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A trek that started in July has now landed three young men in Moab, Utah. Thompson, Monterastelli and Goat, three graduates from UC Santa Cruz, started in Alaska at the Arctic Circle, and made it down to Moab just this month.
Now 24 Hours of Moab and other bike races are intense, but this is a whole new level of crazy. They reported that temperatures at time dropeed to -10 degrees, and "survival" is what keeps them alive. Nice. They saw everything from wolves, to car crashes, to frozen wheels and broken brakes. Heck, I bet they saw more in those months than most of us have seen in years. Hats off guys.. hats off..
Danelle Ballengee is an adventure racer. Adventure racers go through some of the most intense training and competitions in the world (just ask those who raced in Moab Primal Quest this year). The adventure training probably saved Dennelle's life.
While training in Moab this week, she fell 60-feet breaking her pelvis. She crawled 1/2 mile and survided two sub-freezing nights in Moab, UT. That is quite the feat being healthy! The ABC 7 Denver news has a video news report on the ordeal. Fortunantly, her dog assisted rescuers to finding her and she is recovering in the hospital. Normally, injuries are second nature to adventure racers. But the pelvis bone is one of those vital and extremely painful breaks that you can't do much about. Arms, hands, ribs and shoulders are one thing. Pelvis is on its own level. Southern Utah in the winter is no treat either.
About a month ago, the new television show "I Shouldnt Be Alive" and the "Nightmare Canyon" episode featured a man who broke his leg/shin while hiking in the Southern Utah area, and he too survived sub-zero temperature, freak snow storms, ice and an overnight stay. I am sure Dannelle will have her own episode soon. Check out the show's website for some great webisodes and adventure survival stories.
Red Bull is sponsoring a first-ever Top 50 Action and Adventure Sports Image contest. The contest will highlight the best action pictures and photos for the year 2006. There are some pretty crazy photos in the submissions. Although I get a lot of good action shots on Moab, UT, they don really compare to some of the shots.
Its a good idea to push forward the photography of outdoor adventure sports. I think that photography plays a big roll in getting people interested in the sports. For websites, it makes all the difference.
Some of my favorite picture from the adventure sports submissions was this sequence to the left.
Well, I had a great time at this year's America Outdoors Conference here in Salt Lake City, Utah. All the outdoor outfitters (mostly just rafting companies) go and catch up with each other and the industry. Its a pretty good source for getting information about adventure travel in general.
I know I haven't posted in a while, and the sad part is that I can't really blame it on AO, because it was here in Utah! So, with no excuses, I will blame it on being busy at work............ yah, work. It is interesting to see the other outdoor adventure companies that operate in different parts of the country. Everyone is still struggling to tap into the outdoor adventure market, and capture the rising trend of adventure travel in general.
Outdoor adventure travel is a rising trend, and more people enjoy getting outside and taking vacations that involve activity. Moab, Utah has seen significant increases in visitors and tourism over the last few years. I thinks its because Moab is a great one-stop destination for adventure. But there are plenty of place like Moab throughout the country. Anyway, lets hope that the trend continues!
Moab, Utah is a tourist town. Therefore, it relies heavily on visitors passing through and seasonal business. It is also arguably the third most popular place in Utah for tourism (Salt Lake City and Park City/ski resorts). The Moab areas has two world famous National Parks (Arches and Canyonlands) and the Colorado River. It is a popular destination for tourists. Therefore, you would think that a decent portion of the state's tourism money would be funnelled to the Moab area. Right?
For you locals and those interested in Utah tourism, I am getting on my soapbox for a second on behalf of the outdoor adventure community. Apparently the office of tourism denied an application to give more money to the Moab area. From what I hear, it was because the application was poorly written. Great. So the whole industry suffers?
Colin Fryer is fighting hard for the cause, but he is getting shut down. He is even a board member for heaven sakes. You would think that logic would be a driving force for some of the allocations. From
What better place than Moab, Utah to start the cool new t.v. show 'Man vs. Wild'? Shoot, just ask the recent Primal Quest participants about tying to brave the Moab desert and they could go on for hours. Bear Grylls will present the series
opener with his episode from Moab as the show gets off to a start tonight on the Discovery Channel.
I am really looking forwad to this show. I think it will be fun to watch Bear tuff out the elements with the ultimate outdoor adventure show. A similar show 'Survivor Man' was kind of fun to watch, but kind of diapeared. I hope his new attemp for outdoor survival makes it a little further. nothing gets the desire for outdoor adventure going like watching someone almost die trying to survive in the wild, right?
Although problems ran rampant at this year's 24 Hours of Moab, Granny Gear wasted no time in getting out the 2007 schedule. Next Years Moab, Utah race will be October 14 and 15th.
