SEVERAL DAYS AFTER OUR LAST TRIP TO MOAB, MY BUDDY MIKE HOUSTON CALLED TO SAY THAT HE WAS GOING OUT TO MONTICELLO UTAH TO PICK UP A SNOWPLOW BLADE THAT HE HAD BOUGHT. HE ASKED IF I WANTED TO RIDE ALONG, AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD GO IF WE COULD SPEND AT LEAST ONE DAY RIDING MOAB. SINCE WE HAD TO GO THROUGH MOAB TO GET TO MONTICELLO, I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY RIGHT THAT WE GOT IN ONE MORE RIDE, AND OF COURSE MIKE AGREED.
THE 400 MILE DRIVE TO MOAB WAS ENJOYABLE, AS THE ROUTE ACROSS I-70 IS ONE OF THE MOST SCENIC HIGHWAY DRIVES IN NORTH AMERICA. AFTER OUR LAST MOAB ADVENTURE IN THE HEAVY MUD AND RAINS, MIKE OPTED FOR A BRAND NEW SET OF DUNLOP 606'S ON HIS KLR.
THE NEW KNOBBIES MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE, AND MIKE WAS BACK TO HIS OLD SELF TEARING UP THE DESERT. SINCE WE ONLY HAD ONE DAY TO RIDE, WE DECIDED TO HEAD BACK OUT TO MUSSELMAN ARCH.
WE TOOK OUR USUAL BREAK AT THELMA AND LOUISE POINT. WE COULD SEE NEW SNOW ATOP THE LASALLE MOUNTAINS AND REALIZED THAT OUR RIDING SEASON WAS QUICKLY COMING TO AN END.
ONE LAST LOOK OVER THE RIM'S EDGE. THE OBJECT IN THE RED CIRCLE IS A LARGE PONTOON BOAT FULL OF TOURISTS. NICE VIEW!
WE FINISHED OUR BREAK AND HEADED UP THE WHITE RIM TRAIL. WE COULD TELL THAT THE WEATHER WAS CHANGING AND THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE UP SOME TIME.
WIDE OPEN SPACES AND BRAND NEW TIRES...DOES IT GET ANY BETTER?
I FELT THIS MIGHT BE OUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT TO MOAB THIS YEAR, AND THERE WAS ONE MORE THING I NEEDED TO DO...
All Text and photos are copyrighted by Ron Petitt and may not be used without his express permission.
EVER SINCE I FIRST SAW MUSSELMAN ARCH I HAD WANTED TO RIDE ACROSS IT. I KNOW SOME WOULD THINK THAT'S A LITTLE ODD, SINCE MOST PEOPLE HAVE A NATURAL AVERSION TO HEIGHTS.
AT SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET ABOVE THE CANYON FLOOR, IT'S LIKE RIDING A MOTORCYCLE ACROSS A SIDEWALK 20 STORIES OFF THE GROUND.
FROM A DISTANCE, THE SANDSTONE AND ROCK ARCH LOOKS PRETTY SMOOTH, BUT AN UP CLOSE LOOK SHOWS HOW UNEVEN THE SURFACE REALLY IS. AFTER A WALK ACROSS, I PICKED THE BEST LINE FOR MY RIDE.
AS THE TV COMMERCIAL'S ALWAYS SAY, "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME"!
I DID A NUMBER OF RIDES ACROSS TO MAKE SURE THAT MIKE GOT SOME GOOD PHOTOS. I ALSO USED MY HELMET CAM TO RECORD THE RIDE. IT WAS A LOT BUMPIER THAN IT LOOKS.
RIDING OUT TO THE MIDDLE AND STOPPING FOR THIS PICTURE WAS THE TRICKY PART. ONCE I STOPPED, I HAD TO MAKE SURE THE BIKE DIDN'T STALL ON TAKE-OFF OR THINGS COULD HAVE GOTTEN UGLY REALLY QUICK!
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS PICTURE, THE ACTUAL RIDING SURFACE IS ONLY ABOUT HANDLEBAR WIDE AS THE NOTCHES AND CRACKS DON'T LEAVE MUCH ROOM FOR ERROR ON EITHER SIDE. MANY YEARS OF RIDING EXPERIENCE AND A WELL MAINTAINED OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE WHEN DOING THIS KIND OF TECHNICAL RIDING. THIS IS NOT THE PLACE TO TEST YOUR LACK OF SKILL OR FEAR OF HEIGHTS!
WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF DAYLIGHT, SO MIKE AND I HEADED BACK TO MOAB. IT WAS ONLY A ONE DAY RIDE, BUT WE HAD GOTTEN A LOT OUT OF IT.
THE NEXT MORNING WE LOADED UP THE BIKES AND MIKE'S NEWLY PURCHASED SNOWPLOW BLADE IN A HEAVY DOWNPOUR OF RAIN MIXED WITH HAIL. OUR RIDING SEASON IN MOAB WAS OFFICIALLY OVER, BUT WE ARE ALREADY MAKING PLANS FOR NEW ADVENTURES NEXT SPRING.
THE BIG DISCLAIMER! As of May 2008 it has come to my attention through a fellow adventure rider, that the park service frowns on anyone riding across Musselman Arch and is concerned that those violating park rules may cause
us to loose our offroad privileges in the Moab Area. I must say that I was not aware of any such rule back in 2006, and would be the last to intentionally put our riding privileges at risk. Pass it on...
