Focus On: Our Fruita / Moab Trip
Despite what the snow on the ground tells us, we like to believe spring is just around the corner. We’re starting to get the occasional 50-60* day, sunlight is sticking around longer, and our bikes are begging to be ridden. That’s why we’re starting to focus on our upcoming 2025 trips: breaking down each trip with lots of details, what to expect, and some killer photos as well.
We’ll update the blog section of the website every week or two with the subsequent destination, and we’re starting with our Fruita/Moab trip that happens in mid-May. As of this writing (Feb 1st), there are only two spots remaining… so if you want to join us, take a look below for more information and book soon!
Technical Level: Intermediate+
Fitness Level: Intermediate
Summary: Our trip to Fruita and Moab combines the best of both worlds when it comes to high-desert riding in the American Southwest. We’ve put together two of our customers’ favorite locations on the same trip, since we think Moab’s The Whole Enchilada fits perfectly with three days of riding in Fruita, just over an hour across the UT/CO state line. For this trip, we’ll be based in Fruita and will make the pilgrimage to Moab on Day 4.
What should you expect on this trip? The best technical desert riding in the country. Between Fruita and Moab the riding is rocky, technical, tight, rowdy, and quite rugged. We’ll spend the first three days riding technical trails that will challenge even the best Chasing Epic riders (but will still be an awesome experience for all you intermediate riders out there!)… and on the fourth day, we’ll reward you with super fun, flowy trails on 18 Road. Don’t be mistaken, those first three days will leave you tired and sore at the end of the day!
Expected Itinerary
Ride Day 1: Kokopelli Loops Point to Point. A great warmup/intro day, the Kokopelli loops have a good amount of tech but also add in an element of flow on trails like Horsethief and Steve’s. Today we’ll combine those with tech-testers Moore Fun and Mack Ridge to give you around 20 miles and 2500′ of climbing and descending, with options to add more if you’re up for it!
Day 2: Lunch Loops with Double Shuttle. We’ll start today with a 2000-foot “bump” to the top of the Ribbon, which is one of the most unique slickrock riding experiences this side of… well, anywhere. After picking our way down through the trail system and stopping for lunch, we’ll shuttle back up for some super fun tech on trails like Gunny Loop and Holy Cross. Expect 18-20 miles, 2000′ of climbing and around 5000′ of descending.
Day 3: The Whole Enchilada in Moab. We’ll head southwest from Fruita to experience one of the most unique, fun, and rowdy trails in the world. In the spring, we can expect to be dropped off by our shuttle around Kokopelli or Hazard County (ie., not at the top of Geysir Pass), which means we’ll likely get about 3/4 of the Whole Enchilada. Don’t worry, we’ll add in a couple of side options to still give you 25 miles (or more) of riding with about 1000′ of climbing and 6000′ of descent.
Day 4: 18 Road Laps. Finally, time for some flow… and so flowy it is. Trails like PBR and Kessel Run will have you grinning from ear to ear, and Zippity and Joe’s Ridge add in a bit of pucker factor with their steep drop-ins. Today is a “choose your own adventure” when it comes to distance and climbing, but you can expect around 15-18 miles and 2500′ of climbing before we call it good.
Expected weather: Spring in Fruita is absolutely ideal, with highs in the 70’s during the day with very little chance of rain. Anything warmer than low 70’s feels quite hot in the desert, so plan on bringing a pack that can handle a good amount of water!
Signature Trail: This one is tough, as we cover two distinct locations with one trip…. so we’ll cheat and name two trails. The more obvious is The Whole Enchilada in Utah; even though we won’t be riding from the very top in May, you’ll get the best of the high desert section with more chunk than you can imagine. From UPS down to Porcupine Rim, this trail will help you hone your high speed tech skills as well as your low speed tech moves.
Over in Fruita, we think Horsethief Bench in the Kokopelli Trail System is probably the go-to favorite with our riders. Of course there’s the world-famous drop-in section, but the rest of the trail manages to combine tech and flow into an amazing 4-mile loop. Oh, the views aren’t too bad either!
The Final Word: For most mountain bikers, their progression isn’t complete without a trip to the high desert of Colorado and Utah… and that’s why we’ve combined these two locations into one in order to offer the best of both worlds, and what we think are the best and most fun rides in each location. Be prepared, however- this terrain IS different, and it will be challenging. Everything in the desert is out to get you, and it’s an inhospitable environment. But you know what? That’s what makes the riding so incredible- when you conquer a tech section, or when you ride a line you never thought possible, it’s so much damn fun.
BOOK YOUR SPOT NOW