The rest of the mountain bike races are scheduled as follows:
- 24 Hours of Temecula (SoCal): April 21/22, 2007
- 24 Hours of Conyers (Georgia): May 19/20, 2007
- 24 Hours of Big Bear (West Virginia): June 9/10, 2007
- 24 Hours of Killington (Vermont): July 21/22, 2007
- 24 Hours of Landahl (Missouri): September 16/17, 2007
- 24 Hours of Moab (Moab, Utah): October 14/15, 2007
Hopefully they run into better weather and more favorable conditions next year!
As usual, you can get the race results from 2006, and schedules for all the races at Granny Gear's website.
The 3rd annual Moab Utah Half Marathon is getting set for the Sunday, October 22nd race date. It has picked up popularity over the last few years, and this year should have over 1,000 entrants.
RunnersWeb.com has a short report on the marathon, and according to the race director, female runners outnumber the male runners 3 to 1. The race itself is 13.1 miles long, and is originally meant to be the companion to the spring event Canyonlands Half Marathon. For you runners, a complete listing of running events across the country is on this calendar.
Hopefully the weather stays nice and we don't have a repeat of 24 Hours of Moab weather nightmare.
Due to the local rain problems and huges amounts of water passing through Arches National Park, the park service had to once again close the trail to Delicate Arch, one of the most popular sites in Moab. Utah is home to multiple National Parks, and Arches hosts many popular scenic spots.
Delicate Arch trail, the classic red rock arch you see everywhere, is not yet open again to the public. It was closed up to the fromthe 6th to about the 12th. Then it re-opened, but this weekend caused it to be shut down again.
The park service said they were working on a "alternate" path, but that just seems like a long solution to a short problem... but then again, what do I know.
Well, if you talk to the participants of the adventure race Primal Quest in Moab Utah this year, they will give you the horror stories of the heat, exhaustion, desert weather and cool terrain.
You wont get the same response from the participants of 24 Hours of Moab. Apparently it was just a huge muck... wet, muddy, rainy and not very nice, not to mention the added danger of slippery rocks (hence "Slickrock") and huge amount of red mud. If you want more details, just check out the Salt Lake Tribune Article or the Summit Daily News . They even had to stop the race early and didn't actually fit in the branded "24 Hours" that the race needed to go for.
Unfortunately I was not able to be there this year. I was actually white water rafting in West Virginia on the Gauley and New Rivers. So I was a little wet too, just not as miserable as some of the bikers were.
Looks like Adventure Travel is getting a boost this year. The Primal Quest Race that was in Moab, Utah this year is scheduled to be televised on ESPN2 and ABC Sports. 
One-hour espisodes of Primal Quest will be shown Monday October 9th through Thursday on ESPN2 at 5:30 PM, with the Finale set for noon on October 14th. If you go to ESPN TV listings you can see the schedule.
I think plenty of people will be happy about the news, including the Utah Sports Comission.
Jeff Robbins is hte President of the Utah Sports Comission and helped ot get Primal Quest to Moab this year. He said that "You couldnt ask for a beter event to showcase the unmatched beauty and adventure our state has to offer."
It shouldbe interesting to watch on TV and see how they documented the race. And for those of you that missed it, you got a second chance!
Olympian and pro cyclist Ron Keifel will be a guest speaker as well as a participant, allowing others to ride alongside him.
Perhaps the most interesting icon in attendance is not from the cycling world at all; Randy Ruhlman returns to apply his skills as a professional NASCAR driver to the now famous La Sal downhill, and share his tips for skillful cornering on this epic, windy descent.
This fully supported event has limited registration and closes early so riders are encouraged to visit to ensure a spot.
The Third Annual Mountains to the Desert Bike Ride takes off Saturday, September 23, at 7 a.m., from in front of the San Miguel County Courthouse. Here is the map of the trail ending in Moab, Utah(kind of hard to see, but you get the idea):
Cyclists will cover 132 miles on their way to Moab, where the ride wraps up. It covers various levels of terrain and elevations. here is the elevation breakdown for the ride.
The ride is a fundraiser for the Just for Kids Foundation, which funds $100,000-worth of youth programming in San Miguel County every year. IF anything, it could be a great training ride for 24 Hours in Moab or other races as well. Good luck!
To sign up, call 728-4454 or visit http://m2dbikeride.tripod.com.
Moab Utah seems to be the adventure center this year. The famous 24 Hours of Moab race put on by Granny Gear Productions is coming soon. As if we didnt see enough extreme sporting in Moab, Utah's backcountry with Primal Quest!
