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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
I will be riding thunder mountain tomorrow morning for the first time...Alone... I was able to scout out and find both trialheads before the sun went down. my wife is going to shuttle me.

Just wondering if the trail is marked well and should I ride it alone? Any helpful comments will be appreciated.
 

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Discussion Starter · #3 ·
Well I found out today I don't need to wear a bike helmet off the bike today! I was able to navigate thunder mountain just fine.
What a great place. Had a little of everything and the views were beyond explaination. If you ever get a chance to ride this place DO IT!! Just watch out for the occasional tricky switchback
 

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We "met up' with horses on the last section... it is big ring and small cog WFO.... It was not a pretty experience. Luckily the horseman was a talented rider and kept it in four hooves. He was also waaaaaaay nicer than he should have been to me IMO. As I begged forgiveness he said "Naaaaaw woories that's ok, I been trying to get this guy here used to bicycles.. he's still a little fresh"

Be careful on that last uber fast section... horses regularly ride that up.
 

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Discussion Starter · #5 ·
Stt guy you must have been right behind me cause I came across 4 horses about the last mile or so but I was able to get over safely and let them pass.If I recall correctly the female rider was a nice looking brunette.
I hope one day to get back out to Utah and ride Thunder again as well as alot of the other trails in the Utah.
 

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Thats good they were nice to you. Most cases when I ride that trail I run into the guided horse tours and the guides seem to be more anxious about mountain bikers due to the fact that their group is made up of inexperienced horse riders and might not know how to react if the horses becomes nervous. I'm always courteous towards them, I've had a few close calls with horses not knowing what to do about "us". So i move off and let them pass, but every now and again they treat me like I'm 5 years old and start yelling "Hey there are Horses down here!" I think in the back of my head, "There are mountain bikers up here!" Cause im a dick. Or they'll say "Stop and move off the trail, don't move or you'll spook my horses." Well If me walking my bike past your horse is gunna spook em then maybe you shouldnt be riding this "public multi use trail." One time riding accross the canyon we got stuck behined a a tour of 5 or 6 horses and they wouldnt budge or let us pass. The guide suggested that he has the right away(which he does) and that we should stay back and not pass them.....That was a pretty slow ride back to the truck the last mile riding over fresh horse crap at 1/2 mph. That mostly happends in the summer months but come spring or fall the trail is all but abandon and even more fun to ride with no traffic jams.
Funny thing i was just thinking about that last mile and how fast you get going, which frankly is most likely faster then the 5 or 10 mph speed limit on public trails, I have yet to run into or pass anybody on that section. I seem to always run into people at the top of the trail near all the drainage's that you climb in and out of.

Still though one of my favorites...

Thunder Mountain,Mountain biking utah

Thunder Mountain,Mountain biking utah
 

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The horse group/guide having a "riught of way" does not dismiss them from the obligation letting you pass when conditions are safe to do so. I treat horse tour guides and horse folks in general way there treat me.. I mirror them. A$$hole = A$$hole super nice guy = super nice guy and I'm really good at either when I need to be. .

I am sensitive to that fact that the guides are earning a living but if they talk condecending to me I let them know in front of their entire group that that's not going to net them a good result with me. BTW clients who witness someone behaving like an a$$hols don't tip well as a rule. It works better of everyone plays nice.
 
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