Amassa Back

Amassa Back

	Amassa Back
Location:	Utah
Nearest Town:	Moab
Directions to Trailhead:	From the intersection of Main St. and Kane Creek Road (McDonalds is on the SW corner) head west. At approximately 2.8 miles you will pass the Moab Rim Trail on the left. Look for the Amassa Back Trail sign on the right at about 5.9 miles. The trail descends to the creekbed before climbing up a series of rocky ledges. Be sure to pick up the excellent Moab West map produced by Latitude 40 for more details.
Trail Description:	This is the best short ride in the Moab Area. If you are arriving in Moab late in the afternoon and want to get in a quick ride, drive to the trailhead and do this one. This out-and-back trail offers some technical ledge climbs and lots of slickrock near the apex. The views of Jackson Hole (a large butte) and the Colorado River are amazing. A sandy spur at 2.4 miles from the trailhead (8.3 miles from Moab) also goes out to a must-see view.
Trail Length:	10 miles from the trailhead - can be extended to 25+ if you start riding from town, do the optional spur and some exploring topside.
Trail Type:	Singletrack & Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Advanced
Submitted By:	Son of Darth

Terry from Cedar Hills, UT Date: May 11, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: See other reviews. Pretty much straight up and straight back down. Although I have heard there are some detours you can make. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine Rim IS the trail in Moab. Also try the Sovereign Trail (its not on the Lat. 40 maps) ask any bike shop where it is. If you're going to Moab for the first time you have to hit Slickrock. It is cool, but to me not nearly as fun as several other rides.
Review: After Porcupine Rim, This was my favorite ride in Moab. The climb is long, but manageable (even for this 225lb Clydesdale). There are lots of technical spots to challenge you (or make you walk) that keep the ride interesting. The reviewers who mention crowds are right. We started around 8:30 on a Friday morning and there were a few people going up. When we reached the top and started back down, there were literally hundreds of people making their way up. Start Early to beat the crowds! Just a great ride!	Overall Rating:

Brian from Denver Date: April 2, 2003 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: Procupine Rim, Pole Canyon Rim, Flat Pass
Review: A good trail for a beginner looking for a challenge. Lots of ledges and some extremely difficult sections that require some hard core dedication to clear. I'm a big guy (250 lbs) and I rode it with a Manitou Black Elite fork (100-130mm) and that was plenty, you'll want to increase the rebound on your fork for this ride, some ledges are over 36 inches. Overall a fun ride, great view at the end, potash actually adds some interesting contrast to the scenery. Watch out for spurs and intersections, the Falcon guide is a pretty good resource for this ride. Avoid Amasa Back on the weekends, it's a very popular weekend warrior trail for dirt bikers, and they're about as courteous as a a bunch of Hell's Angels. Allow some time to fart around up on top and also to retry clearing some ledgy sections on the way up.	Overall Rating:

Erin from Tucson, AZ Date: February 7, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Follow the trail. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slick Rock (as sweet as everyone says)
Review: This trail was amazing. I went up to Moab 5 days before Christmas with some buddys. We rode for 3 days and this was my favorite trail. The climb was even fun due to the trail being so technical. There are plenty of chances to go off drops and get hurt.(which is why I loved it) If you like technical along with sweet views and huge canyon walls this is your trail.	Overall Rating:

Billy "The Lean mean DH machine" from Puyallup WA Date: January 30, 2003 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Don't be a wuss and ride it from town like I did. Get a bunch of friends and head out along Kane Creek RD. after about 7 miles the trail is on your Right. Head down and watch out for the drops if you are a beginning rider. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slick rock, Bartlett's wash, Moab rim, Flat pass, Porcupine rim, Gemini bridges, Klondike bluffs,Mill canyon.
Review: I rode this trail for the DH and DH was what I got. I have a '02 Big Hit comp w/ monster T and 8" back end and big huge tires and I bottomed the bike out in a freak accident off of the first good sized drop. I would not recommend this trail during the heat of the day.	Overall Rating:

craigy from co Date: January 3, 2003 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Follow the directions from a good Moab trail guide and use the Lattitude 40 maps (get these maps from the local store, they are a few bucks cheaper than at the Moab bike shops!) Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock, Poison Spider Mesa, Klondike Bluffs
Review: Tough gnarly uphill, some tough technical, sections including slickrock and rocky stuff. One up the top of the mesa then go ride around (careful of the edge and the cryptobiotic soil) and explore - see the great all around views! Back down hold on and go fast. Lots of rough techical sections with some great drops (jump them if you can!) Great technical trail with almost none of the crappy Moab sand.	Overall Rating:

Garner from Albuquerque, NM Date: October 24, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Take Kane Creek road from the Mc.Donals's in town and head west. Go a ways till the road turns to gravel. The parking is ahead on the right. Follow the gravel road a quarter mile and the trail drops off to the right. Follow it down to the creek bed and then take it back out and up to the top of the mesa. Follow the tracks and you won't get lost. There are white dashes on parts of the trail and cairns (whick some jerks have knocked over). Play around on the slickrock on the top and get ready for the killer downhill desent. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock, Porcupine Rim
Review: When we arrived in Moab we hit up Slickrock. It's great, but in a different sort of way with the sandstone. My girlfriend and I hit up Amassa Back the next morning. We arrived at 8:30 am and there was no one around. The whole way up we had the place to ourselves. I don't reccomend riding this trail if you cant ride up steep slopes with huge rocks on them or else you will turn the whole thing into a bike hike. The uphill is pretty brutal because of the technical difficulty, not really because of the elevation gain. The views from the top are spectacular and can't be beat. This is supposed to be a jeep trail, but we didn't see any when we were there. I would love to see what kind of jeep goes up this thing. There are some 3 foot ledges that they would have to go up. It makes for a great downhill drop on the way down. On the way down we must have run into the rest of Moab. This was a Saturday and I guess that everyone was out late the night before. There were people coming up this thing as we went down that just shouldn't have been riding this trail. I say that if you are unsure of your riding ability don't try this trail. There are others in the area that would be better for you. I think that everyone that we ran into was visiting from somewhere else. People from all over the country were here riding! After that ride we toured the local bike shops and hit up Slickrock again. After riding this trail you have to look at mountain biking in a whole different way.	Overall Rating:

Bruce Greenspring from J. Hole Date: October 21, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Up Amasa Back to Jacob's Ladder to Secret Tr. Other recommended trails in the same area: Flat Pass
Review: Great ride do the S. Trail, drops off of Jacob's Ladder in to the "Hole", Only for the X-treme! Get a Lattitude 40 map and directions to Yurmanas Back (secret tr.) from the nice folks at the Chile Pepper, Tell em' Bruce sent you	Overall Rating:

MTBARK from Mena, AR Date: October 16, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Just go to the top and come back down. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine Rim, Slick Rock, Moab Rim Downhill
Review: For me this wasn't the best trail in Moab but it is a good one to break you into the Moab riding arena. This was the first trail we did my first time in Moab. You do some major climbing on the edge of a cliff some times to get to the top where you can stop and have some lunch and enjoy the view of the river and the Lime or what ever kind of place that is down by the river. The trip down is awesome I know we had at least 3 or more folks take a spill on the way down. Some very technical sections with speed.	Overall Rating:

Rick from Folsom, Ca Date: October 8, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Get the map and follow it. Other recommended trails in the same area: get a map, there are many.
Review: This ride starts out really "sucky". Keep going...it gets better after about 1 mile. I enjoyed this ride as much as any in Moab. All jeep trails, so not really single track, but really pretty technical up and down and that's what I'm interested in right now. In addition, I thought the views were the best in Moab. Also, you get to ride slick rock when you reach the top and that was pretty cool.	Overall Rating:

Travis from Moab Date: June 24, 2002 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: just folow the trail Other recommended trails in the same area: bartlett wash, hazard county.
Review: this is a awesome trail pretty tough grind on way up, killer descend and awesome drops on way down.	Overall Rating:

Jimm from SoCal Date: June 10, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Great ride! Breath taking vistas! Lots of fun...plenty of challenge without being un-rideable. A "must do" for Moab visitors. Not as long or technical as Porcupine Rim, but just as beautiful.	Overall Rating:

Jonny Jumpup from Oregon Date: June 7, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine rim, poison spider mesa, Slickrock
Review: This ride has it all, great uphill and fantastic downhill. With just the right amount of slickrock I would have to say that this is my favorate trail in Moab.	Overall Rating:

Louie Midnight from Canada Date: May 31, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: out and back Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Really great trail. Fav of the locals and I can see why. Good technical climb with a moderate grade. Super views with good pics. Fast, technical downhill. Ride it early in the morning or late in the afternoon for maximum riding pleasure. Easy trail to find. Nothing too scarey about it, just a good trail. Dont trust "Rider Mel's" topo map on this one.	Overall Rating:

Lefty from Cincinnati, Ohio Date: April 27, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: We went conservative and left at the pipe(first ride)on rented Superlights. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine rim, poison spider mesa, Slickrock, etc.
Review: My riding buddy ScottP took me on this trail as my maiden MTB experience in Moab. It has it all and does not disappoint. The views on the way and at the end are worth the climbing. You can spend as much time as you like on this trail just doing slow trials like activities as the terrain is rocky and infinately varied. I would highly recommend it as a first experience in the area as it is not too long and you can do it in 1/2 a day if you want. Take lots of water, and take time to enjoy the scenery, we are both Cydesdales, proud of it and riding phat whenever we can. No issues for us in decent shape. Take a camera, wear a helmet, and have a great time on the descent back to the car. You could ride this with semislicks easy. F/S is VERY helpful here in case you get in over your head coming down. Enjoy it, I plan to return with more friends soon.	Overall Rating:

Steve from Orem, UT USA Date: January 20, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: I have reviewed this trail before (Steve from Orem, UT March 5 2000) and I really really screwed up! I gave the wrong directions.So here are the correct ones... Other recommended trails in the same area: Wasatch Crest Trail up Mill Creek Canyon up by Salt Lake City
Review: If you read my review from March 5 2000,it says to go LEFT soon after you cross over the pipe. That is wrong. You go RIGHT. A few hundred yards after crossing the pipe is a faint trail going RIGHT. This is the route that got us out to the end of the penninsula. This is the route that is so wonderful.It does require following rock cairns from time to time. The other way is the main trail and that is an OK ride but no where near as fun as the ride on the right.By the way, I've ridden it a few more times since that last review and I still love it. If you can find it and then take the time to explore all the way out there it may change your life.Some guy below complains about having to hike down some cliff area in an attempt to follow this trail. I sincerly hope it was not my directions that screwed him up.I think he got lost and went down what I believe is called Jacob's Ladder. That route was part of a race route in the past. And I think that is the race in which Missy Giove bit it. BUT, like I said before, the guys at Kaibab Bike (435-259-7423) can give you the best directions.	Overall Rating:

Chris C. from Salt lake City, Utah Date: November 5, 2001 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Out and back, as described in all of the Moab guidebooks. Other recommended trails in the same area: Poison Spider Mesa is directly across the river, and offers a similar world-class riding experience.
Review: The first half-mile of this ride sucks, but the remaining 5 or more miles of this trail is some of the best riding on the planet! Amasa Back begins with a potentially life-altering (if you crash, your body will never be the same again!) descent down a ledgey, rock slope that ends with a 3 foot vertical drop. From there, the trail takes you through a short section of unrideable, bottomless beach sand, and a stream crossing. Then comes another short section of unrideable sand, and a nearly unrideable steep, loose, rocky climb. Once you finish paying your dues over this first half-mile of unpleasantness, the ride becomes truly world-class. The trail climbs over the next couple of miles to the top of Amasa Back, an elevated, thumb-shaped peninsula of land surrounded on three sides by the Colorado River. The riding surface is primarily old mining road, periodically broken up with patches of slickrock and numerous rock ledges that provide a high level of technical challenge. Once on top of the Back, the route follows the edge of Jackson Hole, a 1,000ft. cliff that is the rim of a now-dry meander of the Colorado River. At times, the trail approaches the cliff edge to as close as a foot or two. The views are absolutely outstanding along Jackson Hole! Once past Jackson Hole, about 4.5 miles from the beginning of the ride, the trail forks. Turn left to ride to another rim viewpoint, or go right to explore the slickrock and singletrack wonderland of the interior of Amasa Back. Routefinding becomes more difficult at this point, so turn back here if your directional skills are lacking, or continue on further for big technical and scenic payback further out. This ride is suitable for intermediate and higher level riders. If in doubt about your ability to ride a given section of trail, get off the bike and walk it, especially on the few sections of trail where a fall off the edge would require a parachute for survival. If you're looking for a short to medium length ride that offers ample technical challenges, and some of the best scenery that Moab has to offer, Amasa Back will not dissapoint you.	Overall Rating:

Tony S from Philadelphia, PA Date: July 23, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: i recommend getting mel's biking guide... can't bike in moab without it Other recommended trails in the same area: monitor & merrimac, slickrock trail
Review: This is a hard trail, with some crazy climbs... I went the day after rain and the "little creek" i had to cross became a rushing stream. I went anyways, the water ran up to my stomach... This trail is merciless... watchout for the "humbuckers"... better walk them...and I almost got lost on the very top near jackson hole... the ride down is a lot more fun... you might want to bring lots of water... i had a full camelbak bladder and i finished it on the way up... i had no water on the way down :(	Overall Rating:

Stu's science teacher from Moab, UT Date: July 12, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Out and back Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: In response to the attempt at humor below, potash is a chemical used as a fertilizer. The potash plant described in other reviews is an industrial mining facility, not a type of vegetation. It IS ugly, but you still can't beat the view from the top of this ride.	Overall Rating:

Butch Er from Connecticut Date: June 23, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: up around and around andn around and around ... then dooooown Other recommended trails in the same area: Ask at Keibab
Review: Oooooh Yaaaah! What it's all about. Since you pay climbing - make sure you get paid at the top - play around - what a trail!!!	Overall Rating:

Mark from Co Date: May 16, 2001 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Follow the white dots Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Just rode this for the second time over the weekend. It's a good trail - 2-3hr out 'n back. Put 11 stitches in my chin on the D/H - good stuff! I am just submitting this because of a previous reviewers comment on the single track back trail if you go right at the pipe. The only place I have seen this mentioned (in literature) is in Biker Mel's guide to Moab. It is called the "Single Track Death Descent". The first 1/2 of it is some pretty hairy downhill, but rideable. The second half I would only attempt with balls of steel and a parachute. The trail is about 12" wide switchback, nasty big boulders, and sheer cliff face & drop for about 500 feet. It's about 3 miles of the worst stuff Porcupine Rim has. I was a little sketchy even walking on it. I think the locals tell you about it just to mess with you.	Overall Rating:

Stu (the Potash plant) from Moab, UT Date: May 11, 2001 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Somewhere else. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Ya know, I'm gettin' real tired of all you guys bitchin' about me blockin' your nice little view of the canyonlands. I was here decades before you were even shittin' on yourselves and suckin' on a bottle. Leave me alone! You don't hassle the other plants around here, do you? So why me? Would you rather someone came out and blasted my ancient roots off the mountain? Maybe they could even flatten part of the area and put in one of those McDonalds restaurants you guys like so much! Nothing like taking in a nice view while you're stuffin' your face with hamburgers! If you want a nice view, go down the trail a little ways. By the way, I used to have a real nice view of the canyonlands, too. Until a bunch of mountainbikers came out and ruined it! Pick on your OWN species!	Overall Rating:

Matt "Trail Boy of Virginia" Monticelli from Richmond, VA Date: September 21, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Park at the gravel parking lot and start there. See above for more. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slick Rock, Porcupine.
Review: This was a short, scenic, and somewhat technical trail. The climb up was challenging, especially at the bottom. There were plenty of tough little "pull ups" that keep you busy. The fire road portion was a bore, though. Coming back down is real fun. Most of it is rideable. The scenery was outstanding! However, there is a huge potash plant that taints the view a wee bit. I have heard that if you turn right when you cross that little black pipe on the trail you hit some awesome single track. We missed this and regret it. check with "Coyote Shuttle," he told us about it. I am somewhat of a hard person on trails. Because of the fire road and shortness I must give it 4 chile's.	Overall Rating:

S Mason from Memphis, TN Date: July 21, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Head up from town to warm up on the road Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock and Porcupine Rim.
Review: Good technical, rocky ride. A good warm-up for moab, not tremendously difficult, but a great ride. The loose rock makes things interesting on the way up and a screamer on the way down.	Overall Rating:

Jeff Stewart from hyde Park, UT, U.S. Date: June 4, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: very fun	Overall Rating:

LAST ONE @THE TOP from SLC UT Date: May 17, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Micky DEEs to trail head, then just try to ride every inch of the way. That is the challenge Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: We go to Moab several times a year and this ride is always a favorite. This ride gives you a great little work out on the way up while testing you technical climbing abilities in the small ring, then allows you to recover with a Middle ring section across the top of the plateau and provides areas to practice your trials skills. The views are incrdible, you can either look at the natural beauty of the landscape or watch you buddies grin like a child on Christmas morning when they clear a section they didn't previously think they could. Then comes the Big Ring downhill, its fast, (My brother and buddy tell horor stories of Missy Giove eating it hard in a XC race here- be careful). The trail is littered with slickrock- loose rock- big rocks- little rocks and sand. This ride has it all both uphill and down, I look forward to finding the other routes down.	Overall Rating:

Steve B. from Winona, MN Date: April 25, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: This trail and Porcupine Rim were my favorites.
Review: This is a somewhat technical trail that you can have alot of fun on. I have been to Moab Once, and this trail stands at the top of my list of favorites. I rode 6 trails during my stay at Moab.	Overall Rating:

Mark McCrimmon from Naperville, IL Date: April 25, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Out and Back... This easily allows other rides for the day. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porc Rim is the best
Review: The first time we rode this we went up and then Left near the pipeline down Jacobs ladder thinking that was the singletrack down only to ride another 20 miles back to the trailhead. The second time we went up a little past the pipeline and went right which proceeded into another Moab single track (alot of hike a bike) down to a river crossing.	Overall Rating:

Jon Ormsby from Boulder, CO Date: April 11, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: It's up to you. If you wanna squeeze two rides into one day (like we did), get someone to drop you off near the trailhead. Other recommended trails in the same area: First time in Moab. Only got to do Amassa, Slickrock and Gemini Bridges. Slickrock got booring after a while, but it's a must do. Gemini Bridges was scenic, fun downhill if you get dropped off at the top.
Review: Great ride. The scenery was beautiful. The climb out from the creek was the most challenging part of the ride. The views along the ridge are just incredible. We forgot to look for the alternate route down, but we'll find it next time. Lots of exploring to be done up at the top. Overall, a nice mix of singletrack, slickrock at the top, and ridge riding.	Overall Rating:

Paladin (Chris Brown) from Boise ID Date: April 3, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Just start where everyone else does. Other recommended trails in the same area: Amasa Back is the only one I've done so far, but I'll be back.
Review: This was our first time in Moab, and only had a Saturday as we were dropped off with our bikes at a gas station. We chose this trail blindly, because it was within riding distance of town. Boy o boy was it a hoot! Took a while to get dialed in to the unique terrain and challenges, but once we did, we had more fun than we've ever had on bikes! Enough climbing and technicalities and variety and views to keep me coming back for more. The views on top are spectacular, and the options on top are pretty much limitless. We put in 12 miles on the actual trail system, and made pretty much a day of it. We've ridden in some "must see" areas, but this beats the other "mecca" locations hands down. Best use of a Saturday imaginable. We rode so hard I felt muscles trying to cramp up and my system trying to shut down. The only cramp that stayed though, was the grin!	Overall Rating:

brit from calgary Date: March 21, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: i rode the out and back from town but i've heard about a nice single track that can be done on the descent, which would be nice for a little variety. Other recommended trails in the same area: another decent ride is poison spider mesa, up the the canyon on the opposite side of the colorado river. there's more sand and you can watch people do silly things in their jeeps.
Review: of the moab area trails i rode, this offered the best mix of scenery, climbing and a fun downhill. and if you stick to the main trail there's really not much sand - bonus! route finding gets a bit sketchy near the top as you approach the lookout. pay attention to landmarks for the way back. i dug it!	Overall Rating:

sam from toronto Date: March 11, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Not the out and back! There's a great singletrack back down to the river that makes a loop back to the trailhead. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: On the way down there's a left spur near the pipeline that turns you about 90 degrees from your path up. Follow cairns and find an emerging singletrack that cuts a straight line down the hillside back to river level. Ask Jesse @ Coyote Shuttle for more detailed directions.	Overall Rating:

