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Show C M C M Y K Y K A8 Sanpete Messenger Editor’s Note: This is a version of a story originally titled “Happy Birthday to Me” published in the 2008 edition of “Outdoor Utah Recreation Guide.” The Messenger received permission from Outdoor Utah to reprint the story, though some minor editing changes have been made. Outdoor Utah retains all rights. The author, Seńor Rojo (Senior Editor of Outdoor Utah), relates his experience mountain biking along Skyline Drive. To receive future issues of the Guide free of charge, email your name and mailing address to the publisher at info@outdoorutah. com. Outdoor Utah will not sell or rent your name to others. Visit OutdoorUtah.com for more exciting outdoor adventure stories. By ‘Senor Rojo’ The Great Western Trail is a unique corridor of braided and paralleling trails traversing through five western states, bisecting Utah from its borders on the north with Idaho and to the south with Arizona. Mile after mile of stunning desert and canyon landscapes, plateaus, woodlands, dense forests and alpine meadows. The trail links 18 national forests; tribal, state and BLM administered lands; and encompasses the most diverse vegetation, topography and wildlife in the western United States. It stretches 4,455 miles, more than 1,600 of them in Utah. This is a story of but 75 of them. Skyline Drive—part of the Great Western Trail and one of the highest all-purpose trails in the United States—winds along the broad summit of the Wasatch Plateau, affording magnificent views of Sanpete Valley, mile-deep canyons, lake-filled basins and delightful alpine meadows and forests. Traversing 10,000-foot high ridges barely wider than the road itself, Skyline intersects two other scenic drives, and all three offer developed campgrounds, lakes, fishing, hiking and (drum roll) mountain biking. Mountain biking? Terrain smorgasbord No less of an authority than Dirtworld.com says on its website, “Skyline Drive is for the sick and twisted! You have to be in awesome shape to complete this ride.” And also, “This trail is a long smorgasbord of terrain. Your best bet is to do it in two days. If you can finish the ride in one you are a complete stud! You’ll find long climbs, screaming downhills, ruts, mud holes, and technical sections.” Finally, describing Skyline’s skill level, the website calls it “Masochistic.” Seńor Rojo awoke without the aid of an alarm clock at 4:30 a.m. The day before, he and his amiga, Seńorita Monique, publisher of the Outdoor Utah Recreation Guide, had shuttled his vehicle to a remote spot in Willow Creek Canyon near Salina and returned to Fairview’s only motel, aptly named Skyline Motel. After enjoying a pleasant barbecued salmon dinner, salad and a fine Chardonnay, Rojo tuned his mountain bike while Monique arranged and layered trail food, bike tools, spare tubes and gear into Rojo’s Deuter Trans Alpine hydration pack and cameras and lenses into hers. Then off to their adjoining rooms for, hopefully, a highly necessary siesta. Rojo stumbled out of bed and dressed quickly. As determined the night before, he knocked on the wall separating the two motel rooms, anticipating that Monique would still be dormido. “I’m up,” came the immediate reply. “I’m not only up, but I’m ready to go. How ‘bout you?” Rojo mumbled that he probably would never be ready for what the day had in store for him. A view to a hill Rojo’s amigo Glen Zumwalt rolling smoothly along the rolland his wife Judy own and operate ing terrain. Climb, cruise, uphill, Big Pine Sports in Fairview at the downhill. Twisty turns. Let ‘er base of Fairview Canyon, which rip! But don’t get too cocky. Lots snakes its way up to Skyline high of miles ahead. Big climb ahead. above. Three days before, Glen Gear down. had offered his valuable time to Arrrgh! That was tough, ride with Seńor Rojo on one of ¡duro!” Better rest, save some Big Pine’s rental ATVs along the energia, snack. Monique makes length of Skyline Drive to scout the condition of the trail and, most importantly, to stash water in collapsible containers along the route. The smooth, powerful yet surprisingly quiet ATV covered the route in a little over three hours, and Judy was waiting with truck and trailer to hall the machine and riders back to Fairview. “¡Caramba!” Rojo muttered as they drove to the trailhead. “You’ll do fine” replied Monique. “Take your time, ride e