I am going to Moab Thanksgiving week.
Is this still a decent time to ride there?
Getting too cold?
Suggestions for lodging, restaurants, etc.?
I will be renting a bike (probably mountain, since it is Moab).
Any shops to recommend?
Thanks
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Moab questions
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good chance of cold and snow that time of year. All of the hotels are about the same and the restaurants are all within walking distance, mostly. If its wet the mud cakes up really thick. But if its just cold without snow/rain the riding will be great.
Pasta Jays and Eddie McStiff's are icons.
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It might be cold, but it won't be Portland wet, windy cold.
Bring extra layers; you'll be fineGood trail book at REI
Bring compass, at least and maybe a topo or two anyway
I am a believer in reading Topo maps translating to either local knowledge or your trail book.Unless you ride a huge trail alone, it's hard to get into too much trouble. However, you can waist more than a few hours backtracking a missed detail or not having extra tube etc...
You can't take a bad photo, so, we expect results ;-)
Have fun. It's a special place for a reason.
Maybe it's over used, over hyped, and over rated. Then again, maybe not
It's a special, spiritual place to beEnjoy your vision quest
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+1 for McStiff's. Desert riding in November, should be great. Plenty of bike shops - poison spider comes to mind for nice stuff. Rim cycles is another.
If Burro Pass isn't snowed in (11,300) try the "whole Enchilada" a 26 mile route with about 2,000 vert of climbing but a 7,000 foot descent down to Negro Bill Canyon. You will need to shuttle to Burro Pass.
If the weather is nice, rent a road bike and tour through Arches National Park. Roads are not the best, but the scenery is killer.
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could be a little cool, but I imagine it will be dry, and November can be one fine time here in the SW, the nights and mornings will be chilly, but the days can warm up rather nicely, the temps can be in the 50's even the 60's, nothing like the desert sun!
The MTB rides there are all too sweet, the Whole Enchilada that Froggy mentions is epic. Burro pass could have snow, but the lower stuff should be fine
Like Froggy said, rent a road bike for a day, some awesome rides there, and as Grateful said, you can't take a bad picture. If you have the time, check out Zion National Park, it's stunning
HAVE FUN!!
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Gonzo, went to Zion last November. It is stunning and also warmer.
This year Moab and Canyonlands.
I go back and visit the family in Northern Utah for Thankgiving but go early to combine a vacation.
A different park each year.
I have not been to Moab for twenty years, I doubt I will even recognize the town.
The MTB boom had not even arrived the last time I was there, it was just a sleepy small Mormon town.
It should be good and I get to bike!
Zion is great for hikes and I will also hike in Canyonlands.
I have 6 days, so I will have time for a bunch of hiking and biking.
Hopefully no snow, I really don't know what to expect at that altitude in Late November. -
Best Moab bike shop: Chile Pepper Bike Shop http://www.chilebikes.com/
Trails not to be missed: Slickrock, Porcupine Rim, Amasa Back, Sovereign, in that order.
If you have some extra time, drive east about an hour and a half and ride Fruita.
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Danboo, I've become a fan of Lattitude 40 maps. These guys concentrate on Colorado and Moab. They have a Moab East and Moab West map. http://latitude40maps.com/
I think you can buy from their website, but I'd be happy to lend you my Moab East map. (I don't have West yet).
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Pasta Jay's is an icon yes, and so is Eddie McStiff's, try the Sunset Grille as well, located in former urnanium magnate Charlie Steen's old house. Great view from there. I'm headed there this weekend after the century ride.
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Just don't turn right when you're supposed to turn left!
It's worth hiking in Arches NP as well...
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Sure am glad that the last time I was there (over 10 years ago), they had not yet painted the white stripes on the rocks. Still a beautiful place regardless.
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Have a blast. The weather could shut you down (been on many cold and snowy canoe and bike trips at that time of year in the UT desert), or it could be glorious.
For housing, try the Fandango....at first glance it seems a bit dumpy, but is excellent housing (large living rooms, full kitchen, and two bedrooms plus full bath), close to downtown and restaurants, and very affordable.
Enjoy and post pics from the adventure.
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+1 what sf said...chili pepper bikes is the shop to deal with.
Sean is the owner and I worked with him way back in the day in Boulder. great guy, great shop.
Just say "NO!!" to WCP!
"Want to get faster? Work harder, eat better, cut the crap. Instead of talking the talk, work the work" -
Stinky - the white stripes have been there since 1988.
As far as Moab, the biking is great, the hiking is better. It has been YEARS since I have been there, and I need to get back. I had heard Pasta Jays was there... oh well. What happened to eating out of your car in the City Market parking lot?
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pikehill, I must have always been soaking in the scenery so much I didn't notice. Also, I was usually slower than my buddies (am a roadie) so was just following wheels and not paying attention. Still a beautiful place.
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+1 on Chile Peppers, they had a shop in Angel Fire NM at the ski basin there, where they have a World Cup Downhill, cross country and 4X trails there, that was a nice shop, high end quality stuff
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Thanks for all the info.
@Mahoba, I will let you know, a very kind gesture although I am probably just going to do the "biggies" like Slickrock (even if it kills me, and it might) so I may not need maps.
I am thinking on staying at the Sorrel ranch ($450 a night), just kidding, looking into all the places.
The weather will be awesome I hope (it is never that bad in Southern Utah.), I am not worried about it.
I was last there as I mentioned years ago, so I am pretty amped.
I hiked Arches in 1974, Edward Abbey was still hanging around contemplating how to blow up the Glen Canyon Dam!
Never biked there, so this will be fun and if it snows, I will get great redrock and snow pictures. -
//As far as Moab, the biking is great, the hiking is better. //
This is heresy!
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A gratuituous photo from Zion Canyon last Thanksgiving.
The Virgin river at the end of November.
Hopefully the weather will be this nice!
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Damn Danboo - that picture...
stinky - yeah, i hear ya. Unless you are leading the party, you need not care about white stripes...
and SF - I agree, in general, that that is heresy, but in the case of Moab I make an exception.
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pike: it is heresy precisely because it is Moab!
Hiking Slickrock? Sacrilege, man!
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Good god no, I would never hike there at slickrock. That is wrong on every level. But when in Moab, the hiking is SO good... But then again, I have had some pretty intense hiking experiences there. As Grateful says above, the area is spiritual, and I only get that whilst hiking, and not whilst biking... So in this case, not heresy (for me...)
On another level though, the first times i rode slickrock and poison spider where eye opening experiences, to be sure.
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We like Miguel's for Mexican (I think it's Miguel's) but I am from Canada so am no expert on Mexican food. There are some new trails that are good too. The Magnificent 7 is great but you might want to shuttle that one. In town is a new one called Pipedream. Awesome tech riding. I managed to clean it one way but ran out of air coming back. The last couple times we rented a condo out beside the golf course. Very quiet. Very spacious.
The City Market seems to be the social hub for locals. It seemed like any time of day that place was jammed.
Oh and Hidden Valley is very cool. If you start at the South end right where Pipe Dream starts you have an intense hike a bike, I dunno, 30 minutes? But just after you get out of the hidden valley, look right and you will see a rock wall. Absolutely full of native art. Then you come out the Moab Rim Trail.
Lance who?? -
Road rides there are nice.... Out to Potash & back (the easy way to island in the ski messa), bike Arches NP, bike the hywy 128 up to dewey bridge (or cisco) & back or do the loop to the south side of town. Don't know about the weather that time of year.
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You will be sorely disappointed by McStiffs beer. You live in a true beer Mecca, EMcS tastes like crap and now I owe crap an apology.
Cold yes but more singletrack and rock to yourself.
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