# 10Kmiles roadtrip, 2 months, over 25 different trail locations & 19 states PIC HEAVY!



## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

*10Kmiles roadtrip, 2 months, over 25 different trail locations & 19 states PIC HEAVY!*

My girlfriend and I have a road trip planned for this summer and we are extremely excited about it. I will be documenting the entire trip as much as possible with pictures and captions in order to share it with you and to save these wonderful memories to be had.

This journey will be about 10,000 miles long round trip and will take about 2 months. We have over 35 stops scheduled which includes different must see destinations, bike trails, camp sites, friends houses and a couple of hotels maybe. We have over 25 different trail locations mapped out and we will be crossing 19 different states.

We will leave Florida and drive for 2 days on the south border of US till we hit Arizona. Once in Arizona, the fun will begin :thumbsup:.

_Based on feedback and suggestions from this thread, we have added a few stops to the trip. Thank you all for your input._

We will be hitting these major biking destinations (in order):

-National Trail in Phoenix, Arizona
-Broken Arrow in Sedona, Arizona
-Buddha Beach via Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona
-Grand Canyon National park (not sure if there are any bike trail here?)
-Jem Trail in Hurricane, Utah
-Tahoe Rim Trail in Lake Tahoe, California (newly added)
-Downieville Downhill in Downieville, California
-Local trails in Ashland, Oregon *(we will spend 3 weeks here and would love to meet locals to ride with)* 
-North Umpqua Trail in Roseburg, Oregon 
-Metolius-Windigo Trail in Bend, Oregon (newly added)
-Mackenzie River Trail in Mackenzie Bridge, Oregon
-Hood River Town surrounding trails in Hood River, Oregon
-Sun Valley Trails in Ketchum, Idaho
-Park City surrounding trails in Park City, Utah
-Porcupine Rim in Moab, Utah
-The Edge Loop and Zippety Do Da in Fruita, Colorado
-Wasatch Trail in Telluride, Colorado
-401 Trail, Teocali Ridge Trail, Deadman's Gulch/420 Trail in Crested Butte, Colorado
-Monarch Crest Trail in Salida, Colorado

Above you have an overview of what the major trail destinations are.

We would love to meet new fellow bike enthusiast along the way so if you are a local or live near one of the trails mentioned above, please let us know and maybe we can meet. PM or email me at [email protected]

Here is what our route looks like










I will update this thread with pictures as much as I can. Dont know how much internet access I will have along the way.

Thanks for looking


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## Jerk_Chicken (Oct 13, 2005)

I'll follow. Sounds great. Hope you guys have a good and safe time.


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## CraigCreekRider (Apr 12, 2007)

Sounds like a great trip. Have fun!


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## stylie (Jan 6, 2007)

That is going to be such an incredible way to spend your summer. I have to say that I am a bit jealous about your excursion. But jealously aside, be safe, enjoy and have a great trip!


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## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

Live the life! I will follow with enthusiasm (and envy). :thumbsup:


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## BSG (Jan 11, 2004)

*Telluride*

I see that you have tride on your list. Give me a shout when you get into town and I can show you the goods. Wasach trail is a pain is the ass on both the uphill and down. If you only have one ride Alta lakes is the ticket. I generally ride wasach once a year just to humble myself. Also if you need a place to stay. I work for a couple of the nicer hotels in town and can hook you up with a good deal.
bsg


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## Brunner (Apr 25, 2009)

so youre planning on driving a car with a bike rack not peddling the whole way right?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

BSG said:


> I see that you have tride on your list. Give me a shout when you get into town and I can show you the goods. Wasach trail is a pain is the ass on both the uphill and down. If you only have one ride Alta lakes is the ticket. I generally ride wasach once a year just to humble myself. Also if you need a place to stay. I work for a couple of the nicer hotels in town and can hook you up with a good deal.
> bsg


This is exactly why we decided to start this thread now. We thought that by the time our trip takes off, we could have a lot of great tips and feedback from the locals as well as some riding buddies we can hook up with. So thanks, this is awesome.

PM me your contact information so that we can get in touch when we are getting into town.