a s y, d r i n k plenty of water, take lots of short breathers and remember ‘Senior Rojo’ forges on along to snack along Skyline Drive. the way. You’ve trained hard and are in reasonably the world’s best trail mix. We call good shape for a man of your it “Mo Made” and it really hits the spot. Check the time, better age.” “Gracias, for reminding me” get moving. She’ll be waiting at Ephraim Canyon, ten miles grumbled Rojo. “I’ll see you at the intersec- ahead. Ten grueling miles. Steeper, tion of Skyline and Ephraim Canyon road at around noon. I’ll longer climbs, some hike-a-bikes have your lunch. Happy trails!” and rutted rocky downhills, one she called out, leaving Rojo alone after the other. This is getting with his mountain bike and pack. tough! Legs okay, but hard to In the dark and cold of an early breathe. More stops, more and September morning. At 9,700 feet. ever-changing spectacular views of Horseshoe Mountain in the Temerosa. ¡¡Mucho temerosa!! No choice. Start pedaling. distance. Finally, that must be the The surface is hard and good. The Ephraim Canyon spur road ahead, morning air is still and crisp as the 30 miles in. Glen said there’ll be first light of dawn illuminates the lots of activity there. ATVs and gorgeous landscape of the Manti bow-hunt weekend. Finally, there’s Mo’s car and La Sal National Forest. Below and to the left several glistening she’s got lunch set up in a shady lakes appear and to the right, far spot. Turkey sandwich and rest. below, the placid Sanpete Valley, So tired, Rojo considers quitting. Fairview and, in the distance, Mo gives huge encouragement Mt. Pleasant and iconic, majestic and says eat grapes. Horseshoe Mountain. The sun is Instant energy up and warming the beautiful late “Grapes? Why grapes?” summer day. Two hours in. No problems, Rojo wonders. Wednesday, July 30, 2008 PHOTOS COURTESY OUTDOOR UTAH/MONIQUE BEELEY Spectacular scenery along rim of Skyline Drive makes the struggle worth it. “Instant energy” she replies. “Okay, okay, I’ll give it a go,” and off Rojo rides, pack loaded with grapes and more “Mo Made.” “You’re on you own now” she shouts. Did Glen say ATV activity? These ATV folks are friendly; give a wave and a “Hi” as they pass, but the dust! Hard enough to breathe with the climbs, altitude, stress. Mile after beautiful mile and finally reach the sign at the side of the trail, “Highest Point on Skyline Drive—Elevation 10,897 feet.” All downhill from here? Not on your life! The next several hours and miles are what Dirtworld must have been talking about. Ten hours and 53 miles in. Not a good average speed, but with all the climbs and rests in between, to be expected. Barely a sip left in the hydration pack when Rojo reaches the final water cache around a bend with an unobstructed view of a landmark peak called “Molly’s Nipple.” Now it is all downhill. But steep, rutted, rocky and turny. Be very careful. Nobody around to help. Don’t fall, don’t take any chances. A mountain biker almost never gets hurt on a climb. But here, and dog tired, fraught with peril! Finally, finally, there’s the car. Nothing around it when we shuttled two days ago, now it’s surrounded by campers and motor-homes. Bow hunters partying and one jovial reveler says, “Where in hell you been on that bicycle, boy?” Rojo replies, “I rode from the trailhead of Skyline up Fairview Canyon.” “Hell, damn! That’s prob’ly 60, 70 miles away!” Rojo checks his cyclometer. “74.7 to be exact. Can you spare a cervesa?” EPILOG: Seńor Rojo rode Skyline Drive solo, on a hardtail, almost 75 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbing, in 13 hours on his 70th birthday. He lost 12 pounds and slept 20 hours the next day. Skyline is spectacular and, unless you’re a glutton for punishment, that’s not the way to enjoy it. Do it over two, three or even four days. Bring along a sag wagon, camp out, hike, fish and enjoy this Utah treasure. Attention All Vendors! OW H S E RAD ld T e to be h DAY R U T SA 6TH R E B M SEPTE Your local radio station is now accepting vendors for the Trade Show held in conjunction with the Taste of Home Cooking School to be held Saturday, September 6th at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield. For more information call your salesperson or the radio station in Manti at 435-835-7301 or Richfield at 435-896-4456. Keep listening for details about ticket information and new Trade Show events. C M C M Y K Y K |