Bike Touring

Jordan laaaaavs bikes.  Moab mountain biking lured him out to Utah in the first place.  Weirdly, he doesn't discriminate between the rabidly distinct bike subcultures like a lot of guys do -- if it has two wheels and a frame, he's into it.  He shifts easily between high-speed lycra-clad road cycling to fat-tire slickrock without paying any attention to snotty sects.  The only bike I can't imagine him riding is a hipster fixie with an ironic scarf.  I knew our relationship was for real when he bought a backpack and I bought a bike!

panniers vs. trailer

Early spring weather is perfect for bike rides, so we decided to go on a mini bike tour this weekend.  Bike touring is when you mix backpacking and road biking  -- you load all your camping gear into panniers or a trailer and hit the road.  We've been geeking out on the  Adventure Cycling Association website the America ByCycle blog, and I had some new panniers I wanted to try out.

old route 24

It was fun!  We stayed close to home and tooled around SR-24, then camped tucked away off the side of the road.  Even though I drive this road to work every day, I noticed a lot more at this pace.  Honestly, I'll probably always gravitate more towards hiking -- I like the simplicity of less gear and wild places further from pavement -- but I can imagine covering a lot of ground this way it seems like a great way to see the country. 

 

Cassidy Arch

It's almost the one-year anniversary of this blog!  My first entry was about last year's trip down to Capital Reef National Park, so it's sort of appropriate that's where we headed this weekend -- we always seem to start off the spring season down there.  This weekend was equal parts wedding planning and hiking.  Jordan and I are eloping in the park in a couple months, so we spent the first day meeting people, checking out the hotel and filling out permits.  We spent the night in the campground, then busted out for a day hike up to Cassidy Arch.

Spring!  and a polarized lens!

Northern Flicker in the campground

The 7-mile loop hike out to Cassidy Arch is never that far from pavement, but you still feel like you're a world away from the historical orchards along the main highway.  That's one of my favorite things about Capitol Reef -- there's so much variety.  You can see 800-year-old rock art, pick fruit in historic orchards, and see some of the craziest, most wildly colorful geology in Utah.  This hike takes you up to the top of the Waterpocket Fold, and you're rewarded with a tangle of red and white canyons, arches, and spires.  

There are a couple logistical details to take care of before you start hiking.  We started the hike across from the Hickman Bridge trail and finished at the Grand Wash trailhead along highway 24.  That means there's a 2-mile road walk between the start and the finish.  You can either walk the road, drop off a shuttle car, or a hitch a ride.  We got lucky and caught a ride with the first car that drove by.  If you have a backpack and make a sign that says "Hickman Bridge Trail," most people will figure you're not too sketchy!

colorful canyons

The hike starts with a 1,040 ft. climb along the Frying Pan trail up near the top of the Waterpocket Fold.  The views are incredible.  After around 3 miles you start dropping back down.  Make sure to take the 0.4 mile detour out to Cassidy Arch, named after the outlaw Butch Cassidy who was thought to have occasionally use these canyons as a hideout.  In the early afternoon light, the arch is huge, impressive, and easy to walk across -- it's thicker than it looks from the overlook!

Cassidy Arch

After checking out Cassidy Arch, you continue the decent down into Grand Wash.  To finish up the hike, you stroll an easy 2.5 miles through a flat, sandy wash surrounded by towering cliff walls.  Great hike.

Grand Wash

Green River Stables horseback riding lessons

Yup, I have the coolest fiance in the history of the world.  For Christmas, Jordan got me horseback riding lessons at Green River Stables!  I've ridden horses several times before, but it's always been on quick, superficial trail rides.  Now I get to learn more about horse care, grooming, and psychology.  Sweet!

Jordan and I drove up to Green River Stables this morning for our first lesson.  It's a really comfortable, low-key place that offers trail rides, lessons, and boarding.  The stables are located right along the Green River with the Book Cliffs towering overhead -- it's definitely picturesque and quintessentially Wild West.  They don't have their own website, but they're located at 2735 North Long Street in Green River, UT and their phone is (435) 564-3554.

shedding their winter coats

We met the owner, Terry, who is really fun and down-to-earth.  She introduced us to Chester and Sooka, our horses for the day.  We groomed the horses, put on their bridles and saddles, and learned the proper way to approach and touch a horse.  For the rest of the day, we got to ride around the pen and learn the basics -- different ways to sit in the saddle, getting the horses to go left and right, stopping, and going faster.  Towards the end of the lesson, Terry tried to teach us how to trot, which was tricky.  She explained trotting is the most efficient gate for a horse, but it's kind of rough on the rider.  I've ridden a trotting horse before and it totally kicked my ass, but Terry showed us a couple different techniques and by the end we sort of got it.  It was great -- I've always really liked horses, but this gave me a whole new level of understanding.  Definitely looking forward to the next lesson!

Jordan + Chester