MOAB OFF ROAD CYCLING SAFETY & ECOLOGY
PART 2

CARE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER SELF-PROPELLED CREATURES

There is a saying, "Take only pictures. Leave only footprints." Please amend this worn out phrase for Moab terrain: "Take pictures. Leave absolutely nothing.." Stay on the trail and stay off of the cryptobiotic soil crust (the black textured stuff on the surface of the desert) and all other fragile desert plants. "Crypto" is based on an organism called cyanobacteria, which acts like a microscopic net, effectively stabilizing the dreaded drift sand that lies under just about every plant or rock in the Moab area. Cyanobacteria¹s vine-like structure grows, reaching out, actually grabbing each grain of sand on the surface. Over the first fifty years of its development this crust is practically invisible, but once the sands have been stabilized and moisture builds up below the surface, colonies of algae, moss and lichen set up home and produce the mostly black, but at times very colorful, mounds, tiny spires and pits that are "crypto." The resulting blackened crust is the base for all life in the Moab area, so respect it, even if others do not. If you think the cattle and motorheads are bad, remember that because of our numbers mountain bikes are huge players in the destruction of flora and fauna around Moab. Cattle do horrible damage, but their pock marks (seen in the photo on the left of your screen) are far more natural than a bike's linear track that turns into a canyon over time by funneling water down its path. Erosion is why this place is the way it is, but let's not accelerate the process.

Lichens and mosses growing on the slickrock are just as important as cryptobiotic soil crusts in the stabilization of the environment and the minimalization of erosion. Organisms growing on the rock surface stabilize the rock in much the same way as the crypto stabilizes drift sand. Mosses on the rock not only stabilize the surface of the rock, but collect sand drifting across the rock. As the sand is captured in the filaments of moss, the moss grows over it, incorporating it in its structure. This creates pockets of soil that in biological time soon become harbors for larger plant life that in turn supports small animals. If you are freeforming on slickrock, please practice riding techniques that guarantee that you do not destroy the beautiful lichens and mosses that turn bare rock into colorful mosaics of color and texture. There are many many varieties of moss and lichen on the rock in canyon country. Their color is a display of minerals that each variety processes and digests. Without lichens and mosses, the rock begins to deteriorate and erode more rapidly. For a graphic example simply ride the Moab Slickrock Trail and notice the actual trail surface as opposed to the surrounding rock. In the case of Slickrock Bike Trail you will notice that the trail surface is beginning to wear away where there is repeated traffic. The BLM has already adapted policies and regulations aimed at preserving the fragile soil crusts. Look for further regulations regarding rock surfaces in the future. This will certainly mean further restrictions for mountain biking. In the meantime, mountain bikers should do their best to leave as little evidence of their presence as possible. Dreamride¹s tour policies guarantee minimal impact by including an evaluation and environmental skills lesson on the first day of any vacation package.

Lizard or chipmunk kills along a trail are disturbing. Speed is fun, but be reasonable. Racing is for the race course. Bikes can be very car-like in this regard and we do not need any more reminders that we are on a "vehicle". Noise is a serious problem for wildlife, as well. Speed is noisy. Hooting is for hooters. "Yahoos" are fine for the ramps in City Park, but anywhere else this runs wildlife out of the area. Co-exist, please! Silence is a common courtesy to every living creature present in the area. If you want to really understand the problem hide along a canyon wall and listen to people pass by. Boy, are we noisy. Don¹t you think it's bad enough that we are ugly?

DO NOT RIDE OR BATHE IN DESERT STANDING WATER POOLS! Small water pockets on the rock leave dry blackened pits that should also be avoided. There are fragile and extremely rare life forms in those blackened pits and water pockets. Most importantly, don't let your dog run or wallow in these tiny ecosystems. Leave Fido at home if you are riding into fragile areas. All desert rides around Moab can be considered fragile! Some are hammered already, but previous impact has not lessened the need for concern. When it comes to pronghorn antelope, desert bighorn sheep, mountain lions, coyotes, rabbits, and the local insect population, dogs make the struggle for survival in the desert even harder than it already is. Rover gets fed well at home, but wild creatures must fend for themselves in an environment with sparse food choices. Please do not create unfair competition for food and water and remember that domestic animals carry diseases that can be spread to wildlife. One the side of your pet, remember that if you leave Rover out there in the desert it would be a miracle if he lasts more than one or two nights. Coyotes and mountain lions love dog meat. If you insist on dragging your dog onto the trails around Moab, then stick to the dirt roads like Hurrah Pass, Gemini Bridges Trail, Back of Behind, or the La Sal mountains. These areas are already impacted heavily and large wildlife is scarce, though not gone altogether.