24 Hours of Moab is one of many 24 hour mountain bike races held across the country. It is an exciting event, one sure to entertain and challenge. here are a few of the details:
When: October 14 and 15
Where: Moab, Utah
Prize: Over $60,000 in prizes
Costs: $100-$300 per person
Distance: 12-15 miles
It is hard to imagine the actual intesity that surrounds this activity. Its 12-15 miles of some of the hardest and best mountain biking trails in the world, Moab Utah. You race through the night. You party hard... wait, did I say party? Yep. One of the perks and attractions of these races is the party atmophsere you get. At base camp last year in Moab, Utah you would have seen fire blowers, dancing, music, poker and much more.
So really, this race is more like an all night party-just with little food, mentally challenging and physically exhausting racing. But fun nontheless. Come to Moab Utah and race!
The 3rd annual M.O.A.B or Mother of All Boogies is set to ge this year on September 28- October 1st. The event is a skydiving extraveganza. You can visit Drop Zone.com for the details and information on the Moab Utah event. They try to get as many people in the air at one time. Last year the event could quite get everyone participating in the air, but this year promises more room and expanded networks.
Skydiving in Moab, Utah is unlike skydiving anywhere else. As Clint MacBeth and Shelley White of Skydive Moab put it, its like "being surrounded by the 'mars-like' terrain" that everyone enjoys. You see, Moab Utah has perhaps the most unique and famous landscapes in the world. Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Colorado River, Redrock bike trails, Lasal Mountains.... So I can only imagine the amazing views you get from above.
So come join the skydivers heaven in Moab Utah later this month. Both beginners and experts are invited. If you would like to try skydiving in Moab anytime, we also offer tandem jumps thorugh the Moab Adventure Center.
I posted about upcoming events earlier, and wanted to throw out a reminder to everyone about teh Moab Utah music festival. It starts this Thursday, August 31st and runs throught the 16th of September(see the Moab Utah events calendar). It will be a very fun time to visit Moab, enjoy the music in perfect weather.
The official site for the Music Festival is Moabmusicfest.org. The great thing about these festivals is the variety of music offered. You get a little bit of everything from classical piano to jazz groups. Artists this year in Moab Utah include:
The new interacting Moab Adventure Book is finally here! This is probably the most inpressive online feature I have seen in a long time. The book features all the trips and activities in Moab, Utah that the Moab Adventure Center runs. It is an amazing programmed book with the ability ot allow you to turn the pages, play embedded video and watch slideshows.
It took a while to perfect the whole thing, but it turned out great. Special thanks to the design team at The Design Farm in Utah, and also the programming team from Eclipse Media Design. They have done a great job. Now I need to make sure everyone gets a chance to see it, so pass it along to your friends!
Whats hot in Adventure Travel right now? According to many resources, its the possibility of finding love while taking an extreme adventure. Fox news author Michael Y. Park reported that perhaps the best way to find your mate is "getting out of town."
Hilary Black, editor and chief of relationship magazine Tango says that people can meet "doing something they love, and its a lot less of an awkward set-up."
Other say that “there's a bond that is instantly formed when having such great experiences even with strangers...we were all strangers but by the end of the day we all wanted to know more about each other"
How true it is. Its a fascinating concept to try and target your extreme adventure vacations around the possibility of meeting a date. Some say that you learn something special about a person when you are pushing yourself mentally and physically. The more extreme the trip, the more likely you are to find love I guess.
It is interesting how friendships form so quickly on adventure vacations. One of my most recent rafting trips down in Moab, Utah brought me together with about 5 other people on the raft. By the end of the short, 2 hour trip, I had a couple of new friends and interesting stories.
So finding true love on such an adventure is not far fetch.
One company called Airtroductions has taken a similar approach to finding love with travel. They allow users to choose thier "seat buddy" by viewing profiles and selecting people they would be interested in meeting. Brilliant!
Moral of the story? Plan your vacations wisely if you are single. Dont count not being noticed by anyone while out doing extreme adventures, because you never know who will show up...
Adventure travel is beginning to recognize an important and growing niche market- women only travel. The industry in general is still slow to catch on to this market, but it is ready and waiting to happen. 
Seattle pi recently ran an article on the women only market. Although travel experts do not have solid numbers, one expert, Marybeth Bond, estimates that there are about 30 companies now that offer tours for women only.
"I like the idea of women traveling together," says one women, who lives in Dexter, Mich. "I think it is more comfortable with just women, more fun."
Women now have more influence, money and flexibility than ever before. Hence, those not taking advantage of this niche market are missing out on the opportunity. Personally, I think that only having 30 companies that run women only tours is ridiculously low. Especially when you put together these two all important facts (taken from women travel tips):
72 million US women traveled during the past year
70% of all travel decisions are made by women (even us married guys know its true)
So why not target women? I know that our own Western River Expeditions has a Women Only Cataract Canyon 4 Day Rafting Trip. Moab Adventure center may enter this arena soon... hopefully a lot others. The numbers look good, and if you do the research online, you still have some breathing room.
