This is a MUST ride for all adventure unicyclist. Eye Candy for 106 miles of Dirt in Canyonlands National Park. It is a loop ride, a permitted trip, and permits are hard to come by, and or just take time to acquire. I will write up a report on this one for sure, just don’t have the time today. Pictures, I do have, 350 of them. This ride, not technical, but long and in the desert, has never been unicycled before. I was the sole unicyclist on this trip, 11 people total.
First Day - 30 miles
Second Day - 15 miles
Third Day - 30 miles
Fouth Day - 31 miles
This pace was great for me, three days would be ok, two days would be hard core, but rideable. B**** are doing it in one day, but that is super gonzo. There is no water, and it is pure epic desert riding, with at least one killer climb every day. It is a place to chill out, meditate, ride, and party with your group, not a place to set records. I would not recommend being in a hurry at all on this ride, just to damn beautiful to miss anything. The pace of my 29er was perfect, I certainly saw allot more of the ride then the bicyclist did.
So, put this one high on your list, and include me if you get a permit
I will post a few pictures here, starting with Day 1.
Peace
First pic is on top of the rim, at the Island in the Sky Visitor center, Shaeffer overlook. This is where I was headed. At this point, I had a strong feeling that my fun meter was going to bend big time on this epic adventure.
This pic is of me about 1/2 down the switchbacks, can you see me?
Day 1 you drop steeply off of the mesa top, and hit the white rim. Absolutely world class beauty, with the adrenilene rushing through every artery in my body.
After you drop off the edge of the world, or it seems anyway, you hit the flattish white rim, which meanders in and out of these majestic canyons. This was one of my favorite viewpoints. Colorado river below, with the massive thunderstorm building over the Blue Mountains to the south.
Awesome, as always. That second picture looks like this place. A long way down! In one of those shots you can see a tiny guy on a bike down there. I was there in 2007 on the day before the Muni Fest. Must have been quite a ride!
Wow! This one is definitely on my short list. I know people who have bicycled the loop and who have run it but never unicycle. One of these days when my wife and I finally move out west… ahhh… Anyhow congrats again!
Yes, that was the spot. That was our starting point, we rode it clockwise. It was quite a ride John, you would love it.
At least 80% would be great 36er ride, the other 20% would be tough. I thought heavily about which wheel to bring, and would bring the 29er again. It is plenty fast enough, remember, you want to seet the area, and was perfect for the steep climbs.
Thanks MuniSano, yeah I believe I am the first to unicycle it. Kind of suprises me, because it is not technical, just an incredible adventure on a unicycle. Glad it is on you list already, you will not be disappointed.
You take a sag vehicle, which carries all the goods. 4 Wheel drive though, as the climbs are technical and steep. IMO, it would be impossible on unicycle to do it any other way. There is no water It is like a river trip, but on wheel(s) and land instead of rafts and water.
Can you say solar powered blender for margaritta’s after a 30 mile day of unicyling in the desert?
Well since I probably won’t have time in the near future to be “the first to unicycle ___ .” I’ll reveal one idea I had (I’m still keeping some to myself ) how about riding the Kokepelli Trail in 3-4 days (or all at once)? That was one I had been planning to do but since I won’t able to it would be cool if someone else would give it a shot and then provide some good beta for when I and others will have time to do it!!
I’m already planning on embarking on a possibly new form of mountain unicycyling next spring when I ramp up my training for the Hardrock 100. I’ve really been wanting to mix more of my ultra-marathoning background into my mountain unicycling activities and I think I’ve found the perfect event to do next April (semi locally too). Ultra Muni Cross? Essentially what I can’t ride I’ll run/shuffle and when I can ride I will. Much like what muni riders do now but I want to do it in a 100km mountain bike event and with in their time cut-off window… I think it can be done but I will have to be moving all the time! Anybody else thought of doing stuff like this?
Kokopelli is doable, and logistically sets up like the White Rim. I don’t believe you need permits, so can be done anytime. Except mid summer, yikes. I have ridden multiple sections of the Kokopelli, but just day trips. Fruita to Moab, yeah. I have rafted that stretch also, beautiful country.
wow mike sounds like a great ride. Love the pics as always. I guess a trip like this would be the kind of thing a 29er shlumpf would be ideal for- both 1:1 and 1:1.5 would be totally usable considering the terrain.
Mike- what do you see as being the biggest hurdles for doing a trip like this self supported? Is it just the water carrying issue? How much were you drinking a day? The reason i ask is because i did a 28 day self supported tour on my 36er covering 2000km and got used to riding with a decent sized pack. Since then i have been thinking about what could be done XC with a smaller wheel but in the same manner.
Mike, your accounts and photos are always stunning.
I must admit, though, that I am always comforted by them as they remind me that there are plenty of places other than here in New Jersey where new developments can be built.
Yeah, the 29er shlumpf would be nice, although this ride for me is not about how fast I can get to camp; make sure you enjoy it, it is such an incredible place.
As far as self supported, water is probably the biggest hurdle. I was out on the trail 5-7 hours/day, at 15 oz’s/hour = 100 oz bladder. I tried to drink that much every day, a couple of the harder days w/climbing, I drank 130 oz. You do not want to scrimp on water in the desert.
I am sure some day, someone will do this self supported on a unicycle, and kudos to them. I still like bringing my nice sleeping pad, and solar powered blender. This is desert country, it is dry and hot. The ranger was on a self supported trip when I was down there, on b***, he though, had the benefit of water cached along the way.
Nice job on your 28 day adventure, it must have been wonderful.
Yeah JJuggle, the West is ready for “DRILL BABY DRILL” The landscape is changing daily. Edward Abbey is rolling over in his grave.
Criiter, thanks for the kind words, I really was living large down there.
This pic is from day 2 on one of the pre climbs before Murphys Hogback. The ranger is at bottom with his Bob Trailer.
This ride, not technical, but long and in the desert, has never been unicycled before. I was the sole unicyclist on this trip, 11 people total.
It is like a river trip, but on wheel(s) and land instead of rafts and water.
) how about riding the Kokepelli Trail in 3-4 days (or all at once)? That was one I had been planning to do but since I won’t able to it would be cool if someone else would give it a shot and then provide some good beta for when I and others will have time to do it!!