Bears are found in the mountains around Moab and can be dangerous if you appear to be a threat. The best thing about the bears around here is that they are not used to people. Mostly they ignore you if you ignore them. If you panic, make a sudden move, or yell, you could be asking for trouble. Suddenly climbing a tree may be just the thing to piss a bear off. A mother with cubs usually will not attack if you remain calm and do not get between her and the cubs. It is best to remain calm and slowly move away. The bear's first move is usually to get away from that stinky thing on the noisemaker. Bears can be unpredictable however, and if you meet one that happens to be offended by your presence, your best bet is run or ride very fast DOWNHILL. Bears don't do the downhill thing very well--their front legs are shorter than their hind legs. As the VERY last resort, lay down and play dead. Climbing a tree may work if you can climb that first ten feet faster than the bear, but that is unlikely. The bear may just assume that you are prey. A bear can run and climb unbelievably fast. You've got to be faster and a much better climber. When the bear catches you it will be much more violent if it smells fear or senses that you are fleeing, which you are. Frankly, bears deserve respect. If you can telepathically transmit that respect, you will be fine. Try to remember that these creatures are beautiful, big, and powerful. That alone should cause awe to take over. Fear and awe are too different emotions and emit different odors. A pagan nature will keep you out of harm's way. See them as equals, as beings that deserve respect. Talk softly to them. Thank them for allowing you to be with them. I once had a mother brown bear walk away, leaving me with her cubs. Frankly, the cubs looked pretty tough without mom. Think about it; bears spend more time in the dreamtime than they do in waking. Did you know that reality means "What the King says is true"? The root of the word "real" is "royal". Because a bear dreams for more than six months of the year, it knows what exists, not what is "real." It deserves respect for this knowledge and if you think of this when you see a bear, rather than thinking of the creature as a mean old "bear", you may feel a connection that the bear will feel, also. Maybe this is too weird for you. If so, just remain calm. Let the bear do it for you. I think you will be surprised at how quiet it can be while it runs from you.

Mountain lions exist in great numbers, especially in the Abajo Mountains. If you encounter a lion, making eye contact could get you into real trouble, but generally mountain lions are not interested in humans as food or for companionship. If they hear you or see you, they will be gone. If you are confronted with a lion, try not to look like prey. Do not flee or look afraid, especially if you ARE afraid. Try to look bigger than you are. Hold your bike over your head and yell, . . . and thank your lucky stars for the chance to have seen a lion in the wild.

Special conservationist note: Hundreds of lions and bears are being hunted and killed each year in Utah. If you are interested in saving a lion or bear from the hunt, you can visit a National Forest Service Office in Utah and, for a fee, sign up to reserve a bear and/or lion to kill (the same goes for Elk and Antelope). There are supposed to be a limited amount of permits, so if you exercise this right and do not kill the animal, you will be saving a life, as well as the creature's offspring. Just don't tell the Forest Service you are doing this to save a bear or lion, or else they will just take your money and sell another permit. Talk instead about the joy of killing with a gun or bow, so they can relate. On the other hand, if you are a hunter, you have the right to kill anything legally set aside as prey, so knock yourself out, just make sure the thing you are firing at is not wearing a helmet and riding a bike. It must be said that hunters are one notch above the apathetic. Hunters at least have an interest in maintaining stock to kill.

We do see a lot of scorpions and centipedes around Moab and they can inflict a painful bite, but usually not while you are on your bike. The big nasty looking scorpions can hurt you. The little yellow to fully translucent ones, Bark Scorpions, which hide in the bark of Juniper or Pinon trees, can kill you. You can find them by pulling up bushes and collecting Juniper bark in the desert (a routine practice for those of who get stuck out in the desert at night and need to make a fire). They also love the warmth of a fire and your body. Remember, if you put your helmet down on the ground for a while be sure to knock on it and shake it out before you put it back on. Those little scorpions would love to crawl in your ear. Did you know that the reason Poison Spider Mesa is called Poison Spider? Well, it's because of the scorpions, not the spiders. Speaking of spiders, the Brown Recluse and Black Widow live around here. I was bitten by a Brown Recluse once on a camping trip in the bottom of the Grand Canyon. A big chunk of my leg turned black and fell off with only a slight itch. The Black Widow¹s bite is quite different. It causes severe cramping and can clamp your lungs down like a huge vise. The effect lasts quite some time. A brown or a widow can really screw up your life up for a while, causing all kinds of unpleasant symptoms, depending on your metabolism and sensitivity to such bites.

