Hurrah Pass to Amasa Back

Hurrah Pass to Amasa Back

	Hurrah Pass to Amasa Back
Location:	Utah
Nearest Town:	Moab
Directions to Trailhead:	Go 5 miles west on Kane Creek Blvd from downtown Moab
Trail Description:	Starts out easy, has a scary but fun downhill part way through, gets sandy, has a 700 ft hike up a cliff wall,then has one of the best downhills in town at the end. This loop is a very long and tough ride. Can be done in under 3 hours, but not easily.
Trail Length:	23.5 miles
Trail Type:	Singletrack & Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Advanced
Submitted By:	Slim from Milwaukie OR

Zach from Park Citt, UT Date: May 6, 2001 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Follow Jeep trail 'till breaks right to a climb, desend into Jackson Hole, Hike Jacob's Ladder then Amassa Back desent. Other recommended trails in the same area: It maybe even better NOT at race pace.
Review: This ride is awesome! Did it as a race (Tour de Canyonlands 01') and still after all of the hurt, I really enjoyed this ride. Be careful of the first ledge coming up on the descent, one of the racers fell, hit their head, had to be carried out and put into an ambulance and drivent to Allen Memorial Hosp. But that descent is awesome! All of the little drops and ledges make this descent super technical and the cliff to one side isn't the most plesant. Descent shouldn't be tried by beginners. Also, Jacob's Ladder is a big push to reach the top (You'll be surprised how large it is).	Overall Rating:

Jim Potter from Longmont, CO Date: February 26, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Kane Creek road out of town, or drive out to Amasa Back trailhead. Up and over Hurrah Pass, head toward Jacob's Ladder through Jackson's Hole. Hike-a-bike from Hell up Jacob's, down Amasa Back. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Just did this ride Feb. 16. with three friends. Early season is recommended. Sand isn't so bad, heat isn't so bad. Still bring a big-o-bag of water, some chow and repair tools. We rode at a lesiurly pace to take in the views. The ride up Hurrah is not very steep or technical. Careful not to push it, there is plenty more riding to come. Descent from Hurrah was great, but watch your speed! Big consequences if you go into some of those turns to hot!! Jackson's Hole was cool, but when the sand is dry and the sun high later in the year, could be brutal! Look for the free-range camels! Saw plenty of tracks. The hike up Jacob's Ladder was not so fun, but in the context of the whole ride, very worthwhile. I real front triangle for portaging is a big help. Can't imagine racing up it; yikes!! The view from the top is made all the better by the effort required to get there. Amasa Back descent is a riot. Best with a few inches of suspension under you. Watch for Jeeps crawling up. Now THAT is suspension! This was a great ride. Never to technical, but plenty long, the views were nice and the remoteness was cool. Be prepared, start early, and it's best to be somewhat fit and able on the bike. I don't think it would be very fun in late spring or summer, but our Feb. ride was 5 star.	Overall Rating:

Mark McCrimmon from Naperville, IL Date: April 25, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: We rode the opposite route (Amasa, Jacobs Ladder, Jacksons Hole, Hurrah Pass, Kane Creek Road) which is harder (of course we did it by accident) Other recommended trails in the same area: Porc Rim
Review: Good long ride with alot of miles. Be careful in Jacksons Hole to have alot of water. We ran into sand and were getting tired of being stuck down there.	Overall Rating:

SheepShagger from Manti, Utah Date: March 10, 2000 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Ride Kane Creek Rd over Hurrah pass and then swing back through Jackass Basin, climb Jacob's Ladder and descend Amasa Back. Other recommended trails in the same area: LaSal Mountain Loop. Porcipine rim.
Review: The ride out Kane Creek Road is Ho-Hum road riding but the descent from hurrah pass to Jackass Basin is quick and fun. The best part of this ride however is the view from the top of Amasa Back and the descent back to Kane Creek Road From Amasa Back. The Amasa Back road is full of slickrock, sand and lots of jumps and ledges. Carry extra tubes, pinch flats are common with tons of speed and lots of sharp rock lips.	Overall Rating:

JB from Boston Date: January 23, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Park at Amasa Back trail head. Other recommended trails in the same area: La Sal Mnt.,Bartlett Wash for some early evening fun,Prichett Canyon,Porcupine Rim.
Review: This is a nice endurance type ride with great scenery. Be sure to bring extra water, this is a pretty remote trip. Three of us did this loop together , and two of us ran out of water after the climb up Jacob's ladder. With the misery aside, I would recommend this ride to anyone looking for a good varity in their rides. I did this in 1996, but the next time I go to Moab I will include this on my list of rides. If you enjoy this type of suffering. I would also recommend some of the loops up in the La Sal Mountains.	Overall Rating:

Vaughn from Denver Date: December 20, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area: I'd be real curious about shuttling down Kane Creek Canyon. I've 4whled it, thinking it was pretty darn sandy in sections for a bicycle, with ridiculous number of water crossings... but one of these days, would be an adventure.
Review: Fun, relatively mellow ride. Looking at about a 20 mile loop if you park at the Amasa Trailhead. Riding from town probably adds a total of 10 miles. One can cover a lot of miles spinning along Kane Creek Road. I don't have a clue about geology, but I do enjoy trying to identify the different strata. This ride passes you through a lot of it. Other Moab rides I enjoy more for the thrills and spills, but so far this one takes the cake for scenery. Not just one or two epic views. My first loop was a couple years ago in the middle of Winter. All that red rock framed in white. Totally Ansel Adams. Last time took a couple intermediate riders along, who handled it quite well.	Overall Rating:

BURT BARCELONA from NEDERLAND, CO Date: October 27, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Up Hurrah Pass, over into Jackson's Hole, up Jacob's Ladder, Down Amasa Back. This is actually the course used for the Tour of Canyonlands bike race. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This is one of my favorite rides out there. It has a total adventure to it - the route is a bit tricky to find and the hike-a-bike puts all other hike-a-bikes (Montezuma Revenge excepted) to shame. Hurrah Pass is pretty chill, but it's a fun climb. Jackson's Hole has a bit of everything - rough singletrack, brutal climbs, sand, slickrock...you name it. Just don't miss the key turns or you'll be heading off into Canyonlands. Also, stay to the right of the big butte or you'll be in for a rather miserable sand hike. The hike up Jacob's Ladder can be a bit tough to find - just look for the powerline. It's an awesome hike - whiners need not apply. Finally, the drop down Amasa Back is pure fun. Just save a bit for the climb back up to the road.	Overall Rating:

Q from Calgary, Alberta Date: May 29, 1999 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Start from town and travel along the gravel road for about 9 miles. Follow the road to the right and go up to the top of Hurrah Pass. Enjoy the view, then enjoy the down hill to the bottom of the pass. Make sure you head right at the bottom. Follow the trail/road to Jackson Hole. Climb up Jacobs Ladder, cough up a lung, then head down a great down hill to the road and back to town. Other recommended trails in the same area: Poison Spider Mesa, Moab Rim
Review: This is a great ride, but don't do it alone and in the snow like I did. It was a little sketchy there for a bit. Be prepared for sand, uphill and more sand, take lots of water and energy food, you'll need it! Incredible views at every point on this trail. One of my favourites in Moab. However no single track so only a rating of 3.	Overall Rating:

BAD BOB from MONTROSE CO Date: February 9, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: AMASA BACK TO JACOBS LADDER (PIPE LINE DROPPING INTO JACKSON HOLE) ACCROSS JACKSON HOLE (IN THE SAND ?$%^&) TO HURRAH PASS BACK TO TRAIL HEAD OF AMASSA BACK Other recommended trails in the same area:*
Review: START OUT WITH GOOD CLIMB ON BROKEN SLICK ROCK ON AMASSA BACK, YOU WILL QUESTION YOUR SANITY WHEN YOU HIKE A BIKE INTO JACKSON HOLE, RIDE ACCROSS JACKSON HOLE QUITE SANDY , CLIMB OUT ON HURRAH PASS A GOOD GRIND, GREAT DESENT ON OTHER SIDE OF HURRAH PASS...	Overall Rating:

Son of Darth from Date: January 25, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: 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: The best thing about this �trail� is the view of the Wile E. Coyote landscape through which it passes. If you are lucky enough to ride this when snow is on the surrounding buttes, it is not something you will soon forget. However, the riding itself is relatively dull until you reach Amassa Back: graded dirt road to Hurrah Pass, followed by rough jeep road to Jackson Hole and Jacobs Ladder (the portage to Amassa Back). And the 400 ft. vertical climb over boulders with a bike on your back cannot exactly be described as fun. Let�s just say that if I lived in Moab, this is not a ride I would do every month (but maybe once every six months). So this ride gets three tires on the Moab Scale (of course, it would get five tires anywhere else).	Overall Rating:

Slim from Milwaukie OR Date: January 13, 1999 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Start at trailhead continue up road to Hurrah Pass at 10 mile mark. To left is trail into Jackson Hole hold on, kinda rough. At bottom on right is a wash, turn here and get ready for sand. After 6 miles of this you'll be at the bottom of Jacobs Ladder. Put your bike on your shoulder and start climbing, it's 700 ft to the top. You are now at the top of Amasa Back, after a small climb or two, get ready for the best part of this ride. Be careful you'll be pretty tired by now and there are plenty of places to get hurt on this descent. At the bottom there's a short but STEEP climb back up to the road. Take a left here and it's a short ride back to the trailhead. Don't do this ride alone! Bring LOTS of water, tools, spare tubes, and a camera. You may be on this trail for 4-5 hrs so pace yourself. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock, Gemini Bridges, Poison Spider, and Porcupine Rim (the best in Utah)
Review: Excellent ride to do in the middle of a vacation. Includes a little of everything that Moab has to offer. Make sure you're in good shape before attempting this ride, and make sure you bring lots of supplies, you'll be a long way from help.	Overall Rating: