Three nights in St George and it was time to head off the
grid to Gooseberry. We'd spent the time at the hotel wisely and we had a cooler
full of food and clean clothes for the next days of riding. We scored a good
campsite this time with morning sun, afternoon shade, some big rocks that were
perfect for stretching on and quiet. We were only a half a mile from the
trailhead and there was a rocky section of road before and after the pull in,
forcing the traffic to slow down and decreasing the dust from the cars. Perfect
for home base for a few nights.
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| Nick on one of the rocky climbs on South Rim trail |
Time to ride. We were both looking forward to exploring
Gooseberry some more. I of course, started the ride off badly, falling off two
big rocks right away. Nick was in "make your own fun" mode on the
slickrock and I thought I could follow him. Well, I didn't fully commit to one
line and toppled backwards - I would have the bruises and scrapes to show for
my efforts later. Finally, I settled down to the different style of riding that
Gooseberry demands and we were off. We took Windmill trail all the way out to
the Yurts for a quick look around. Then back all the way to the western most
point, overlooking the Frog Hollow venue. There was a crowd of riders there, so
we didn't stop for any pictures. Just riding. After my earlier silliness, I was
feeling much more confident and comfortable on the trail. We headed back on
South Rim, taking the same route as last year. The differences in my awareness
of the rocks and the moves and body language required to get up some of the
rock slopes was amazing. While I didn't always realize what I was doing
different than last year, I was able to get the power when I needed it, as well
as maneuvering the bike appropriately. I was riding a lot more and a lot
smoother than last year.
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| Slick Rock style make your own fun riding |
Back at the van after three hours of fun riding. Nick gave
the bikes a quick once over and I warmed up supper. We had a simple sunset, but
as the sun slipped below the mesa, the full moon peeked over the mountains to
the east. Moonrise was spectacular, with the orange glow illuminating the
clouds long before the moon even appeared. We ate supper with the moon as our
entertainment and settled in to watch it rise long after darkness fell. A night
lap was tempting, with the light of the moon almost as bright as the sun
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| Manuvering under the slickrock in one of the narrow canyons |
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| Moonrise over Zion |
The next day was one of accidental exploration. Which was
the point! More South Rim and a wrong turn on a road took us to the edge of the
earth (or of the mesa.) We were going to turn around and take the road back to
trail, when we saw the tire tracks. Fresh tire tracks leading off into the
pinon pines, with paint dashes on the rocks just beyond view. Well. It was a
fairly well ridden trail but definitly off the beaten bath. Following the
painted lines and tire tracks was like learning to read. I didn't know the next
move or turn and was constantly scanning all around for the next clue of where
to go. Challenging in spots with slickrock climbs marked by paint and tight
turns with exposures, then into the forest with tire tracks to follow. It was a
great trail, well thought out and planned. The rock sections were rewarding and
the danger factor was just high enough. A hidden gem that had smiles on both
our faces, even though we were riding slowly. Nick let me lead most of the way
so I would be comfortable with the lines and the unknown. And that's all I'll
say about that...
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| Sunset behind the tree |
We'd planned on moving on, but decided to stay another
night. We had a few more trails we wanted to ride again. Saturday was a shorter
day compared to the first two rides on Gooseberry. I was getting tired and
getting slower. So we did some of the fun trails and just a little more
exploring. Nick got into another "make your own fun" section on the
slickrock bowls and ledges and we sessioned some of the rocks so I could feel what
I was doing on the bike. Then it was time to head back. The mesa was filling up
and the trails were (comparatively) getting crowded, with cars filling the
parking lots and campsites.
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| Setting up for the climb up to the top of the slickrock |
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