can get a dillydurn wheelset by then, I know have a KH saddle and yuni (nimbus) frame setup for christmas, now I just need a wheelset, the hardest part in my eyes. Question…shall I make my own wheel for money sake? or should I buy a premade wheelset? another question. Where can I find more info on the fest? thanks
-bagpiperboy-

PS Jonathan Davis will be attending with me also, and possibly my dad if I can get him to learn (I doubt he will though)

5

Not likely in Utah. The only major airport in Utah is the Salt Lake City international airport which, as John pointed out, is fair distance from Moab (~250 miles). Provo has a small municipal airport but that only buys you about 40 miles and no major carriers service that one. St. George has a small airport. I’m not sure about what carriers service it but I’d be surprised if any major commercial routes service St. George.

I think the closest airport to Moab with major carrier service is in Grand Junction, CO. This is only 120 miles from Moab so it would cut the drive in half for those who fly in. From what I could find there are three airlines that service Walker Field in Grand Junction. They are:

United Express/Air Wisconsin (800) 241-6522
Skywest/Delta Connection (800) 453-9417
America West Express/Mesa Airlines

Some really good info about travelling to Moab can be found at:

I hope to make it this year so, hopefully I’ll see some of you there.

-mg

6

I’ve found everything you just said to be true in my transportation research. The current plan is to fly into SLC or Denver and then take a Greyhound or something like that into Moab. I’m only 24, so I have a year until I’m old enough to start renting cars.

John F., I emailed you about catching a ride with you. That could be a good solution.

One important thing John brought up is how strenuous the ride can be. Now, I’m still pretty weak and green, but I have no problem showing up, giving my best effort, having as much fun as I can, and then failing miserably. My only concern would be if my weak-riding would slow others down. I don’t know how the activities are organized or how the tracks are layed out, but if I drop dead, is that going to ruin the weekend for anybody else?

7

Nope, we’ll just leave you where you land. No fuss, no muss. :smiley:

More info on the Moab MUni Fest:
http://www.moabmunifest.homestead.com/

Pictures:
http://tinyurl.com/2ncb

8

Oops, did it again. Instead of leaving you where you land, if you find the practice loop to be too strenuous, you can hang out there while the larger group does the main loop. It’s the same terrain, just less of it.

From the way things are looking, it might be a pretty big group. Probably enough people to have slow and fast groups that can easily stay together, or even a group that opts to just do the practice loop. We did it on Friday last year, and it was plenty to wear you out on its own. You can spend all day riding on the various slopes and features in any given area.

9

Of course, being a band geek and all, our tour to San Francisco JUST SO HAPPENS TO BE on the 27th of March to April 1st . . . reguardless of how bad I want to go to San Fran, the MUni fest would be SO much better. There’s still hope that the tour won’t follow through though. . . (crosses fingers) It would cost $550 anyway, I could buy another Muni for that!

10

Re: Moab - help me decide

On Tue, 12 Nov 2002 16:57:35 -0600, mgrant
<mgrant.e126m@timelimit.unicyclist.com> wrote:

>Provo has a small municipal airport

MUni-cipal airport

Klaas Bil

Coca-cola was originally green.

11

The KUTV news program on the MUnifest home page is fantastic! It’s heartwarming and lighthearted and yet treats rough-terrain unicycling as the serious sport that it is.

12

Nick-

I’ll help you decide. Go to Moab.

13

Re: Re: Moab - help me decide

Hmm, now I need to take my MUni to the airport and get some pics of me riding at Provo’s MUni-cipal airport.

-mg

14

Re: Re: Re: Moab - help me decide

If you think that’s cool, you should come to San Francisco and ride the Muni!

15

I have purchased my tickets for the Moab MUni Fest!

I’ll be arriving in SLC (Salt Lake City) at 10:50am on Friday, March 28. I’ll be hooking up with Nbrazzi and whoever else wants to share the rental vehicle with us. Nathan and Beau at a minimum are planning to make the trip as well.