Of all the desert creatures the most god-awful pests are the mosquito and the cow fly. Mosquitos in the La Sals, Abajos, and along the river can be a problem, but are hardly present on most rides around Moab. Carry insect repellent during the warm months if you are riding in the mountains or near standing water, but only put the repellent on clothing, not on bare skin (especially Deet, which is really awful for your skin), unless of course you don't mind what it is doing to your flesh as opposed to the bites. The best advice I can give folks coming to Moab is not to camp in the campgrounds next to the Moab wetlands at the north end of town. Skeeters happen there. Cow flies, on the other hand, are a hell of a nuisance. They usually don't mind the repellent unless you are drenched in it. Avon Skin So Soft helps keep them off without the toxins, but is only minimal in its effect. The best thing about cow flies is that they are easy to take revenge upon. They are used to biting cows. I've noticed that if I drink milk or frozen yogurt or ice cream before a ride, they love me, so ride with a buddy that likes to drink milk. The worst time of year for cow flies is early to mid June to mid to late July, but seasonal changes can effect just when the little suckers are reproducing. The female is the one who bites, and the life cycle is the reason. Sometimes we have clients that insist on riding Entrada Sandstone during peak fly season. Bartlett Wash is the most hellish place for cow flies. We now have a method. Get there before sunrise, before the flies come out and when you come down off of the slickrock, use a full can of high powered Off for every three people. Then go home and wash the stuff off before you die. Go to LORD OF THE FLIES for a story about how bad it can get.

TRAIL ETTIQUETTE

Share the trail with others and if they ask for help, give it to them. If you come across a person who is lost, let them ride with you. If someone asks to tag along, let them, if at all possible. Always help others in need, even if they don't appear to be in trouble. Dehydrated people can be very friendly, or so spaced that they just stand there, and are generally unaware of their own dangerous predicament. Don't be a selfish jerk. Share your water and food, if someone needs it. Be courteous and kind, if not for their sake, for your own peace of mind and spiritual well-being. If you see another biker ignorantly riding across cryptobiotic crust or throwing rocks into a canyon, try to correct them in as diplomatic a manner as possible. Remember why you are riding and try not to ruin someone else's day just because they are unaware, or just plain stupid. Enlighten them. If they refuse to be enlightened, then it is OK to used verbal abuse before you get as far away from them as you can.

Slow your speed for hikers and dismount if you are on a tight trail. Give any living creature lots of warning as you approach. Always dismount for horses coming from the opposite direction and, if you wish to pass an equestrian, horses will be much more comfortable if you are heard clearly as you approach. Don't leave bikes in the middle of the trail. Beware of blind turns, severe ledges, and drop-offs.

Believe it or not, four-wheelers and motocrossers are mostly very nice people and usually display more courtesy than fellow mountain bikers. Say "Hi" to them as you go around them. If you see a four-wheeler running amok in the desert, for what it's worth, they deserve harsh treatment, but remember that because of our numbers, mountain bikers are just as much of an environmental problem. Sadly, four-wheelers and motocrossers are our allies in maintaining access to the best trails on earth. Despite the fact that the mountain bike is human powered, we are lumped in with the motors. While this is indeed unfair, considering that we are self-powered, but share the trail!

KNOW FIRST AID AND CPR! TAKE A CLASS AT YOUR LOCAL RED CROSS. EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THIS STUFF. DREAMRIDE REQUIRES ALL GIUDES TO KNOW FIRST AID AND CPR. A FEW OF OUR GUIDES ARE QUALIFIED FIRST RESPONDERS.

Happy trails and safety first,

Lee Bridgers

I just had my first encounter with quicksand. After so many bad movies about cowboys being swallowed up in the stuff, I figured it was pretty rare. It is, but when you find it for the first time it could be your last. I was hiking up a stream with Julio Laboy, a writer for the Wall Street Journal, just last week. Julio had spotted some Indian ruins and I was out ahead slogging through the creek over rocks and through the muddy water trying to find a route up to the site. I stepped onto what looked like wet sand and my foot sank like I had stepped into a patch of whipped cream. If it had not been for an instant fast-twitch reaction and a nearby rock I would have sunk up to my neck in a second or two. I poked my walking stick into the stuff and it went right down, but when I tried to pull it out the sand sucked it like a thirsty baby on a tit. Beware walking across wet sand in canyon country!