How much does the "outdoor recreation" industry boast in annual economic dollars? A lot more than you would think. According the an Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) study, the most current numbers reported the industry at about $730 billion in annual spending.
That's quite a hefty tag economically. How does it compare to other industries?
Outdoor Recreation: $730 billion
Major Food Industry: $291 billion
Major Auto Industry: $324 billion
Property and Casualty Insurace Industry: $709 billion
Oil and Gas Industry: $1.52 TRILLION (thought that might be a nice addition to the list)
According to the study, about 3/4 of Americans participate in outdoor activity. This next stat is pretty interesting. Here is the breakdown of the top outdoor activities:
Bird watching and other wildlife viewing ventures: 66 million
Bicycling: 60 million
Hiking: 56 million
Camping: 45 million
Props to the bird and wildlife watching people! You are holding strong in first place- although I am not quite convinced that bird watching belongs in the activity category. Perhaps hobby?
Anyway, it just goes to show that the outdoor recreation market is strong and alive. Hopefully companies like the Moab Adventure Center in Moab Utah, and other outdoor adventure providers will continue to see increased business.
The price of gasoline has steadily increased over the summer. The average price in Utah right now is hovering just below $3.00/gallon. I know that a lot of other states have well surpassed the $3.00 mark. So what does that mean for the travel and tourism industry? How are the numbers looking this year for National Park/Monument visits and travel to Moab, Utah? According to the numbers, we get mixed reviews.
Lets look at National Park visits in the southern Utah. The chart here
outlines the most popular sites. We see that Arches NP is actually up with visitors. My last estimates also show that visitors to Moab are up as well. Cedar Breaks NP is up significantly, as is Glen Canyon, Rainbow Bridge, Golden Spikes and Timpanogos Cave. All other destinations are lower this year compared to last. That means roughly 50% of these scenic destinations have seen increases. The other have seen decreases in traffic. Gas prices cannot be the only contributor to these numbers. Most of these areas are remote locations, so we have no correlation there.
Deseret News ran an article on this very point.
Ron Terry, public information officer at Zion, said it's hard to identify reasons for the drop, "but it could be gasoline prices and it could be people are not taking longer trips. We're in the process of conducting a visitor survey. When we get the results, it will give us a better idea of where visitors are from and what they come here to do."
Other outdoor travel industries, such as river rafting, have seen dramatic increases in business. So travel to Moab Utah has not suffered due to gas prices. National Parks still attract visitors, as they should.
Forget mountain biking on the famous Moab Utah Slickrock trails- try unicycling on the mountain. Little known but gaining in popularity, the annual Moab Utah MuniFest invites all unicyclers to challenge themselves in on the redrocks on Moab.
Its quite the sight to behold- a couple hundred unicyclers trying to traverse up and down the rocky terrain of Moab mountains. But they do it, and they do it well. Its actually very exciting to watch, and makes any onlooker feel like they should be able to easily handle a unicycle in the mountains.
Every year they get together for the event, held at the end of March, and this year's event drew over 150 participants. The Munifest Website offers plenty of information and pictures from various individual sites and galleries. Nathan Hoover on Smugmug has some great shots of this year's event.
Maybe the Moab Adventure Center needs to start providing a unicycle trip? (j/k)
New York Times author Timothy Egan recently ran a report on the increasing number of crimes near forested and National Park areas. Simply stated, most National Parks contain large areas of land that is prime for "urban problems". As small town like Moab Utah grow in size, so does urban problems and crime, says one ranger.
Maybe its because I am not a Park Ranger so I don't see the crimes myself, but I personally have not seen a noticeable increase of "urban crimes" in National Parks. The article specifically pointed out Moab Utah as one of the prime suspects for this type of increasing behavior. It is true that Moab is surrounded by Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park, both of which cover large amounts of land and acreage. However, I have yet run into off-road incidents with other people. Not doubt the Rangers see a lot more action than I do however.
Maybe I will talk to some Rangers in the area and see what they think about the situation.
Moab Utah is well known for being the Mecca of mountain biking. Apparently, the international arena recognizes this fact as well. In a news article published by icNorthWales.co.uk , they highlight an up-and-coming company called Bikefax.
Bikefax is in Europe, and they create custom bike trail maps and other services for the expanding mountain bike community. According to Sue Savege, they have gotten requests in Europe for trails maps to Moab:
""We have also been asked to produce a guide for mountain bike trails in Moab, on the Utah/Colorado border, one of the best known mountain biking destinations in the world, and we are working on that."
I have contacted the company with interest to see about them producing this custom map. Right now, the Moab Adventure Center has a map section with multiple maps, including bike trails. But maps can always get bigger and better.