SheepShagger from Manti, Utah Date: March 10, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Ride out from town instead of driving to the trailhead. The ride along the river is flat and a great warm-up/warm-down for the main ride. Other recommended trails in the same area: LaSal Loop. Porcipine Rim. Flat Iron Mesa.
Review: Great short ride to put in after doing a long ride in the morning elsewhere (like Porcipine Rim). Great climb with some short steep sections, but mostly mellow climbing. Lots of technical switchbacks and ledges to try and ride going up and to launch off coming down. Make sure you ride all the way to the top of the bluff to get a great view of Canyonlands (spoiled by the Potash Plant).	Overall Rating:

Steve from Orem, UT Date: March 5, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: The traditional maps don't show you the best part.Once you get to the top you will go for a ways. Soon after you go over the pipe in the road you will see a trail going left. Take that trail. This trail is difficult to follow at times but watch for the rock cairns and you will have a GREAT time. I have taken it all the way out to the end of the penninsula where there were very few tracks if any.WOW. This is a great trail. Other recommended trails in the same area: Poison Spider (forget the portal trail. I did it last year and it was no good. Once you get to the top, turn around and retrace your ride back down)
Review: I don't know whats up with all these riders saying Amasa Back is boring. It is truely one of the funnest rides I've been on. However it is important to NOT just do the ride on the maps. (see recommended route above) If you want better directions check with Rich at Kaibab bike shop in Moab. I have done this ride about 4 times. I'm getting excited right now just thinking aboutit. We have ridden all the way out to the end of the penninsula, found a place to climb down the cliff and walked out onto a lower area that seemed to be hidden from the rest of the world. There were deer down there and we could see no way that they could get down there or escape from there. Maybe they just evolved right on that island in the sky. This is the best ride I have ever been on.If you go to Moab and don't do this ride you are missing out.	Overall Rating:

Hfly from MOAB Date: March 5, 2000 Trail Ridden: Once a month
Recommended Route: Hard to describe unless you know the basics. E-mail me and I'll be happy to give you directions for all the variations I know on the Back (except a few). Other recommended trails in the same area: E-mail me an I'll tell. It's best if I know what you've done & what kind of riding style and sights you like.
Review: This is a response to the guy from Spokane. Did you know that there are THREE distinct singletracks on Amasa Back, and a HUGE field of Navajo Sandstone containing three sizable arches (one that you ride right THROUGH on the best route)? Did you know that there are THREE completely different ways to descend the Back: the way you came up, the singletrack descent, and Minesweeper (the Chinle Trail)! Do you have any clue how LITTLE of the riding potential you touched by just going up to the Potash View, turning around and heading back. One acre of good Kayenta sandstone set in Spokane would be completely saturated with trails. Almost all of Moab's (semi-infinite) acreage has that much potential! THAT is the reason for the mystique. A little more sense of wonderment and a little less pretentious derision would find you spinning into bliss in the midst of all the possibility. THAT is the local attitude. We live here and we never get enough!	Overall Rating:

Ed from Littleton Date: September 27, 1999 Trail Ridden: Please Select
Recommended Route: Out and back as described above. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine Rim, Flat Pass aka Steelbender, Poison Spider.
Review: This is a great short ride with challenging technical sections and great scenery from the top. Not too strenuous and can be done easily in a morning or afternoon - nice if you have other stuff you want to see and do.	Overall Rating:

Joe from Berkeley,CA Date: September 1, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Out and back, if you get lost it may be near the top, or you fell of a large cliff. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I've got nothing bad to say about this trail. It was my first ride of the spring, and a good one at that. A solid Moab quickie if you're getting into or leaving town and want a fun ride. I can't understand complaints about the view, the landscape down there is like no other place in America, probably the world. It does only get better as you go up. Indeed its a jeep trail, as are other rides around there, but the ledges are fun as hell, going up and down. We actually really enjoyed watching the jeeps negotiate some of the stuff on the trail. Seeing a truck get down the first ledges right off the road at the beginning of the ride was unreal. Enjoy!	Overall Rating:

REDD from Seattle,Wa. Date: August 31, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Out and back like most have said. Park in first parking lot on right. Road is good for a little warm up before the climbing begins. The climb is a nice easy grade with technicalities there to keep you alert. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine,Poison Spider,Moab Rim,
Review: Excellent ride, in my top three of all rides in Moab. Beautiful scenery, its dry and technical with a great view at the end of the climb. I have to agree with Gern Blanston from Lackawana, the one guy from Spokane must of had some cranial damage if he thought the riding in Moab wasn't good or technical enough. His excuse must be: one to many falls-riding without a helmet.	Overall Rating:

Gern Blanston from Lackawana Date: August 14, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: The ride in from town is reasonably short and a decent warm up. If you have vehicles available, there is a parking lot at the Kane Creek Campground. Other recommended trails in the same area: All of them! Slickrock, Porcupine, Flat Pass, Moab Rim etc.
Review: This trail is excellent. I must admit that Will H. from Spokane (and his ridiculous review) prompted this response. I can only imagine that little Willy has either never been to Moab or has some sort of rectal/cranial disorder which has severely impaired his thought processes. RIDE THIS TRAIL - it is world class. PS Will, next time try riding your bike. The singletrack decent on the backside is very loose and unrideable in many spots. It is also pretty exposed in places. I recommend you ride down the way you came up.	Overall Rating:

Jim from San Diego Date: June 2, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: An excellent ride both going up and down. Enough technical challenges to keep it interesting again and again. Plus, the views are really great. What more can I say?	Overall Rating:

Rick Samson from Rosemount, MN Date: May 12, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Out and back. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I found this trail to be really fun on the way up (out)although not to technical. Once at the top it was neat to see the salt mine and feel the thermals. This trail on the way back is fast and quite challenging as the speeds stay on the fast side. This trail is great if you are in a group with a rider who has trouble keeping up on tougher trails like Porc. I rate Amassa my second or third favorite of the trail I've ridden in Moab.	Overall Rating:

Jim Reid from Palmer Lake, CO Date: April 15, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: There are two parking lots you can use. We used the first lot after the cattle guard and rode up to the trailhead. It's an out and back. Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine Rim
Review: Check out the other reviews about this ride. It was these reviews that encouraged me to ride it and it was great advice. We arrived in Moab in the afternoon and were able to finish the ride well before dark. It's almost all four wheel drive road, but I'll tell you, it's still challenging. It's a great climb up, making you work to clean all the shelves and ledges. Once you clear the top, you'll descend for a while. Near the beginning of the descent, there's a tricky technical section. Good riders can clean it, but don't screw up too badly as there is a cliff off to the left. The ride's a lot of fun, especially the ride back to the trailhead. It's steady, fast, and technical. You want to squeeze in this ride when you're in Moab.	Overall Rating:

Will Holden from Spokane, WA Date: March 28, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Just follow the guide. The Sandy Spur is just that, SANDY! Other recommended trails in the same area: Don't go to Moab unless your a beginner. There is not much technical challange, the trails are very poor and the scenery is mediocre at best.
Review: Of the trails in Moab, this is one of the better. Like most Moab riding, the Amassa Back is no more than a glorified Jeep trail. Don't waste your time going to Moab, but if you this trail may keep you from falling asleep.	Overall Rating:

Fade-on from Bozeman, MT Date: March 7, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Up and back Other recommended trails in the same area: Porcupine, Bartlett Wash, Top of the World
Review: I was really disappointed with this trail. The technical and physical demands were pretty high, which I liked, but it was a bit boring. The scenery, until you get to the top is unspectacular. The view from the top is excellent however. My major complaint is that it isn't a loop ride. Mediocre trail for Moab, excellent anywhere else though.	Overall Rating:

Son of Darth from Date: January 25, 1999 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Refer to write-up. Other recommended trails in the same area: If you are going to Moab for the first time there are four Must Do rides: Porcupine Rim (done as a loop), Amassa Back, Poison Spider Mesa to Portal Loop (just use common sense and don�t try riding all the Portal sections), and the obligatory Slickrock Trail (though it is more like a novelty than �real� mountain biking, and you will probably find this the least enjoyable of the four rides).
Review: Of the two dozen or so trails I have ridden around Moab, Amassa Back ranks in my top two (the other being Porcupine Rim done as a loop). A great little climb with some technical sections, and views which will blow you away. The optional spur is well worth doing, although it is sandy in places. If you are doing this trail for the first time you need to keep your eyes open topside or you can get off the trail and find yourself wandering among the rocks like a lost nomad.	Overall Rating: