ADVENTUREMOTO
"LIFE SHOULD BE AN ADVENTURE"
MOAB UTAH
KANE CREEK TO CHICKEN CORNERS
THE RIDE TO KANE CREEK HAPPENED ON MY FIRST TRIP OUT TO MAOB WITH FELLOW RIDER MIKE HOUSTON. IT WAS OUR LAST DAY IN MOAB AND WE WANTED TO GET IN AS MUCH RIDING TIME AS WE COULD. THE ROAD IS EASY TO FIND AS IT RUNS OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN MOAB. AFTER THE PAVEMENT ENDS, THE DIRT ROAD BECOMES VERY ROCKY.
EVENTUALLY THE ROAD TURNS INTO A FAIRLY WELL MAINTAINED MIX OF SAND AND GRAVEL.
AS YOUR WIND YOUR WAY DOWN THE GRAVEL ROAD, YOU COME ACROSS LOTS OF INTERESTING LANDMARKS LIKE THIS HUGE BALANCED ROCK.
THEIR ARE A NUMBER OF THESE TYPES OF BALANCED ROCKS ALL AROUND THE MOAB AREA. BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE BETTER ONES.
AS WE STARTED UP TOWARD HARRAH PASS, WE ENCOUNTERED THIS AMAZING RIDGE LOADED WITH LARGE ROCK COLUMNS CALLED "HOODOO'S", WHICH LOOK A LOT LIKE GIANT CHESS PIECES. IN THE UPPER CENTER OF THE PHOTO IS A ROCK FORMATION THAT LOOKS LIKE A GIANT BUZZARD.
ONE OF THE LOOKOUT POINTS ON TOP OF HARRAH PASS. IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY, YOU CAN SEE KANE CREEK ROAD RUNNING ACROSS THE MIDDLE OF THE PHOTO.
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FROM THIS POINT, YOU CAN LOOK BACK AT THE POTASH PONDS THAT ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COLORADO RIVER. MUCH OF THE TRAILS IN THIS AREA FOLLOW THE RIVER'S ROUTE.
WHILE THE LAY OF THE LAND LOOKS FLAT IN THIS PHOTO, MIKE AND I ARE ON A LEDGE ABOUT 200-300 FEET OFF THE CANYON FLOOR.
THE ROAD FROM MOAB OUT TO THIS POINT HAD BEEN FAIRLY ROUGH. FROM HERE ON, THE ROAD WAS TREACHEROUS WITH LARGE ROCKS AND DEEP, POWERED SAND. I QUESS THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT "CHICKEN CORNERS"?
EVEN FOR THE END OF MAY, THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE HIGH 90'S. AFTER SEVERAL HOURS OF RIDING, WE DECIDED TO TAKE A NICE LONG BREAK IN THE SHADE. IN THE WARM MONTHS, YOU CANNOT CARRY TOO MUCH WATER!
AFTER ABOUT 70 MILES OF OFFROAD RIDING, MIKE AND I HAD ONLY SEEN 7-8 OTHER RIDERS. RIDING ALONE OUT HERE WOULD BE FOOLISH, BUT PEOPLE DO IT!
DESPITE THE HEAT, THE RIDING HAD BEEN GREAT. WITH SO MUCH TO LOOK AT, YOU TEND TO LOOSE TRACK OF THE TIME. JUST THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE!
IT FELT GREAT TO GET OFF THE BIKES AND FIND A COMFORTABLE SPOT TO RELAX. ANY SCORPIONS OR SNAKES AROUND HERE?
I KNOW THAT I KEEP REPEATING MUSELF, BUT PHOTOS CANNOT DO THIS PLACE JUSTICE. THIS HILL IS MUCH STEEPER THAN IT LOOKS AND THE RIDE ACROSS AND LATER COMING BACK WAS ONE OF THE WORST STRETCHES ON OUR RIDE.
MIKE HAS STOPPED TO CHECK HIS KLR AND I AM THINKING ABOUT MY LINE OF DESCENT DOWN THESE STAIRSTEP ROCKS. IT MAY LOOK FLAT IN THE PHOTO, BUT THE "STEPS" HAVE ABOUT A 12" DROP ON EACH. I ENDED UP BOTTOMING MY BIKE AT ONE POINT AND WAS LUCKY I DIDN'T DO SOME DAMAGE.
CHICKENS CORNERS IS A DEAD END, AND YOU HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND TAKE THE SAME ROUTE OUT. THAT'S OK, AS THE SCENERY LOOKS TOTALLY DIFFERENT ON THE RIDE BACK.
WHILE NOT AS MUCH FUN AS POTASH ROAD AND WHITE RIM, THE RIDE OUT TO CHICKEN CORNERS WAS WORTH IT. MIKE AND I HEADED BACK TO TOWN AFTER DOING A ONE DAY, 178 MILE OFFROAD RIDE!
ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE COPYRIGHTED BY RON PETITT AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION
