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Wednesday, October 05, 2005

Turkey Flats - Day 4





We left Moab at around 11:30am opting for the highway option back towards Fruita. Our plan was to turn off to the Colorado National Monument Park, home of the Turkey Flats trail that we were all keen to do. We entered the park passing the ranger station and began the winding ascent in the early afternoon.

“This is not a good put-in place. What are they thinking?” Randy quipped when we saw a car with two kayaks strapped to the roof parked in a small parking area off the narrow road.

The road turned from tarmac to gravel. Tim took over driving so Randy could eat his chicken Sub. The road wind further up into the tree lined ridges. The vivid colors of turning leaves looked like an artist’s palette.

“I’ve had my turn blinker on for an hour now” Tim said. We were stuck behind a truck on the narrow road, with no room to get past.

We all pretty chaffed to do this 10 mile road that sounded like it had a fabulous mix of damp single track and open grassy climbs. “This is going to be great trail” Tim said as he maneuvered the van around yet another hairpin bend. “I hope they have a shithouse there” is all Jerome countered with.

It was cold. There was snow on the ground, but at least the sun was out. We togged up and hit the trail which began with an ascent (what else!) before heading left into the woods. In minutes our wheels were clogged with persistent mud. Mud that caked the frame and stopped my rear wheel from turning as I pushed it up a slippery, muddy, wet hill. The tires were like huge puffy candy floss-coated wheels with no traction whatsoever. We pressed on, but after about 4 miles of this, I got to the top of another climb to find Jerome sitting there leaning on his bike. The other three were down a little way. I waved that I was turning back. This was less than fun.

Jerome and I headed back to the car with mud spinning up from the wheels and coating our legs, ass and bike.

As we coasted the last corner, we saw the other three were already at the van. Apparently it was a unanimous decision to call it a day!

We cracked open some Pacific beer and returned the way we had come. After I handed Tim a beer, Randy commented to Tim who was driving, “You know you really shouldn’t have a beer in your hand when we pass the ranger station on the way out.”
“You think less of me now?” Tim shot back.
“I never thought much of you to begin with” Randy retorted. Always a quick tongue!

We hit a car-wash in Fruita where we washed off the mud before driving out to the camp site below the Book Cliffs. Tim, still driving, was passed another beer. “What’s the deal with this 3.2% stuff?” he asked referring to the lower alcohol beer sold in parts of Utah and Colorado.
“Well, you’re driving. Don’t you know the law Tim?” Randy chimed.

“Closed for construction” signs met us. It was an hour or so before dark and Tim wanted to ride badly.

Jerome and I took it easy in the van while Tim, Randy and Mark went off for a ride that was sure to turn into a night-ride. I wanted to conserve every morsel of energy I had for tomorrow’s 30 mile bash.

1 Comments:

At October 06, 2005 6:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You look happier than a pig in mud in that photo Sean!

 

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