(retroactively writing up a quick summary, months later…)
I’ve dreamed about doing some sort of week+ off-road bike tour somewhere in the world. While I enjoy solo DIY exploration and have many great memories of going somewhere and figuring it out on the fly, my gravel touring experience is limited and I’ve never even really been mountain biking (at least, farther than a few miles), so perhaps it would be easier and more fun to join an organized tour…
I’ve also always loved the Southwest, and Southern Utah / Northern Arizona in particular, so when I read that Lizard Head cycling guides had started a 220-mile mountain bike camping tour across Southern Utah loosely inspired by the Hayduke Trail I decided to jump on it.
I’ll be honest, I was intimidated by the idea– while I planned to train and start doing some gravel camping, I was also feeling really out of shape after a slugging year+ of Covid working-from-home and felt I’d be way out of my comfort zone. I had some good support from my partner and a few friends to help psych me up for it, and told everyone I knew I was going to do this ride so it would be too embarrassing to back out.
And then, I did it. It was maybe the most challenging physical thing I’ve done– I prepared with a lot of road riding and a 4-day gravel camping trip, but didn’t get out on a mountain bike and wasn’t ready for the physical demands of riding up and down rough roads with some sand and mud every day and climbing 20,000’ over the six days, sometimes under intense sun. I got painfully sore (and managed to stave off disaster one day by doubling up on padded bike shorts and also sitting on my soft jacket… ouch), walked some sections (including walking my bike for an hour+ the last 3 miles uphill at the end of one day when I felt completely drained), and for the first time in a lifetime of riding, hopped on the “SAG wagon” (a support jeep driven by a guide) for several miles. But it was a lesson in asking for help and I was stubborn enough to push through. I realize plenty of riders have done things harder than this, and it’s all relative. But for me, this was pushing what I thought I could do.
But enough about me. The scenery, environment, and experience I was able to have off the beaten path was worth it. A few more photos:
The “Type 2 Fun” parts included a hot and sunny day where I’d already had 6L of water yet was still thirsty and had to stop and rest in the shade, and crossing a pass in the Henry Mountains at 10,400’ and running into an unexpected snowstorm– hands cramped into frigid claws that could barely worked the brakes inside my waterlogged gloves. There were definitely moments I remember feeling “why am I doing this? I’m not even having fun” – and yet months later I look back on it fondly and dream about doing something similar again. Ah, memory…
The general route we took is here, based on looking back at my GPS tracks, but that doesn’t mark the water, food, campgrounds, etc.