Thanks again.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Brunner said:


> so youre planning on driving a car with a bike rack not peddling the whole way right?


No. Biking the entire way. We are hardcore like that.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

I'm JK by the way. We have a fully equipped Saabaru. Will post pictures later.


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## El Salt (Oct 18, 2004)

I've been lucky enough to have ridden most of those trails (never ID though), over the years. But, wow, doing that as one big adventure sounds awesome!

The trials are great and you're sure to have a blast, but my bet is that it'll be the people, other riders, that you meet along the way that will make this trip a true adventure.

I look forward to following your journey.


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

Wow, what a trip! I did a 10,000 mile 2 month road trip a couple years ago when I moved to CA. 

I would recommend getting a national parks pass. You can't mountain bike in them on any good trails, but they're all amazing. There's a whole bunch along your route. The pass is $80 so you figure it'll pay for itself if you go to The Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Yosemite, Crater Lake, The arch in ST. Louis, etc. 

I'm really looking forward to your updates and pictures.


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## luckynumber9 (Mar 7, 2009)

daaaaym jelousy is striking. have fun


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## Long Tooth (Aug 17, 2006)

*Fun trip*

Have fun! I'm looking forward to the posts.


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## crisillo (Jul 3, 2004)

wow...that sounds like a blast...I'll follow the reports


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## Mountain Medic (Oct 12, 2004)

awesome!


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## NuMexJoe (Jan 12, 2004)

First, it should go w/o saying that I'm envious, and I hope you two have a blast. Second, while you didn't ask for feedback WRT your trail selections, I'll nonetheless note that you didn't include a stop in Durango. Molas-Coal Bank-Cascade is worth the diversion, and there are many otehr nice rides, too. WRT CB, I'd choose Deer Creek over Teocali Ridge, and Reno-Flag-Bear-Dead is nicer than either (although perhaps that's you intent since you listed Deadman's Gulch). And finally, I'd pass on the Edge Loop while in Fruita and perhaps do some combination of Marys/Horsethief/Moore Fun/Lions/Troy Built. Again, have a blast, and I'll also be following your road trip with interest!
- Joe


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Increible! What a dream trip, can't wait for updates. 

My only humble suggestion is to re-think the desert agenda since this is a summer trip. Personally, I'd throw out everything you have planned in Arizona and Utah (except maybe Park City) in favor of more time/locations in the northwest and high rockies.

Southwest can be a bit of an oven this time of year. Just my $.02, don't want to buzzkill.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

You've got to be kidding me. You are not going to visit Bend, Oregon? 

I would ride with you if you came to Corvallis but there is not much ridding around here...


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## Herm99 (Sep 5, 2008)

chickenlegs said:


> Increible! What a dream trip, can't wait for updates.
> 
> My only humble suggestion is to re-think the desert agenda since this is a summer trip. Personally, I'd throw out everything you have planned in Arizona and Utah (except maybe Park City) in favor of more time/locations in the northwest and high rockies.
> 
> Southwest can be a bit of an oven this time of year. Just my $.02, don't want to buzzkill.


Took the words right out of my mouth...looks like the first half of his trip is threw the brutally hot and humid south. I would personally move the entire trip up about 400 miles. Plus he's not even getting into western montana, would of been the best part.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

That should be a terrific trip! My (now) wife and I once took a 2-month long bike trip and we still talk about how great it was.

Just one thing -- daytime high temps in Phoenix during summer is around 110F (feels like 130). You're aware of that, right? Everyone rides at 5am-6am then clears out. Mid-day riding means very short rides as water is the limiting factor. Personally I'd stay further north, such as South Boundary Trail in Taos, NM, and Flagstaff, AZ. I wouldn't stray much further south than that latitude.


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## KaKah! (Oct 11, 2005)

*Good lord, you are going to live my dream!* Props for having at it. While I've ridden 1/3 of the trails on your list, I could really only hope to ride them all in my riding career, let alone in one massive and rad road trip. For years I've toyed with the idea of selling the homestead and hitting the road for months on end - riding, drinking, camping, drinking, riding, drinking...
You have Sedona on your list, I hope you plan more than one or two days there as there are far too many trails to pick from and they are nearly all amazing!

