[xtremewriter]

We'll be arriving in Moab after some Fruita biking in May and are considering staying at Sands or Kane Creek BLM sites...can you bike to the trailhead from either of those sites or do you have to drive? Hoping to arrive on a Tuesday/Wed to hopefully have open sites.

Also, thinking slickrock one day and porcupine the next...or are there better trails that we should hit? Thinking 2-3 days of biking and one day of hiking Canyonlands or Dead Horse Point.

 

[NASTYZ]

If you are camping on Kane Creek, the Amassa back trailhead is right down the road a couple of miles. Great riding and views!

Are you riding Porcupine with a shuttle? If so, you may be able to ride Slickrock and Porc in one long day.

Enjoy!

 

[xtremewriter]

Sweet. And after just reading about the road up Porcupine, seems like a shuttle is the way to go! I'm going to have to find a good map to purchase I think.

 

[poppa#1]

Has something changed about that road? We always rode from ***** Bill -Slickrock-P RIM. I will be there in a 9 days and I am now curious about this? Anything I should know?

 

[xtremewriter]

No clue if anything has changed - I just read that it's 10 mile uphill route to get to get to the good stuff...figure I'd save some energy...it will be day 4 of mountain biking for me. Disclosure, coming from WI where you can't get in any training on the trails because it will truly never stop snowing --oh and no fatty bike

 

[poppa#1]

Thanks for the reply! That section is not so bad, unless it is scorching. It's not a good time either. SEE YA IN THE DESERT!

 

[NASTYZ]

The loop route is great, but the shuttles run a long way above where you cut into the classic Porcupine trail by the cattle water tank and pit toilet. If you shuttle, they can drop you at Upper Porcupine Singletrack (UPS), or further up, depending on snow. That upper singletrack is incredible for the technical rider.

The ride up Sand Flats can also be interesting, as more and more of the bigger ATVs are running up and down that road. I have never had a problem with Jeep types dusting me on that road, but in the last year Razr types have done it half a dozen times.

 

[11053]

Sweet. And after just reading about the road up Porcupine, seems like a shuttle is the way to go! I'm going to have to find a good map to purchase I think.

Excellent maps are available at the Sand Flats entrance station. If you are camping or riding in Sand Flats, get one when you register. They are "free" with your entrance fee.
By mid May, much of the good stuff above Porcupine proper is open. Shuttles will be running to Upper Kokopelli or maybe even Hazard County.
Riding the old school Porcupine trail as a loop with no shuttle used to be a rite of passage back in the 90's(and earlier) before people realized mountain biking could be fun. As a loop ride from town, the old Porcupine route isn't too big of a deal. However, making a loop out of Hazard, Koko, UPS, LPS, and Porcupine is something that only a small percentage of riders would enjoy.
With the new paved bike path at the end of the Porcupine single track, the pedal back to town is casual and enjoyable.

 

[poppa#1]

The upper sections sound very appealing to me. Thanks for the info. I like the technical stuff. Paved path back to town? I have not been since '05. Are there water resources available on the upper sections of Porcupine now too? The hardest part of the loop from ***** Bill was carrying the water required for that sort of "good time" and "fun".

 

[xtremewriter]

Hey NASTYZ - for porcupine (shuttle up, then upper and lower)....my skill level is intermediate plus to expert when it comes to Wisconsin MTB terrain... But when it comes to drops and screaming downhills, eh, I tend to get off and make my way down them. Is there so much of that on Porcupine that I should just skip it or suck it up and use it as an opportunity to build on skills a bit? I haven't encountered anything that I couldn't get my bike up or down (while walking) and I've done most of the trails at Fruita.

 

[flowtron]

Get on a shuttle, go as high as they are going, have fun. Walk if you need to, maybe in a few spots.

 

[MSU Alum]

Agree with flowtron. As said, with a shuttle in the morning, it's quick enough to add in an afternoon ride.

 

[xtremewriter]

Great! done and done. Thank you!