kokopelli trail bikepacking
Also, the Hot Tomato in Fruita has some of the best pizza Ive ever eaten, and they have great beers on tap. Kokopelli 140 MTB Two-day Stage Event (Individual) The 144 miles spilt into two days of racing, instead of one. Click here for more info. From there, the trail traverses through the Cottonwood Canyon, Beaver Mesa, and all La Sal Loop sections leading up to your final stretch. The Kokopelli Trail crosses the Colorado River and ends at Moabs world famous Slickrock area. The Kokopelli Trail is a 143-mile desert bikepacking route that connects Fruita, Colorado, in western Colorado and Moab, Utah. Its June. The Kokopelli Trail is not for beginner cyclists. Starting with the Ruby Canyon Section, youll continue on through Rabbit Valley, Westwater, Fish Ford, and Yellow Jacket Canyon sections. We were caught in a late March snowstorm and spent the day in a cave, watching the snow pile up. Start at our worldwide routes map to dig into our detailed guides with GPS maps and inspiring photography. Water: I stashed in Rabbit Valley and filtered from the Colorado (tasted only sliiightly of mud) which really was fine and clear after wrapping a bandanna around the intake. Every time I reach this point of the trail, I wonder if Ive taken a wrong turn, but then I check a map, realize Im on the route and laugh at myself for choosing to do this. At times the Kokopelli Trail can serve up demanding single track and steep climbs, makingit a trail not to be underestimated. I rode the latter half on a Monday and Tuesday and I think this really helped with traffic, not sure what this would have looked like on a weekend but I think it's worth it if you can go during the week! The trail was named in honor of its mythic muse, Kokopelli. 28685 Smith Rd Romulus MI 48174 (734) 326-9801. Its a condensed version of my bigger bikepacking guides, which include the Arizona Trail, Tour Divide and Colorado Trail. You can also get your bike repaired at Over The Edge in Fruita. Bikers most commonly ride the Kokopelli Trail southbound, starting at the Loma Trailhead and finishing in Moab. With that said, you can find food at either end. Our first time bikepacking the Kokopelli trail was a humbling failure, but also an appreciative win.This short bikepacking documentary shows the metaphorical. If youre flying from out of town, I recommend you rent a car and spend a day caching water (or pay a guiding company to cache water for you, though I dont know of any that specifically offer that service). Possibly one of the most well-known bikepacking routes in the USA (if not North America), the Kokopelli Trail is one of the best ways to explore the beautiful Colorado and Utah desert on your own two The first 15 miles of the Kokopelli are technical singletrack. There is a reliable stream in Castle Valley, just before the road climbs into the La Sals. There is some water along the route, but not enough to forego caching water unless you can carry enough water for 2 days. But, store your food off the ground to prevent rodents from getting into it. A mix of dirt roads, desert Jeep tracks, and singletrack trails, Good fitness levels and intermediate mountain biking technical abilities required, The route is almost entirely on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land with lots of great camping on public land, Caching water is almost a requirement to bikepack the Kokopelli Trail self-supported, The Kokopelli trail connects singletrack, Jeep roads, and dirt roads following the Colorado River. Food resupply on the Kokopelli doesnt exist. Elevation gain: 13,595 feet/ 4,144 meters, Elevation loss: 14,058 feet/ 4,285 meters. The Koko box is checked and we've got our sights on searching for what is next. We used collapsible water jugs like these so we can strap them to our bikes and easily carry them out, too. Get your FREE backpacking checklist PDF here! If youre like me and have a passion for riding your bike, then read on. I went out to Fruita a few weeks ago with my mtb and car camped in Rabbit Valley and was really wishing i had brought my gravel bike to cruise around there (other than the deep sand pockets lol). See our gear review of the Best Lightweight Rain Jackets for other recommendations. It really is ATV road the entire way between fruita and moab, some sections were very desolate with no trees where I would not have wanted to camp but found great spots both nights that were off the road a bit and felt remote enough for a nice backcountry site. ONE SHOULD ASSUME ALL WATER SOURCES TO BE DRY AND PLAN ACCORDINGLY. Almost 20,000 feet of climbing. Water can be found at miles 48, 70, 83, and 126. I used a Cedar Ridge Outdoors Leconte 20* quilt. Part of the magnificent 142-mile Kokopelli Trail. Find details on the three most recent issues below, join the Bikepacking Collective to get it in the mail (anywhere in the World), or click here to find a collection of selected stories in digital format. The Kokopelli Trail A Bikepacking Adventure. - Get Terrestrial Route notes: the giant tarmac descent from fischer overlook and giant tarmac climb up to the porcupine rim trail suuuucked. As an affiliate partner, One of Seven Project earns a commission for purchases made through any product, brand logo links, or banner ads on this page. If you finished on a weekend you could try and hitch but finding a ride with an open rack and empty seat could prove difficult. Ive even seen some water flowing in the fall around here. Full Circle on the Grand Loop: Part II - The First Modern Bikepacking For more recommendations of puffy jackets, see our Best Down Jackets or Best Synthetic Jacket guides. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews. There are not too many reliable water sources on this trail so its important to plan accordingly. Moab has a small regional airport you can fly to from either Salt Lake City or Denver. The closes airports to fly into would beMoab (CNY) itself, but the cost would be extremely high. KOKOPELLI TRAIL GUIDE - BIKEPACKING - One of Seven Project } A huge to congrats to Lael, Kaitlyn, and Kurt for getting out there and making it happen. Once youre in the La Sals, youll probably find a stream or two to collect water from. The final climb will be on a paved road, but by this point, youll probably be ready for easier riding. This is certainly not a trip for bringing your dog or someone just starting out with biking. Between the river and the top of ride at 8200ft I quickly realized there were not as many water sources as I had thought there would be, and this was the only time I got a little worried the morning of day 3 with 2000ft of climbing ahead of me and only 2L on me. Starting with the Ruby Canyon Section, youll continue on through Rabbit Valley, Westwater, Fish Ford, and Yellow Jacket Canyon sections. Prior to setting out check current local weather, conditions, and land/road closures. There is some concern with possible theft but it worked out fine for me. This ride is definitely not for the novice rider, the climbs and technical sections alone make it more for those with experience. After the first 20 miles of singletrack, youll ride about 30 miles of dirt roads through Rabbit Valley, Castle Rocks, and Coal Draw. Moab Express provides shuttle service from Moab to the start of the Kokopelli Trail at Loma Trailhead. Bikepacking The Kokopelli Trail Treeline Review The Kokopelli Trail is a difficult bikepacking trail. The full list includes: DIA is the largest of the options but is also the furthest away. Packing: I learned a lot from my first trip last year and made it work without a seat bag which was so nice to have full use of my dropper post on the descents. The Kokopelli Trail is a 143-mile desert bikepacking route that connects Fruita, Colorado, and Moab, Utah. } Specialized Tactic bike helmet. We test. It follows the Colorado River, and youll regularly get views of the river as it winds through the landscape below. New Kokopelli Trail FKT - BIKEPACKING.com width:100%; One group member attempted to ride the trail on a drop bar gravel bike with 2-inch tires. Kurts finish time was 10 hours and 56 minutes. I have attempted the Kokpelli 3 times and completed it twice. You should be in excellent physical shape and have previous bikepacking experience to attempt a self-supported bikepacking trip on this route. width:300px; The Kokopelli Trail is part of the larger Grand Loop. width:100%; Bikepacking: Off-Pavement Bicycling and camping where you would if you were to go backpacking. Petzl Bindi, which is a favorite of other Treeline Review writers and featured in our Backpacking Guide to the South Dakota Centennial Trail. Over 143 miles, you climb about 14,000 feet/4,144 meters and descend about the same. } (mens and womens & nobo and sobo available). Read these next or checkout the main resource page. Looking up from Fischer Valley to the top of the climb next to the la sals, giving myself a goal of making it there in 5 hours, and getting up in 5 hours to look back down at the valley. Like any adventure, the Kokopelli Trail is not a trail to trifle which. Nowhere else can you find scenery quite like this! There is amazing camping here, awesome slick rock riding, and stunning Colorado Plateau rock formations. With more than 61 trails covering 486 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. The Kokopelli Trail spreads from Loma, Colorado, to Moab, Utah, over 142 exciting miles! A big storm can leave you stranded on unrideable dirt roads of sticky, peanut butter mud that will stop your wheels from turning. If youve learned a few things or have been entertained, consider becoming a Patreon member. It's a marin pine mountain 2 but I don't think they make the purple anymore sadly. Stretching along public lands, Kokopelli's Trail is an epic journey on the Colorado Plateau. The old railroad follows beautiful waterways, weaving around Allegheny mountains and hills. This is certainly not a trip for. Ive always dropped my bikepacking bags and ridden this section unloaded since its a quick ride along highway 128 to get to either end of the section. } Although this trail has been completed in less than 11 hours and 14 minutes by pro cyclist Lachlan Morton, for the rest of us, we can expect to be out from 2-6 days depending on how many miles you want to cover each day. Kokopelli 100 MTB Relay Same as the 140 but doesnt include the first 40 miles. Another option is to have friends deliver water to you along the route or stash some yourself beforehand wherever possible. BIKEPACKING.com LLC, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to personal property, or any other such situation that might happen to individual riders cycling or following this route. It connects some of the best singletrack around in Fruita and Moab with 100 miles of ATV roads. 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You risk getting caught in a winter storm if you go early in spring or late in fall. div.fca_eoi_form_text_element,input.fca_eoi_form_input_element,input.fca_eoi_form_button_element{display:block;margin:0;padding:0;line-height:normal;font-size:14px;letter-spacing:normal;word-spacing:normal;text-indent:0;text-shadow:none;text-decoration:none;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;width:inherit;height:inherit;background-image:none;border:none;border-radius:0;box-shadow:none;box-sizing:border-box;transition:none;outline:none;-webkit-transition:none;-webkit-appearance:none;-moz-appearance:none;color:#000;font-family:"Open Sans", sans-serif;font-weight:normal;transition:background 350ms linear;}div.fca_eoi_form_text_element{text-align:center;}div.fca_eoi_layout_headline_copy_wrapper{font-weight:bold;}div.fca_eoi_featherlight .featherlight-close-icon{background:rgba(255, 255, 255, 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Returning on 3-inch tires, I had a much more difficult time on those sandy sections. This page is divide up in simple sections to give you information in easily digestible bites. Although the route can be ridden in either direction, but most prefer a southwest flow from Fruita to Moab which enables a legendary finale down Porcupine Rim. Youll need to cache water on the Kokopelli. The Kokopelli Trail is a special route, and whether youre looking to tackle it in a single day or spread it out over a long weekend, its definitely one worth adding to the bucket list. Be sure to stop at, Powered by red Starbursts and Fat Tire Amber Ale, 6 Bikepacking Routes in Southern California | Year-round Fun, 11 of the Most Popular Bikepacking Trails in the US, Colorado Bikepacking Trails A Bikepackers Dreamland, How to Prepare For the C&O Canal and GAP Trail. The other two in the party were on a hardtail and a rigid fatbike. Bikepacking Alliance is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Are you looking for a reliable and efficient fat bike to conquer muddy and snowy terrain? @media screen and ( max-width: 100% ) { Kokopelli's Trail | Bureau of Land Management