Every year I spend a couple of weeks grippin’ the Moab slickrock. This year I will be spending the whole month of October in Moab.
Usually I have my own personal driver who drops me off, and picks me up on the trails that are not loops, or if there is too much road cycling involved. Trails such as Porcupine and Gold Bar are difficult without a shuttle.
Anyway, this year I will be on my own, and looking for anyone that is looking to share the pick up and drop off.
There are shuttle services in Moab, but they are not exactly cheap, and only run with an x amount of people.
So, if you are in Moab during October, and would like to share some rides, let me know.
18 Road in Fruita is home to what some say the best trails in Colorado, and I had heard a lot about Chutes & Ladders and Zippety Doo Daa, and after my fantastic ride in the Kokopelli’s Area, I was really looking forward to this ride. But, was it be as good as the Kokopelli’s?
Trail Stats & Information
Nearby City: Fruita Length: You decide Trail Type: Loops
Skill Level: Aerobically: easy – strenuous, Technically: easiest-difficult Duration: You decide Season : Year-round; best between October & April Trailhead Elev: 5,150 feet Top Elev: 5,500 feet
Guide Book Description
[ Chutes & Ladders ] This trail has some great singletrack riding; one of the better rides in the Book Cliffs area. The fun factor on this ride is very high. The trail traverses along the lower part of the Book Cliffs and follows a wandering line in and out of several dry washes. Do this ride. This trail is located 8 miles north of Fruita.
[ Zippety Doo Daa ] Steep downhills, excellent singletrack, and some very technical sections add up to make this one of the best expert rides in the area. The downhill sections will test the skills of most cyclists.
My Experience
After 20 min. of riding, I started to wonder what all the fuss was about, the ride I was on was flat easy and pretty uneventful, but that soon changed for the better… Lots better!!
The ride I did was : >> Parking Trail Head >> Perimeter >> Chutes & Ladders >> Prime Cut [down] >> Vegetarian >> Chutes & Ladders >> Kessel Run [ one way down only ] >> Western Zip [ Up ] >> Zippety Doo Daa [ one way down only ] >> Parking Trail Head
Conclussion
From the Trailhead the first part of the ride ( Perimeter to Chutes & Ladders ) is pretty flat and uneventful, but halfway up Chutes & Ladders, the ride becomes a hell of a lot better and more technical.. nothing too serious yet, but there were some pretty demanding and fast sections.
Kessel Rim [down] was a hell of a fast and fun section, and definitely worth the run, only minor downside is, that you somehow have to make your way back up to the top section of the trails, because without any doubt, Zippety Doo Daa is the “Piece de Resistence” . Zippety Doo Daa is a just a mental trail, that will have you laughing and shitting yourself at the same time. Do not attempt ZDD if you do not like heights and / or very narrow track with a hell of a penalty for any errors. Certain section of ZDD are easily 75 degree’s downhill, go too slow and you are off, go too fast and you are off!!
one thing is certain, once you are safely at the end of ZDD, all you want is ONE thing, and that is to do it again!!
Traffic on Trail : fairly busy 10+
Wild Life : none
Scenery : Nice scenic trails
Other : There are two parking lots used for these trails, the lower and the upper, I preferred the lower because you can end the ride on a “high” coming down the Zippety Doo Daa , otherwise you will have to cycle back to the top parking lot.
The Hyalite to South Cottonwood Trail is a real Jekyll & Hyde Trail, definitely not a trail for the cocky gung-ho riders, and definitely not a trail to test your $89 full suspension Walmart Mongoose.
But, if you are up for a scary challenge then this trail is definitely the dogs bollocks!!
Trail Stats & Information
Nearby City: Bozeman
Length: 11.4 miles
Trail Type: Point 2 Point, or loop ( for loop add about 14 miles )
Skill Level: Technically very difficult. Physically difficult.
Duration: 3-4 hours
Trailhead Elev: 6,600 feet
Top Elev: 7,920 feet
Book Description
The History Rock trail almost immediately begins a 3 mile climb out of the parking lot. The first 1/2 mile is a good warmup before it becomes steep and sustained for about 2 miles to a junction. This is all cleanable, but will definetly get your heart pumping. Once you reach a meadow with beautiful views of Mt. Blackmore, you know you are done climbing, from here on it is downhill.
Technical switchbacks, rocks and roots will make this a terrifying ride.
Traihead was easy to find, it was well marked easy to follow. The first 20 minutes on the History Rock Trail was easy going, and I was pretty confident I would manage to reach the top without stopping.. 10 minutes past History Rock and I was walking!! and I probably spent 10-15 walking, this trail was killin’ me!!.
The strange thing about this trail, is it looks and feels easy, it is not overly steep, the trail is in good shape, not rocky or many roots, but that was just deceiving!!.. I am a fairly decent climber, but you would have to come from a very good stable to make it to the top of this one without stopping and walking.
Once at the top, it all opens up to a mountain meadow with stunning views, and right there in front of you, is a beautiful very narrow singletrack dropping down as far as you can see.. I am not much of a poet, but when I saw that I almost became one!
I was off like a greased whippet screaming down the smooth singletrack, just as I was hitting take off speed, the trail became rocky, and I was up & down like Bangkok Betty still going too fast, then out of nowhere a 130 degree switchback was in front of me. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I managed to get around it in one piece, but I had been warned, this trail is not to be taken lightly. The 5 miles that followed were darn right abusive and pretty scary, absolutely zero room for error, if you fall on this trail, you are gonna have some serious bacon… and that’s if you’re lucky, this is definitely not a trail you want to fall off your steed. Uncomfortable with large rocks and tech switchbacks?.. how about a 3 foot fall on a switchback? thank the lord I saw it on time and managed to come to a safe stop, ‘cos if you Endo here, you are gonna have 5 seconds to learn how to fly, or get hurt very badly..
This is a fantastic trail, but to fully enjoy it you have to remember 2 very important things.. Go too fast and you are gonna get seriously hurt, and go too slow and you will get seriously hurt
Treat this trail with respect and don’t forget to thank the ” Trail Guardian” if you make it down in one piece.
Conclusion
Great Trail with a high buzz factor and some great views, really sweet singletrack. The climb is physically very demanding, and the downhill is pretty abusive and technical
Other Info:
Traffic on Trail : no one untill the last mile from the Cottonwood TH
Wild Life : too tired to notice while climbing, and too much concentration on the downhill to notice
https://highonmountainbiking.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cotton1.jpg225300Rip3dhttps://highonmountainbiking.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/hmb.pngRip3d2010-08-06 23:14:222010-08-07 01:19:57Hyalite to South Cottonwood Trail Bozeman Montana