AMMENDMENT #2 November 1997

On the night of November 3, 1997 I got shut down by darkness and deep sand in the desert and had to spend a cold night out there. I was scouting the Hey Joe Canyon Loop, a very, very long ride, and took along Tony Ellsworth of Ellsworth Bicycles, Mike Mulder, his brother, and their buddy Bob from Ramona, California. We found ourselves about 15 miles from the vehicle when it got really dark. These are some of the things I thought about while smoking myself next to the fire:

1) Wish I had a space blanket! They're so light and work so well.
2) Boy, am I glad I had matches and a lighter. No one else did. Also glad I know how to make a fire in a hurry. Also happy that sage is great firestarter and cow turds burn so nicely.
3) Thank God we all brought flash lights, though Mike nearly burned out his batteries with his Walkman before it got dark. No wonder he didn't respond to shouts.
4) Glad I didn't tell the guys about the scorpion that crawled across my leg to get next to the fire.
5) Making a windbreak and warming up a couple of rocks to put against my backside really made the experience much more comfortable.
6) Really glad that I didn't listen to Mike when he insisted we continue on in the dark.
7) Sorry we destroyed that fence, but fence posts soaked in creasode (spelling?) really burn nice, although my lungs are still saturated with the stuff.
8) The godawful portage out of Hey Joe Canyon (see the photo just above) is like rock climbing with a mountainbike (one thousand feet of steep rock). It was almost as bad as the ten miles of deep sand to the canyon and the ten miles of deep sand we had to endure after we reached the top and before the light went away. And, if we continued on, the next fifteen miles of deep sand back to the truck.
9) I've lost count of the times of the times I have gotten lost using an old and outdated guidebook. Remind me to write one.
10) Really glad I brought the glove liners and balaclava.
11) Really glad I brought too much water and Cliff Bars, and ate a big breakfast before we took off. Also, thankful for Tony's tradition of carrying beef jerky on long rides.
12) Really glad I donated to Search and Rescue.
13) Not so glad we got a late start because Tony had a million phone calls to make and couldn't be pulled away from his full suspension design work with his cad program computer he brought with him. By the way, Tony is Tony Ellsworth--check his bikes out at DREAMBIKE.COM.
14) Really, really glad I left the note on the frig that said, "Hey Joe with Ellsworth."
15) Really, really, really glad Miki called Search and Rescue when I thought she would.
16) Really glad to see Bego Gerhart in his four wheeler at 2AM, despite the fact that we had to listen to his dry humor all the way back to the truck.
17) Really glad Search and Resue is free for locals.
18) Really thankful for the insight that a Moab Mile is not at all like a New York Minute.

AMMENDMENT #3 April 13, 1998

Dreamride has been marketing and publicizing extreme mountain biking and slickrock stunt riding due to our professional involvement with the film industry, commercial photography and downhill racing sponsorship. As any person or organization goes down this path, these interests come into conflict with real concerns of local Search and Rescue who have made it quite clear that they are worried that encouraging this sort of activity will increase their already severe load of rescues. Moab Search and Rescue says, "We don't want to be out there scraping meat off of the slickrock with a snow shovel." In deference to these guys, I feel that I should put the record straight for those of you who may find this particular realm of the sport very seductive:

THIS STUFF IS VERY, VERY, VERY DANGEROUS. Leave it to the professionals. It is one thing to play around on a BMX course that has been meticulously packed and bermed to give you just the right arc for a jump. It is a completely different thing to go out and jump a bike on slickrock. Shaums March who is pictured here doing one of his first stunts on slickrock, says, "When you crash on a dirt course you leave an impression in the dirt. When you crash on slickrock, the course leaves an impression on you." This sort of riding is not only dangerous, it is lethal. YOU'VE GOT TO BE UP TO THE TASK AND YOUR EQUIPMENT MUST BE EXTREMELY STOUT. You will not walk away from a severe crash on slickrock. Search and Resue ain't cheap, if you are lucky enough to live long enough to pay. Life Flight helicopter trips start at about $7,000.

One way to enjoy extreme slickrock biking in as safe a situation as possible is to take a DREAMRIDE SKILLS CLINIC. This way you will be spotted and supervised by professionals like Shaums. Everyone who has ever taken a clinic from Dreamride has gone away with a hefty boost in skills and confidence.

AMMENDMENT #4 May 7, 1999

99% of our clients are awesome people to be with, fit, willing to listen, interested in the natural world and in the lives of fellow clients, but there will always be the occasional rotten apple. The best advice I can give, if you are coming out with friends, is please choose your friends wisely. If you need clarification go to MATURITY AND BUDDY GROUPS. On a similar note, Dreamride is in the middle of litigation from an accident caused when one of our guests refused to listen to the guide and rode a section of trail that the guide demanded that she walk. When your guide tells you to get off and walk a section of trail, do what he or she says. If you hire a guide and do not use the wisdom and knowledge you have paid for, then falling on your head is not going to make you any smarter. When you fall on your head then you forget that the guide told you to walk that section of trail and then you end up suing us for your own stupidity and ignorance. So, for the sake of both of us, if you are not someone who accepts "guidance," please do not call us up for a tour.

AMMENDMENT #5 MAY 20, 1999

There is now a ski lift up to the top of the Moab Rim. Do not take your bike up there thinking that a downhill ride on the Moab Rim Trail is a fun thing to do, unless you are a skilled rider with full suspension equipment and armor. The Moab Rim Trail is brutal going up, but even more brutal coming down. It is extremely steep and made of slab rock with huge drops, ledges and can chew up a bicycle wheel in no time. There are a couple of spots on the trail that have you exposed on the edge of a cliff. If you are curious, just ride up it a ways. If you can handle the climb chances are you will skilled enough for the downhill rush.

AMMENDMENT #6 AUGUST 20, 2000

On the 3rd of August a 13 year old boy got lost on Porcupine Rim and was found dead four days later. Reasons for this sad event are easy enough to state, so I will list cautions here and hope the right people read them. 1) Don't ride trails beyond your skills. A 13 year old boy with little or no instruction in desert survival (one of the skills that is required), should never attempt this trail even under the supervision of a parent (the boy in question was riding with his father). 2) Never leave on a ride after 11AM during summer months. Leaving late in the day does not mean it will be cooler. On the contrary, it is hotter in the afternoon due to heat that has been absorbed by the rocks--sort of like riding in a pre-heated oven. 3) Take A LOT OF WATER!! That means a 100 oz. bladder and a couple of water bottles. At least a gallon is needed as you leave from the trailhead. 4) If someone gets separated from the group, do not take on the responsibilities of local Search and Rescue. Get the professionals involved ASAP. 5) If you run out of water, conserve energy. Know where you are at all times in relationship to water and trailhead and trailtail. If you are dizzy, sit down in the shade and conserve your energy. 6) If you are separated from your group, get in the shade, STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO FIND YOU. Do not take the bike magazines, the Moab Bike Patrol, and local bike shop community at its word when asking what is an appropriate trail to ride. Read as much as you can on the subject. I have written a trail guide especially for you. All proceeds from sales in Moab or through this website go to Grand County Search and Rescue in the name of the boy who died here in August.

Keep it sideways, but know what you are doing before you lift off! Ride hard, but ride within your limits.

Click on SKILLS INDEX for a section of the website dedicated to skills tips, technical information and more information on environmental concerns and ecological damage already done.

Oh yea, I wrote a guidebook. Themes are safety first, environment second, fun third. The New York Times recently reviewed the book, calling it big, heavy and opinionated. They used it to set up a trip to Moab and article on the town, so I guess they liked it. The book IS opinionated. It is kinda big. It is heavy enough not to want to take it in a fanny pack. Make photo copies of the pages or buy two and tear one up.

"There are trail guides; and then there's the real deal." ~ Bike Magazine

"Mountain Bike America's Moab guide is setting a new standard for guidebooks. Lee Bridgers' first-hand accounts give the reader a sense that they have some behind-the-scenes information about Moab." ~ Brian Fiske, Senior Editor of Mountain Bike Magazine

Lee Bridgers' Moab guidebook is now available in bookstores around the world. To order a signed copy for $25 call 1-888-MOABUTAH.

Call 1 (888) MOAB UTAH in the states.
If you are calling from foreign shores the number is 435-259-6419.
FAX number is 435-259-8196.
or write to:

Dreamride
P.O. Box 1137
Moab, UT 84532

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