It is amazing to see the prominence that a small place like Moab Utah can get around the world. But for those who have experienced the awesome trails of Moab, it may come as no surprise.
This is the pre-announcement for probably the coolest online feature for adventure travel I have seen yet. We here at the Moab Adventure Center are very excited about the possibilities and functionality of our newest addition to the website- An interactive book!
I know, it sounds boring, but I really is amazing. Keep your eyes out the next few days for the official announcement. I will make sure the whole world knows about this book. It has pages that you can turn yourself, very realistic looking. Video, slideshows, links, the works.
Here is the sneak peak for the book:
I have already posted an update for the upcoming 24 Hours of Moab bike ride in a couple of months. Aparently, Floyd Landis used this race early in his riding career as training grounds. In a recent article from the Baltimore Sun, one of his friends commented :
"He was determined in a way that was scary," said Joe Surkiewicz, a cycling enthusiast who wrote about the sport and accompanied Landis and some Baltimore-area riders to the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race in Utah.
Landis has always had the determination and drive to win. Scandal or no scandal, its takes strength and training to win the Tour de France. Obviously he had what it took to win the race. Plus, mountain biking in Moab Utah for sure prepared him for some of those mountain stretches!
Now this is what I call a Chevy! Dirk Phillips of Moab Utah shows his stuff on a fourwheeler.com feature highlighting his Super Chevy Silverado on the Moab rocks. Anyone thinking of converting their truck to a serious off-road machine, take notes. You don't have to have the greatest high-tech installations to have a good off-road machine.
Some of the most inportant components (front and rear suspension) are modified old-school leaf springs set-ups. He also made and customized his own aluminum bed for his trail needs. Now he is ready to rock and roll in the famous rock climbing trails and contests in Moab Utah. Some of the pictures are pretty cool:
Lets hope not. According to Deseret News, talks have begun about the possibility of adding Walmart down in Moab Utah. Personally I am not opposed to Walmart stores, but I think that Walmart does not belong everywhere. Especially in small tourist towns such as Moab.
You see Moab Utah exists with its own little economic system just fine. however, if you throw a large, oersized corporate store into the mix, it will ruin a lot of local business. Competition is healthy, but monopolization is destructive. Walmart would absolutely crush local merchants, and local economy. If the stor attracted more visitors to the town, maybe it could be justified. But nobody will visit Moab because of Walmart, and therefore it will be an additional strain on the town.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out in the future.
Need a good map for your outdoor adventure? You have many resources available to you when choosing a good map. Anywhere from the local gas station maps to U.S. Forest Service official maps are available for purhasing. So what's the best place for maps?
I really like the review written by Stephen Regenold in his article reviewing various maps. He got local maps to governement maps. The most impressive is the Mytopo.com. They let you create topographical maps of any location, customize the maps to include whatever you want, and also have aerial sattelite photos of the region. You order the map and they will print it on water-proof paper and send it out to you. (Side note, mytopo was the official map of Primal Quest in Moab Utah this year as well) Pretty sweet if you ask me!!
Our website has maps of various Moab locations, but for the serious adventurer or explorer, a custom maps is for sure the way to go.
Interesting trends in live music- I read an article recently about the combination of music and outdoors. Interesting article talking about the growth of music festivals in the nation. Summer time is a great time to visit music festivals, since most orchestras try to fit in outdoor festivals as much as possible.
Moab Utah of course has its own festival that should be awesome. What better than sitting outside in a great atmosphere, world class scenery, and professional musicians playing non-stop to your delight? Most outdoor scenic attractions will have music festivals. If you read the article it has a listing of other music festivals around the country (other than Moab Utah).
Team Nike pulled off the close victory in Moab Utah Saturday. It was a close finish with team GoLite right behind. Inside Triathalon reported in the win in their article on the website.
"The team (Nike Powerblast), and all teams who complete the course in its entirety, covered what will be remembered as one of the hardest races of all time"
The heat got up to 128 degrees at certain points in the race. Many will refer to this race a the "Adventure Suffering" and not the "Adventure Racing". Rightly so. But in the end, the leading team grabs $100,000 to split between the 4 of them. So the question becomes:
Was the pain and suffering during the race worth it?
Team nike Powerblast has taken a good lead over Merrell. Especially the since the last checkpoint, Nike burst ahead extending the distance between them and the reast of the pack. Looks like experience is paying off.
I talked about it earlier, and its playing out just as I predicted. Young, fit teams would battle for lead early during the race, but experience kicks in towards the end and the most experienced of teams is pulling through.
What made the difference? I dont think it was the hoarding of sleep that team Nike had early on in the race. I think it is just the stamina and experience. Experienced travelers know how to pace themselves. They also know how to make wise decisions. If you look at the interactive map, you see that outside of tem Nike's mountain biking mishap, they stay on course and know where they are going. Shaving a mile here and there because of good decisions makes a big difference.