Nick will be leaving from SLC “about noon” on Monday March 31. I got my flight for a few hours later. This will leave us All day Saturday and Sunday to beat ourselves up on the trails, and maybe take a side trip to Arches National Monument, which is down the street from Moab. We’ll have to get up nice and early on Monday to head back to SLC, prox. 5 hour drive.

We’ll rent a van, probably, with room for more people. If you’d like to join us, try to arrive no later than noon on Friday, and depart no later than noon on Monday.

Rolf Thompson told me he’s expecting a pretty big group this year, with enough people in it to break up into multiple groups. This will be great for people who don’t want to ride the whole Slickrock loop, or who want to ride a different trail.

I’ve been to Moab once. The average altitude in the Slickrock area is 5000’. The trail goes up and down a lot. Not by much, but plenty of ups & downs. Riding a mile on slickrock is probably like riding a mile and a half on smooth dirt. It requires a lot more attention and energy.

You will need to bring plenty of water, and clothes to cope with what could be a variety of temperatures. When we did it in 2001 it was overcast and in the mid-50s. If it’s sunny it could be a lot warmer. I used up my water in the cold. If it were hot, I would have run out, so I’m bringing more this time. There are no services of any kind on the trail.

Slickrock is very cool to ride on. The name is a little misleading, because it’s actually super-grippy. If the rock is clean and dry, which it generally is there unless it’s raining, your traction is virtually unlimited. Find out how steep a slope you can really ride up (or down)!

16

Why!!! Why must I go through toil and pain? It seems that those who have enough time to do activities like this don’t have enough money (my case) and those who have enough money don’t have enough time. Bah!!
Does anybody have a spare 24" MUni wheelset I can take? Seriously though, I live in Utah and I can’t go… if any of you do, I have a 24" Yuni (nimbus II) frame and a KH Saddle. When I say wheelset I mean cranks also. If you have the heart of supporting a poor boy, feel free. But if not, just expect one less rider this year.
-Jonathan Ware-

17

Jonathan,
Surely you can hitch a ride with us fliers. The only drawback will be a little missing of school perhaps? Cough cough… I feel a cold coming on… :slight_smile:

It looks like you live pretty close to my nephew Kyle. He’s in Riverton. Don’t know how interested he still is in unicycling, but he has a Pashley. I can send you his contact info if you like.

I definitely understand the correlation between time, money, and the ability to do things. Generally, if you don’t have money you often have lots of time (get a job). Or if your job isn’t that great, you don’t have either. If you have an ‘important’ job, you might have plenty of money but no time off. Those are the guys we see on the trails with the$3000 mountain bikes and no riding skills.

If you’re a student living at home, you might have a job that earns you enough money, but if you can’t drive you can’t go anywhere. Or you can’t afford transportation. Or if you’re taking the ‘student’ part seriously enough, you don’t want to miss school days.

For many people, by the time you have both enough money and enough time to do the things you want to do, you’re too old to do them. So sometimes you have to just go and do them anyway.

So why can’t you go to Moab?

18

Amazingly well said, John! Whew!

19

Well,
I have a job, but (if you understand) I am saving up for EFY, which is about 365 bucks but I only have to pay for half of it. My Dad said he would take me if I was going. But I could sure hitch a ride with all’yall.

As far as school goes… won’t I only miss Thursday and Friday? and hey!! who does any work at school on Friday anyway?

I have a job, but not a consistant job, actually almost nonexistent in the winter time, and that money will be going to EFY anyway.

Maybe I could just borrow Jon Davis’ unicycle (JonnyD) he is sitting right here and I haven’t even asked him yet, he amazingly isn’t reading this either, but I suppose I don’t want to ask to borrow it, considering it is his pride and joy. maybe I will, maybe he will read this… who knows!!

but as for me, I will do some SERIOUS contemplating about this, as I have been for quite a while. Thanks for all your support and such, I really want to go, not just because I get to ride, but I get to meet you all.

-Jonathan Ware-

20

and about the nephew, I would like to meet him also. just email me about the stuff with him. bagpiperboy AT unicyclist.com, thanks.
-Jonathan Ware-