I will be following along for sure. Have fun!


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

sounds like a wonderful trip, bala! i hope gas prices don't continue to get crazy for you.

i look forward to pics/updates.

later.
ez


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## ThePinkBarron (Aug 28, 2008)

I will bite. Enjoy the trip. I look forward to photos!


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Just wanted to add that MBA said Bend Oregon is the best place in all of America to ride...


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

El Salt said:


> I've been lucky enough to have ridden most of those trails (never ID though), over the years. But, wow, doing that as one big adventure sounds awesome!
> 
> The trials are great and you're sure to have a blast, but my bet is that it'll be the people, other riders, that you meet along the way that will make this trip a true adventure.
> 
> I look forward to following your journey.


You're right, I am looking forward to meeting people along the way... I hear rumors that people from out west are a little friendlier than the South East area. Either way, I am sure Ill meet good people throughout this journey.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

chickenlegs said:


> Increible! What a dream trip, can't wait for updates.
> 
> My only humble suggestion is to re-think the desert agenda since this is a summer trip. Personally, I'd throw out everything you have planned in Arizona and Utah (except maybe Park City) in favor of more time/locations in the northwest and high rockies.
> 
> Southwest can be a bit of an oven this time of year. Just my $.02, don't want to buzzkill.


The route goes through Arizona because we are visiting a good friend there and spending a few days, so I cant do this to her and change the route. I am aware Arizona is HOT but I am used to HOT and hope to ride really early or later evenings.

BTW, how is Arizona humidity wise compared to Florida, does anyone know?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Kona0197 said:


> You've got to be kidding me. You are not going to visit Bend, Oregon?
> 
> I would ride with you if you came to Corvallis but there is not much ridding around here...


What is Bend, Oregon? We can look into it but this trip is somewhat full already and this might mean we would have to drop other locations. Will consider non the less. Thanks for the suggestion.

Maybe you can meet us somewhere where there are trail to ride?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

KaKah! said:


> *Good lord, you are going to live my dream!* Props for having at it. While I've ridden 1/3 of the trails on your list, I could really only hope to ride them all in my riding career, let alone in one massive and rad road trip. For years I've toyed with the idea of selling the homestead and hitting the road for months on end - riding, drinking, camping, drinking, riding, drinking...
> You have Sedona on your list, I hope you plan more than one or two days there as there are far too many trails to pick from and they are nearly all amazing!
> 
> I will be following along for sure. Have fun!


Yes, we have two days in Sedona. I hear nothing but good things about this place.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> sounds like a wonderful trip, bala! i hope gas prices don't continue to get crazy for you.
> 
> i look forward to pics/updates.
> 
> ...


I know! When we were planing this trip, gas prices were in the low $2 but it keeps creeping up.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Bend is a city in central Oregon. Home to many profressional riders. Also home to some of the BEST singletrack trials and epic rides you will ever find.

Start here:

http://www.mbaction.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=news&mod=News&mid=9A02E3B96F2A415ABC72CB5F516B4C10&tier=3&nid=C1BB54A964964D129CFADBBC4C3F0A2B


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Kona0197 said:


> Just wanted to add that MBA said Bend Oregon is the best place in all of America to ride...


Will definitely check into Bend, Oregon... Thanks for letting us know.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Thank you all for all the comments, suggestions and support. Keep them coming!

You guys will enjoy this thread!


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## Fat Bob (Mar 5, 2004)

There's a couple (in Bend, OR btw) who did a similar trip, but did the northern route and up through Canada. I can't seem to find the link to their site, but they documented it. I keep wanting to say "Giddy Up Tour" or something, I'll search again later. They had a VW Van, but I think they took like 6 months. If you stop in Texas hit up bikemojo.com for ride info.


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## scoutcat (Mar 30, 2008)

looks like a blast. any particular reason you are staying so far south at the start? theres some IMBA epics not too far north... have fun.


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*Tahoe?*

Looks like you are going by Tahoe without riding there. Big mistake!


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## monogod (Feb 10, 2006)

dump phoenix. it's HOT this time of year. the riding window is 4:30am - 10ish (if that late) before temps skyrocket to WELL over 100 degrees in the shade. having ridden that entire area, national is a good trail but it's not worth the trouble, imho.

instead, spend the time in flagstaff (coconino!)

also, you might want to rethink the first leg of your journey as you're missing womble (imba epic ride) and some good riding in texas (cameron park (one of geoff kabush's favorite spots to ride), greenbelt, et. al)

no harshin, just offerin' up a couple more cents... 

looks like a great trip, enjoy! :thumbsup:


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## cycleologist (Nov 28, 2007)

Wherewolf said:


> Looks like you are going by Tahoe without riding there. Big mistake!


+1 to that. Tahoe is awesome- great XC AND Northstar to boot.

And what is up with no Texas riding? I suppose I am biased but here is TONS of great riding on your route through the Lone Star State. There are so many that come to mind but if I had to suggest a couple I'd drop by Flat Rock Ranch (don't let the name fool you) in Comfort,TX and Lajitas in Teringua, TX.

I suppose you have to limit the destinations otherwise you'd be out on the road longer.

Have fun, be safe. The journey sounds fantastic!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Bala said:


> What is Bend, Oregon? We can look into it but this trip is somewhat full already and this might mean we would have to drop other locations. Will consider non the less. Thanks for the suggestion.
> 
> Maybe you can meet us somewhere where there are trail to ride?


Browse on the Oregon board a bit for lots of Bend info:

http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=78


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

yeah with the rte ur travelling, you should at least hit up government canyon in san antonio, and lajitas trails system and contrbando/dome trails near big bend.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Bala said:


> The route goes through Arizona because we are visiting a good friend there and spending a few days, so I cant do this to her and change the route. I am aware Arizona is HOT but I am used to HOT and hope to ride really early or later evenings.
> 
> BTW, how is Arizona humidity wise compared to Florida, does anyone know?


AZ is drier than FL, but hot is hot. Turn up your oven to 300F then open the door and put your face in front of it. That's what it feels like to go outside in Phoenix during summer.

National Trail is awesome, so as long as you _have_ to be there during summer then just go out very early. Like 4:30am early. It doesn't really cool down in the evening.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Fat Bob said:


> There's a couple (in Bend, OR btw) who did a similar trip, but did the northern route and up through Canada. I can't seem to find the link to their site, but they documented it. I keep wanting to say "Giddy Up Tour" or something, I'll search again later. They had a VW Van, but I think they took like 6 months. If you stop in Texas hit up bikemojo.com for ride info.


That was poster SLinBend. He no longer has the link to his Gittyup.net tour on his profile, but maybe if you PM'ed him he might still have it.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

scoutcat said:


> looks like a blast. any particular reason you are staying so far south at the start? theres some IMBA epics not too far north... have fun.


We are planning on passing through phoenix to visit a friend, and figured we'd hall ass to get out there (most direct route) considering we don't have all the time in the world. But if there are specific trails or towns that you are referring to that aren't on our current trip, post info.


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## Acme54321 (Oct 8, 2003)

Like others have said.  Az is going to be hot. Phoenix especially, Sedona might be ok. You definately need to rethink your desert plans. Maybe do less in the desert and go up into Canada some, BC or whatever. Go to whistler. Have you ever ridden in NC? Swing through Asheville for a few days on the return trip.


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*Another Suggestion*

Sounds like a great trip! My GF and I do many road trips for biking.

I second the suggestion about Flagstaff over Phoenix. Flag has some AWESOME fun rides!

Also, if you're up in the St. George area, Gooseberry Mesa might be more fun than Jem. Or you could do both. And while you're up there, it would be worth the extra day's drive to hit the Thunder Mountain Trail (just outside of Bryce Canyon) at sunrise. Trust me on this, but there's nothing else in the US like Thunder Mountain and riding it at sunrise is spectacular (and it will still be cool enough to do it at that time). Seriously, I can't recommend it enough. It's like mountain biking on Mars in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon!

Park City will be fun, fun, fun, but hopefully you'll have your climbing legs on.

If you do Sedona, be sure to skinny dip at Buddha Beach. You owe it to yourself!

Have a great trip! Best wishes!

--Jim


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## Blister Butt (Jul 20, 2005)

*Sorry, one more*

If you're in the Sun Valley area, be sure to go to Stanley and ride the Fisher Creek trail! It's another one of those "must ride" trails in the U.S. It has one of the funnest downhill romps you'll ever ride; that'll cost you a nine-mile double-track climb. But it's totally worth it and Stanley has some great hot springs that are just the ticket for sore muscles.

Have fun!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Acme54321 said:


> Like others have said. Az is going to be hot. Phoenix especially, Sedona might be ok. You definately need to rethink your desert plans. Maybe do less in the desert and go up into Canada some, BC or whatever. Go to whistler. Have you ever ridden in NC? Swing through Asheville for a few days on the return trip.


We would love to hit BC but unfortunately we don't have enough time. Another trip.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Blister Butt said:


> If you're in the Sun Valley area, be sure to go to Stanley and ride the Fisher Creek trail! It's another one of those "must ride" trails in the U.S. It has one of the funnest downhill romps you'll ever ride; that'll cost you a nine-mile double-track climb. But it's totally worth it and Stanley has some great hot springs that are just the ticket for sore muscles.
> 
> Have fun!


Duly noted.


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## yater (Nov 3, 2006)

Hit the Womble trail or Syllamo's in Arkansas instead of driving across Kansas. Both are listed as IMBA epics and are an awesome ride.


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## shoulderfu (Sep 25, 2005)

You really should hit up Durango too!,Would be happy to show you a high country ride or two that will have you saying monarch crest. ...schmarnach crest!


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## Greg12341 (Mar 15, 2009)

sounds cool


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## vindiggitydog (Aug 6, 2008)

Bala said:


> My girlfriend and I have a road trip planned for this summer and we are extremely excited about it. I will be documenting the entire trip as much as possible with pictures and captions in order to share it with you and to save these wonderful memories to be had.
> 
> This journey will be about 10,000 miles long round trip and will take about 2 months. We have over 35 stops scheduled which includes different must see destinations, bike trails, camp sites, friends houses and a couple of hotels maybe. We have over 25 different trail locations mapped out and we will be crossing 19 different states.
> 
> ...


So you are going to have to do 167 miles a day to meet your goal of 10,000 miles in 2 months... Is my math right?????:eekster:


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## vindiggitydog (Aug 6, 2008)

Bala said:


> My girlfriend and I have a road trip planned for this summer and we are extremely excited about it. I will be documenting the entire trip as much as possible with pictures and captions in order to share it with you and to save these wonderful memories to be had.
> 
> This journey will be about 10,000 miles long round trip and will take about 2 months. We have over 35 stops scheduled which includes different must see destinations, bike trails, camp sites, friends houses and a couple of hotels maybe. We have over 25 different trail locations mapped out and we will be crossing 19 different states.
> 
> ...


So you are going to have to do 167 miles a day to meet your goal of 10,000 miles in 2 months... Is my math right?????:eekster:


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## RaveOn (Dec 21, 2003)

The good and bad experiences will last a lifetime! :thumbsup: 

If your relationship survives the trip, you better marry her!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

RaveOn said:


> The good and bad experiences will last a lifetime! :thumbsup:
> 
> If your relationship survives the trip, you better marry her!


Hahaha, funny... We have been through allot worst, this trip will be therapy!


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

vindiggitydog said:


> So you are going to have to do 167 miles a day to meet your goal of 10,000 miles in 2 months... Is my math right?????:eekster:


They're driving.


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

I'd add the Tanasi Trails, Ocoee TN and the Dupont/Bent Creek/ Brevard NC area trails to your journey on the way home if you've not ridden them before.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Mike (from Telluride) and Tom (Downieville), thank you very much for offering to show us around and a place to stay. You kindness is greatly appreciated.


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## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

Sounds like a fantastic trip!

Here are the tweeks I'd suggest:

Skip PHX and head right to Sedona. Do a big ride on the east side one day and a big ride 
on the west side the second day.