Cary Dunst, a journalist for the Epoch Times International reports on the thrill and amazment that the slickrocks of Moab Utah bring to mountain biking. For those us us who have already been there, this is nothing new.
In all honesty, no other place in the world can compare to Slicrock Trail in Moab. Riding Moab is great.
Heck, even if you are not an avid mountain biker, you should still take a tour and try out riding the rocks. (click on the picture for info.)
One other thing that Dunst highlihghts in her article is the up-coming "24 hours of Moab" race later in October. Anyone ever participate in that race? Sounds pretty intense. (nothing compared to Primal Quest of course). But it should be a good race. You can go to www.grannygear.com for more information on the races.
Get out and mountain bike on the trails!
Well, Cingular just stepped up to the plate and made a great additions to their large network. (although I personally cant be too excited since I use Verizon)
Cingular just published a Press Release in Yahoo! Finance announcing that its aggressive 2005 - 2006 push is expanding in Utah. Improved coverage areas to come? Here is the list:
* In the Salt Lake City area seven new sites went on-air in late 2005 with
24 more sites planned for 2006 -- a total of 31 new cell sites to add
capacity and coverage.
* In Utah County, six new cell sites in 2005 with 13 more expected in 2006
will add coverage in Orem and Provo.
* In Northern Utah, eight sites went on air in late 2005 with nine more
coming in 2006. These 17 sites will increase coverage for the Ogden and
Cache Valley areas.
* Utah State Capitol -- Added in-building service to the capitol and
legislative buildings.
* Southern Utah -- Launched service and sales in the greater St. George
area in April.
* On I-80 near Wendover, a new site will complete coverage extending from
Salt Lake City to the Utah/Nevada border.
* On Highway 191 a new site north of Moab will provide greater coverage
for customers going to Moab/Arches National Park.
* On I-80 in Grantsville, a new site will provide greater coverage for the
growing Tooele area.
Not bad for outdoor travelers like us on the outskirts of Utah. THat should make at least some of you happy!
I have posted a few comments and news about Primal Quest. Since the race is on its way, it will be fun to follow the teams through their test. Here are a couple of websites that can keep you informed as to the traveling information on the teams:
Official Primal Quest Site- all the information and teams involved int he race. Cool videos, GPS tracking, Maps and more.
Checkpoint Zero (and their team)- An Adventure Racing website, and they sponsor their own Primal Quest Team. Get personal updates and entries for the team throughout the race.
The Moab Music Festival which runs August 31st - Sept 16th has a few local resorts offering discounts for visiting Moab during that time. The Arizona Daily Star reports that Sorrel River Ranch in Moab is giving 25% discount on lodging and 15% off dinner for anyone attending the Music Festival in Moab, Utah.
Coming from personal experience, Sorrel Ranch is a pretty nice place to stay. It is a fun and authentic rach-style lodging in Moab, and a 25% discount is quite the sale. If you are planning on going down to Moab during that time (or maybe you should take a trip anyway) take advantage of the offer. You can find contact and information for Sorrel Ranch and other Ranches through the Moab Adventure Center Lodging page.
While you are down there, take advantage of the outdoor activities in Moab, Utah at the Moab Adventuer Center.
As the Primal Quest Race heats up for the Saturday launch, team Nike is ready in Moab, Utah. A Vail Daily News article highlights the expectations and experience that this year's tem Nike is bringing to the race. I think the most impressive part of the team is the depth of experience.
Previous experience plays a vital role in the race. ALthough being young and fit can have its advantages, usually those who end up pulling ahead are those who have the experience and endurance. Its the ultimate challenge of skill and endurance. Plus, I am just excited that the racve is down in Moab Utah. What a great location!
Outdoor enthhusiasts have been wating and watching. June 25, 2006 starts the annual Primal Quest Race in Moab. It will be a crazy race and the ultimate test of human endurance. I love the video trailer for the race. you can see it by visitng the Primal Quest webstite.
For those who arent familiar, it is a team race across rivers, deserts, mountains and cliffs. 800km that lasts up to 10 days over a grueling course. It is amazing to see the teams do what they do. I think it is awesome.
You have to check them out htis year since they are in Utah. Every year the race takes place in a different international location. If you have time, see them off!
Its called the Great Western Trail Tour. An article in OneWheelDrive.net just featured this tour as one of the highlights of a great motorcycle road trip. The Great Western Trail tour is a motorcycle tour that takes you through the most wonderful and scenic areas of the soutwest. In 10 or 11 day you will hit:
2000 scenic miles
6 natioanal parks
6 national monuments
9 national forests
Sound too good? Well, if you are even thinking about it the tour also offers rental bikes if you dont have your own. I have never been on a long motorcycle roadtrip, but I would imaging that this one is the Grandaddy of them all. You start in Phoenix, AZ and alongthe way you drive through Moab, UT, Arches National Park, and many other sites in the Moab area.
