|
Author:
|
superstition
|
|
Date:
|
26 Sep 2007 9:00:00 AM
|
|
Activity:
|
Mountain Biking
ActivitySearchMountainBiking
|
|
State:
|
Utah (UT)
|
|
Distance:
|
14.33 mi
(Change units)
|
|
Elevation:
|
Total Gain: 2066 ft
Total Loss: 3905 ft
Net Change: -1839 ft
|
|
Difficulty:
|
9 / 10
|
|
Tags:
|
Utah, Moab, Castle Valley
|
|
Rating:
|
Unrated
Rate it
|
This shuttle ride on Porcupine Rim is 14 miles from trailhead to trailhead. As a loop on roads from and through Moab, it’s a 30-miler.
From the trailhead on Sand Flats Road, the trail climbs 1,000 feet over 3 miles on a technical jeep road. The climbing ends as you turn northwest to follow the rim’s edge, which overlooks the monumental buttes of Castle Valley. Around mile 4.75, turn away from the rim and cross the plateau on rough doubletrack. At mile 11, the trail turns into challenging, exposed--and glorious--singletrack as it descends into Jackass Canyon. Exit Jackass Canyon well above the road and shimmy down the cliff to the parking area.
Difficulty: Hard. The Rim is a long ride with high stakes. If you're not an advanced rider, play it safe and walk the tricky sections.
Sand Flats Recreation Area has a day use fee.
| Position Format: |
Datum: |
|
|
|
Moab, UT: Porcupine Rim
| Dist: 14.33 mi |
Points: 799 |
Calories: none |
| Time: none |
Speed: 0.0 mph |
Pace: 0:00 / mi |
Overlook
Location: 38.600120°, -109.386706°
Clint and Rich pause at another overlook for Castle Valley.
Coffee Pot Rock
Location: 38.612820°, -109.433754°
Technical Steps
Location: 38.623375°, -109.506140°
If you like technical riding, Porcupine Rim is one of the best.
Jackass Canyon
Location: 38.621372°, -109.498375°
The view riding along the edge of Jackass Canyon
Drop
Location: 38.623543°, -109.480476°
Rich and Trent take this 5-foot drop with style.
Drop
Location: 38.623543°, -109.480476°
Bring all the travel you can pedal: Rich poses next to a 5-foot drop that he and Trent cleared.
Jump
Location: 38.587055°, -109.380376°
Rich and Trent take a jump on the way up the jeep road.
Panoramic Views of Porcupine Rim
Location: 38.594334°, -109.377351°
Castle Valley from the Porcupine Rim is as good as it gets.
Fun Technical Climbing
Location: 38.585854°, -109.393051°
On the way up the road, you'll encounter many places with technical steps to climb. The climb is a blast if you like this kind of terrain.
Fun Technical Climbing
Location: 38.585854°, -109.393051°
Clint climbs a step on the jeep road heading toward the rim. (He climbed it successfully when the camera was off.)
Air
Location: 38.618843°, -109.485161°
Rich catches air (again).
Jeep Road Climb
Location: 38.585323°, -109.396629°
In places, the initial climb is like a steep sidewalk of solid rock. Be sure you have a granny gear.
Porcupine Rim
Location: 38.621689°, -109.475159°
Clint rips over a drop. This kind of action is everywhere on Porcupine Rim.
Sweet Singletrack
Location: 38.619659°, -109.488777°
The last 3.25 miles of Porcupine Rim leave the jeep trail to bomb down some of the best singletrack around. The trail traces the cliff's edge for exciting (read: exposed) views of the canyon and Colorado River, and the technical challenges could send you over the bars if you blink. It's nirvana.
Ledge
Location: 38.621689°, -109.475159°
Trent, Clint, and Rich fly over a ledge on Porcupine Rim, which has countless opportunities for air.
Lizard Spotting
Location: 38.613383°, -109.422112°
This collared lizard was not afraid of mountain bikers at all. In fact, he posed for the camera.
Castle Valley Overlook
Location: 38.590591°, -109.378838°
Clint and Trent stop to look back on the climb. It's a 1,000-foot climb over 3 miles to the Castle Valley overlook, with great views of Moab in the background.
Trailhead
Location: 38.582065°, -109.417166°
Cautionary sign: This is a technical trail requiring advanced riding skills and a good full suspension bike.
The trailhead and parking lot are 6.2 miles past the Slickrock Trailhead on Sand Flats Rd. The road is gravel here, but it is easily passable in a passenger car.
Ledge
Location: 38.621689°, -109.475159°
Rich catches air off a ledge.
Breathtaking!
Location: 38.621372°, -109.498398°
The single track follows the top of the brown cliff layer (literally in some places so be careful). Below you can see the Colorado River and Highway 128.
Slickrock Fun
Location: 38.624784°, -109.482751°
If you didn't get enough on the Slickrock Trail, there's a slickrock play area on Porcupine Rim.
Marking Waypoints
Location: 38.621674°, -109.502831°
Rich stops to mark a waypoint along the edge of Jackass Canyon.
Trailhead
Location: 38.582065°, -109.417166°
The Porcupine Rim Trailhead has an open-air toilet, a small parking area, and cattle water tanks. Bring your own water -- the cattle tanks are non-potable. The trailhead and parking lot are 6.2 miles past the Slickrock Trailhead on Sand Flats Rd. The road is gravel here, but it is easily passable in a passenger car.
Singletrack Starts
Location: 38.619610°, -109.488747°
Bring your seat down when you start the run down the singletrack. You can fly here, but you'll want good brakes.
Follow the singletrack west, down from the plateau.
Technical Jump
Location: 38.618843°, -109.485161°
At the wash before the singletrack, there is another highly technical ledge jump to navigate on an exposed rock formation.
Panoramic Views of Porcupine Rim
Location: 38.594334°, -109.377351°
After a 1,000-foot climb over 3 miles, Clint and Rich pause to take in the phenomenal views of Castle Valley from the Rim.
Parking Lot
Location: 38.611523°, -109.532936°
Park shuttle vehicles here on UT 128. Ride through the tunnel under the road at the trail's end rather than across the highway. Bonus: Half-pipe action in the tunnel.
|
