We’re having a very wet winter in northern California so I’m not getting much riding in. Actually, since I returned from a month in Moab and Fruita at the end of last October I’ve done only two rides. So getting restless!
Here are some great bike festivals in the American Southwest red rock country. These will help you get back on the bike soon.
March 3rd – 5th is the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival in the beautiful red rock country of Arizona. We used to ride Sedona but moved up to Moab 14 years ago and haven’t been back. There were mostly Jeep trails then but I know they have much more single track now. Lodging in Sedona is expensive with only one place as low as $100 a night and it has only a few rooms. They offer event camping at a walk-in campground for $150 for two nights per person and that includes breakfast. Otherwise head up Oak Creek Canyon to the Forest Service camps. There doesn’t seem to be public showers available near Sedona except at one Forest Service campground far up Oak Creek Canyon so go for a swim in Oak Creek. A few days here eats into my travel budget too much so I don’t attend this one. It is hard to spend six weeks to two months on MTB road trips when places like Sedona eat a bunch of money fast.
March 24th – 26th is the Hurricane Mountain Bike Festival near Zion National Park, Utah. It has been growing lately and getting to the size of the Fruita Fat Tire Festival. Fantastic place to test a bike on famous trails like Gooseberry Mesa and Guacamole! It is only 2 1/2 hours north of Las Vegas off I-15. Amazing scenery! Over The Edge Sports in Hurricane sponsors this event and they have a couple of showers available at the shop. Usually plenty of both primitive and RV park camping in the area, or get a motel room. Nearby St. George rooms are cheaper than Hurricane.
The following weekend, March 31st to April 2nd, is the spring Outerbike MTB demo event in Moab, Utah. It is about a third smaller than their fall event. Moab has a huge selection of world class trails, great scenery, usually plenty of camping available during their MTB events, and the town has many places to shower if you want to do this event cheap.
I may be at both Hurricane and Outerbike but I’m launching a business soon and may not have the time for a spring road trip. Well, I could work on my software while traveling…
The lively and really fun Fruita Fat Tire Festival is from April 27th to 30th. There is some slick rock riding in the area but not as much as Hurricane and Moab. The terrain is scenic and varied, with wonderful flow trails at 18 Road, mesa type riding with plenty of rocks to challenge you on the Kokopelli Trails, and scary trails like Holy Cross and Eagles Wing along with intermediate trails across the Colorado River from Grand Junction at the Lunch Loops. There are two breweries in town along with the famous Hot Tomato pizzeria. Nearby are a couple of state parks with camping and showers, an RV park with cabins, and a BLM campground at 18 Road. Lodging in Fruita and Grand Junction is cheaper than most of the other areas.
August 18 – 20 will be the first Outerbike festival in Crested Butte, Colorado. Lots of trails there but I’m not yet familiar with the area. Very high elevation riding with long climbs, although Outerbike will have shuttles. I know even summer lodging in the ski resort area is expensive but cheaper accommodations down the mountain are available. Lots of Forest Service land in the area so probably campgrounds and primitive camping is available.
Mountain biking season in the Northern Hemisphere is almost here so tune-up your bike, get in shape, and we’ll be on the trails soon!