Anyone ever taken a motorcycle tour through these areas? How is it? Let us all know.
Looking for a good roadtrip to take with your buddies this summer? The most recent issue of Men's Journal has the Roadtrip Guide for those who are interested. I think that taking road trips are a great way to explore new country.
So what makes good roadtrip? First of all, make sure to plan out destinations. Even though a road trip is technically "shooting from the hip" style, you still need a beginning and ending point.
Also, the destinations should have some sort of allure/activity you may be interested in. Sightseeing is fun and all, but if you never really get out and do something, you are missing out on half the adventure.
Men's Journal listed a road trip from New Mexico to Moab, Utah as one of thier recommended trips to take. Moab offers a great place to not only see the sights, but to do just about any activity you want. You can bring your rock climbing gear, inflatable rafts, mountain bikes, motorcycles, hiking boots..... you name it, you can do it.
So Moab makes perfect sense for a roadtrip destination.
Any rock climbing fans out there? If so, I am sure you may have heard of the latest rock climbgin controversy regarding the famous Dean Potter and his decision to free climb Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Moab, UT. Lots of people are up in arms about the decision.
Why the outcry?
First, Delicate Arch has its name for a reason- its a fragile landmark with soft sandstone. It would be near impossible to climb the arch with causing some sort of surface scratches.
Second, he may have done it just for publicity and not for his "love of nature and spiritual attachment to the rocks" as he so puts it. Plenty of people saw his climb in Moab because he filmed it, with crew alread on top of the arch getting shots from various angles.
So you have mixed reviews, even from his closest friends and colleagues. What he did was not technically illegal (although it is now, since his climb). But was it morally right? Was it just a publicity stunt on a national landmark?
Outside magazine has a article on the whole controversy in Moab, and interviewed some friends and others involved. Click to read the "How Delicate was Dean?" in Moab article.
Once again, Moab Utah is making national headlines with its world famous scenery and adventure tours. The most recent review by the most trusted source, National Geographic,
reviewed Parks in Canada and the U.S. and put out a top 50 "The Best of the Great Parks" issue.
So what exactly did the National Geographic have to say about Moab? They claim that one of the top experiences to see is watching the sunset at Arches in Moab, Utah!
But dont just take their word for it. Watching the sunset in Arches National park, or anywhere in Utah for that matter, is truly a breathtaking sight.
Has anyone had a chance to see Moab or Arches at sunset? Then you know what they are talking about. If you have nto had a chance to experience it, I highly recommend you do. Oh ya, and dont forget your camera, because you are not going to want to miss the opportunity to have a picture of it.
The Moab Adventure Center still offers a guided tour/hike through Arches National Park. They will take to to the most popular sites that you see in magazines and on T.V. There you can bask in all it's glory. Here are some pictures of our own from Arches so you can get a taste of the action.
What is another way to view a great sunset overlooking the wonderful Red Rocks? The Sunset Hummer Safari Tour in Moab is another great way to see the sights and seens you only dream of. The tour is only $75 for a complete 2 hour sunset trip on top of some of the most amazing rock mountiains in Moab.
If anyone else has favorite spots to view the sunset down in Moab, let us know!
See the issue of the National Geographic Adventure here.
Just in case you want to relax and read a little, Moab just opened a brand new 14,000 sq. foot library. The library on Main St. in Moab, UT opened and about 900 people were there to celebrate the openening.
The new library is far more user-friendly, Moab resident Judy Rousso said.
"The old building was so packed you could hardly find a place to sit. Periodicals had to be stored in boxes because there was no space to put them out. It was just too small. Everything's opened up now," Rousso said.
"It is just an incredibly beautiful space. It's really amazing that a community this size can have a world-class library like this."
It truly is an amazing build with room to grow. This new facility can house many more people than the old building. The old building couldnt hold more than 50 people at a time. Now the new facility welcomes residents and guests with hight-tech solutions for users. MIt has a new reference library and special collections section. The library also has over 50 computers for children, teens and adults to use.
The new library is located at:
257 E Center St.
Moab, UT
Its amazing how the weather is holding up this season. The last report from the weather watcher on the Moab Adventure Center website shows 91 degrees today and the rest of this week and next to be in the 80's and low 90's in Moab, UT.
Does it get much better than that?
The weather staying as temperate as it is makes activities and adventures in Moab all the more attractive. Hit up those biking trails on some bike tours or take a river rafting trip. I say do something outdoors before its gets hot!
The RSS Feeds are now available for the Moab Adventure Center Blog. See the icons on the left navigation bar for the different feeds available. The first one is the Feedburner- which has converted all of the posting here from Atom to RSS.
