The White Rim 2008 - Day 1

I woke up next to Jo at 3:30am on Friday morning after logging a solid 3 hours of sleep. Jon and David had spent the night so we could caravan first thing in the morning. We were all "slow movers" at that early hour, but managed get on the road by 4:30. The four of us met up with Ben, Mike, Nick, and Patty at I-70 and we started the trek to Moab. I had outfitted my rack to carry 5 bikes, 1 hang glider, gear bins, and David's walker externally (here), but there was snow in the mountains so I stuffed everything inside and kept my glider safe in it's PVC pipe hanger for the drive. Winter had arrived in the Rockies and we hit heavy snow over both Loveland and Vail passes.

A Dry Glider



The Phoenix Multisport Mobile



Mike, Nick, Patty, Jo, and Ben



Blizzard Conditions on Vail Pass



As we descended the West side of the Rockies the snow gave way to sun and warmer temps. Our collective lack of sleep made the drive long, but we entertained each other with puzzlers from the NPR show Car Talk. We made it to the meeting spot, an elevated covered wagon in a gas station parking lot at the intersection of Utah Rt. 191 and 313, with time to spare and waited as people slowly trickled in. When Chris rolled up in his fully restored and upgraded VW Syncro, I was awestruck. I foresee a VW camper in our future...

Clear Skies in Wide Open Utah



Sleeping Nick

Awake Nick

The Covered Wagon, Our Meeting Spot

Patty and Jo

The Group Assembled



Chris's Syncro - Ahhh



With our group assembled we caravaned to the staging area at Rt. 313 and Mineral Bottom Road. There we unloaded and consolidated our gear. The trip would consist of Dan, Ben, Eric, Todd, Grant, Conan, Amy, David, Nichole, Josh, Nick, Patty, Mike, Ben, Jacki, Chris, Jon, Jo and I. We decided on three support vehicles, which would be the Phoenix Mobile, Chris's Syncro, and my truck. Smiles and excitement were abound as everyone got acquainted with each other and got ready to ride. I time budgeted an hour for this, which was way to short including the shuttle to the trail head. Next year I'll plan on at least 2 hours.

The Caravan



Nichole and Josh




Unsheathing My Sword



Consolidating Gear



Loading Up



The Rack at Full Capacity



After the short shuttle to the trail head the group mood took on a focused tone as people finished last minute ride preparations. Quiet conversation, zippers being zipped, buckles being latched, and the "psshh" of tire pumps were the only sounds breaking the desert silence. When everyone was ready we had a brief trip meeting. After formal introductions I briefed everyone on what to expect on the day's ride while Ben, Jo, Mike, and Jacki covered some Phoenix guidelines. Jon, Jacki and David and I would drive support for the day. It was late in the day and there was a chill in the air. The group excitement was paralleled with slight apprehension of the unknown that lay ahead. I remember that feeling well before starting past trips.

Last Minute Preparations



Trip Meeting




Apprehension
(or annoyed at my constant picture taking)




Only 2 hours behind schedule we were off as people clipped in and trickled off down the road to Shafer Canyon. Jon drove ahead to our first campsite in the Phoenix Mobile, Jacki followed the first group in the Syncro, and David and I ran sweep in my truck. With no time to warm up, the descent down Shafer Canyon is always cold so I lent out a few jackets to people who needed them for the descent. The exposed road is not for those who dislike heights as it is literally carved into 1000 foot tall canyon walls, but the view is spectacular. Running sweep, David and I were in perfect position to photograph the group as it descended the canyon. We took our time on the stopping to take pictures and to track a small herd of juvenile big horn sheep foraging on the cliff side.

The Trail Head



Mike



Josh



Off They Go



Shafer Canyon



The White Rim Comes into View



Ben

David

Mike and Nichole

Josh

(he only rides on one wheel)

Support Crew



Ben and Nichole



Jo



The Sycnro in its Element



Big Horned Sheep



Nick and Patty at the Bottom



Group Pedalling off into the White Rim



At the bottom I was able to catch the tail end of the group just as the trail started paralleling the White Rim. The first day's trail was rougher than I thought it would be in a truck. What I was able to fly over on my bike in the past required moderate 4x4 skills to negotiate with any speed. I thought it would be boring driving at biking speed, but it turned out that bikes were much faster than my over-loaded truck and I had to work to stay with them. I reminded myself that the hang glider was hanging off the side and tried to keep my speed in check to minimize hard bumps.

The Mighty Tacoma



Running Sweep



As the trail turned West along the White Rim, the landscape opened up and treated us to more stunning views of the desert landscape. Having photographed most of the trail before, I decided to capture it in HDR this time. High Dynamic Range combines 3 shots into a single image, it allows you to capture shadows and highlights that you couldn't in a single image at the expense of over saturation and lots of pixel noise. It was a great tool to capture the desert because of the contrasting shadows and sunlight.

Bird View Butte (HDR)



Meander Tower (HDR)

Not doing the trail in a single day allowed us the opportunity to explore this year. David and I turned off at the first spur trail we found which took us to Goose Neck Overlook. Below the overlook the Colorado River makes huge bend in the shape of a Goose Neck with the snow capped La Sal Mountains in the background.

Goose Neck (HDR)

David and Alex

After the overlook we sped to catch up with the stragglers, but the trail was too rough to make good speed. Running sweep, it wasn't a big deal because if someone mechanicaled it wouldn't take long for us to get to them. We drove the rest of the trail to Airport Campground alone. As we rounded the top of Lathrop Canyon the sun set behind Airport Tower. A wispy layer of high cirrus clouds and the contrails of a passing airliner lit up like a fire in the sky reflecting pastel red and pink hues across the rocks below in a symphony of color. It was the kind of sunset you can only find in the desert. I pulled the truck over and David and I enjoyed the silent symphony surrounding us. It was a vivid experience.

Sunset Behind Airport Tower

Same Sunset in HDR

(it's a re-post, but this is my favorite picture from the trip)

Lathrop Canyon in Pink (HDR)

Almost Gone

We rolled into the Airport Campground just as the faint remnants of the sunset gave way to darkness. I sprang into work, joining Jo, Ben, Mike and Jacki who were setting up the communal area. The campsite was a bustling with activity as riders, volunteers, and staff were setting up tents, cooking food, and changing into warm clothes. The intensity of the desert can be felt in its extreme temperature swings and with the sun down it didn't take long to get cold. Fires are prohibited in Canyonlands National Park so I brought a propane burner to keep us warm. It wasn't as warm as a fire, but better than nothing. Later in the trip when I was mentally complaining to myself about how it wasn't warm enough I laughed out loud at the thought of us shivering around the alternative - a lowly propane lantern. Tired from the 3:30am wake up we all had an early night under moonlit night skies.

Airport Tower Campground

Desert Moon