Anyway, all this means is that you can get all the latest Moab Adventure news, updates and activities that we post here on the blog updated directly to your own news page. Its Great!
Memorial Day weekend is coming, and so are the events. Moab, Utah would be a great place to spend Memorial Day weekend. The weather is perfect and the sun is out. Here are two activities coming up in Moab that you could experience this weekend.
May 31 - June 3 Canyonlands Cruise
A national motorcycle event in Moab sponsored by the ISRA (International Star Riders Association) but welcomes all brands of motorcycles. This event has bike shows, rides, pig roasts, biker rodeos, etc.
May. 27 - May. 28 Moab Arts Festival
Jewelry - Pottery - Wood - Sculpture - Clothing - Fine Art - Photography
Kid-o-Rama - Music - Entertainment - Taiko Drummers - Food Court
It would be a great weekend of events and fun. If you really want to plan activities for a whole trip to Moab, try Moab Adventure Center's activity package called the Multi Sport Package (scroll down to the bottom of the page). It includes rafting, hummer tour and Arches national park tour and hike. Its not a bad price either. $159 for adults, $109 for youth. Just another thing to do for the weekend.
Moab is famous for its off-roading trails. Jeep organizations love to meet in Moab regularly for conventions and excitement. Just a couple of weeks ago when I was down in Moab, I saw the 4x4 crawlers hitting some nasty rock climbs. It was amazing.
I have never gotten into off-road stuff, but it looks pretty fun. For those of us who do not have the trucks and Jeeps for the adventures, the Hummer Tours offered by Moab Adventure Center offer a good taste of the action. I was actually surprised by the Hummer Tour. I know Hummers are cool, but I didn't think a Hummer Tour would be all that exciting. It was amazing!
To see what the Hummers can do it awesome. Highly recommend the tours for all ages. Kind of got me thinking about off-roading. Seeing the jeeps and other cars there doing that same stuff the Hummer was doing, amazing. I guess people get pretty serious about it too. Forums and websites dedicated to just off-roading adventures. One of the largest that I ran across is
http://greenjeep.proboards38.com/index.cgi.
These forums offer a lot of discussion and activities for enthusiasts. 4 wheeling rocks!
Mountain biking is a very popular activity. I see a lot of people load up their bikes and take a weekend trip down to Moab just to hit the trails. I found plenty of people online who talk about their Moab Adventures on the bike.
As far as I can see Moab, UT offers one one of the best locations for mountain biking.
Why?
Because Moab has a large number of trails and off-road areas to accommodate any level of biker. If you want to bring your baby down to Moab, you can find easy trails with great scenery. If you are a hard-core enthusiast, the large red rocks of Moab, Utah provide plenty of challenging trails and backcountry territory.
The two best places for information for a Moab biking adventure would be to call a local outfitter (such as the Moab Adventure Center) and ask their opinion, or check out a few cool websites. You can set up an activity with a center and you don't have to worry about bringing your own bike.
The best website I found with information for all the available (and technically "not public") trails is:
http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/
This site give a ton of great info on all the different trails and backcountry stuff, and it has picture so you can get an idea of what the ride looks like. Take a look!
A large part of being an outdoor enthusiast is knowing the weather and geographic trends of hot spots in America. Anyone in the West (particularly Rocky Mountain Region) or even following the news know that this winter has brought in tons of snow and moisture, escpecially to Utah.
Michelle Higgins just posted an article in the NY Times talking about this very issue (she even mentions the Moab Adventure Center and rafting in Moab, UT!).
Heck, I can still see snow at the top of the mountains as I travel through Utah.
We all know what that means! Great rafting. Water level are up, and will continue to go up throughout the season due to heavy snow pack. Rapids are getting bigger and bigger too.
I just rafted a small stretch with the Moab Adventure Center down in Moab, Utah a couple weeks ago, and from what I hear the small class I and II have increased to close to III's already. I don't think they will get larger than III, but that is quite a nice increase. I did the half day a.m. trip , which is probably the easiest of the trips. But some real adventure would be Westwater Canyon Trip.
I plan on going rafting at least a couple more times to take advantage of the great water runs!
The Moab Adventure Center is running a great activity promo- if you book three trips, you get 10% off the whole purchase. The trips are all different prices, so the amount will vary. If you go on the Hummer Sunset Safari, River Rafting and Tomcar drive, you could save about $20.00 a person. Thats not too bad considering you do all of those recreation activities in one trip to Moab, UT! I think the combination of those three trips gives you some of the best scenery in Moab, Utah. Check these picture out!
You can
mix and match pretty much any of the trips to make your own itinerary while you are down there. Its a great way to plan a trip to Moab.