Then, head to Flagstaff. You'll be glad you chose higher elevation rides in AZ.

Sorry, but PHX in the summer will cook you dead unless you can do the 4 AM ride. In all
seriousness, it's easy to run out of water -- and that can be deadly.

In OR, skip Bend and hit Oakridge as it has some BIG mountain trails whereas Bend seemed
more like a playground in comparison.

In Crusty Butt, the Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadmans is a great loop. The climb on the dirt road 
is a "nice warm-up". Ugh. But the route from that point on is premiere!


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## shrubeck (May 11, 2006)

Epic trip! Sent you an email; I'd love to help.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

shrubeck said:


> Epic trip! Sent you an email; I'd love to help.


Email replied... Thank you so much for your help Dennis, it is much appreciated.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Evil Patrick said:


> Sounds like a fantastic trip!
> 
> Here are the tweeks I'd suggest:
> 
> ...


Noted!

We will probably try to ride PHX @ 4am because our friend, who we are staying with overnight, lives really close to this trail so we figured we might as well hit it.

Will look into the rest of your recommendations, thanks.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

OK... So I figured I get started by posting a few pictures of the car we are driving in as well as the bikes we will be using on this trip.

The last couple of months I have been preparing my girlfriends car for this trip. I have performed all of the required maintenance services and we have also bought some accessories we think would make life a little easier on us.

Initially we had roof racks for our bikes but we didn't really like it so we went ahead and bought a hitch mount 2 bike rack that works much batter and it already came with a built in bike lock. We also added a roof basket so that we can use it to throw in our dirty gear, helmets and shoes after each ride.

Here are a few pictures of the car:


























































Now here are the bikes...

My bike:










You can read the complete build up thread HERE.

Sarah's bike:










You can view more pictures of Sarah's bike HERE.

We have been practicing allot to make sure we can handle all of the back to back rides on this trip.


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## Damitletsride! (Feb 4, 2004)

Marin... nice. I really liked the rift zone. What is the trail way over on the right?


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Bala said:


> We have been practicing allot to make sure we can handle all of the back to back rides on this trip.


When my wife and I went on our 2-month long trip, what helped us keep riding nearly every day was to massage the legs daily and do cold water soaks on our legs post-ride. If we skipped either one then we could really tell the difference the following day. I think the ice bath was more beneficial than the massage actually.

We also never let it bother us if we wanted to take a half-day off to rest, catch up on laundry, or see a matinee.


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## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

Depending on what day/time you make it to Tucson, Evil Tracey and I live in Tucson and there are some
sweet mountains with some awesome rides.

I'm envisioning a Bug Spring / Prison Camp (Molino Basin) shuttle. It'd be a nice "welcome
to AZ" ride.

Keep me posted and maybe we can work something out?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Alright, the date is set!

We will be leaving Florida on July 10th... I will be contacting everyone who offered to ride along in their city a few days in advanced.

Ill keep you posted.


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## rr (Dec 28, 2003)

Hey Bala, looks like an amzing trip, for your CO leg some of the trails mentioned like Crested butte or Monarch Crest are amazing in the fall with the leaves changing, usually happens around mid to late Sept so you might want to time it right, just a thought. Snow in the high country is also common in Sept.

Check in on the front range forum when your comin thru CO Springs, we can show you some goods here as well.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Thanks, we'll do.


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## cth978 (Feb 9, 2009)

What kind of bike rack is that?? looks intresting. Also how much did you pay and where did you get it?


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## shelbster15 (Nov 5, 2008)

K here is the scoop on riding the jem trail in Hurricane......I would skip it. You are already hitting up fruita for some sweet desert singletrack so Jem imop would be a waste. While Jem is a great trail. I would recommend Riding Gooseberry Mesa instead. It has better views of Zion natn'l Park too. If you did however have time to detour and head north 2 hours I would Highly recommend riding Thunder mountain outside of Bryce canyon. There is nothing that comes that close to that trail as far as scenery. Anyways Thats what I would do. I've rode them all many times and Thunder would be my first, Then gooseberry Then JEM. Hope i can persuade you if not good luck  Here is some pics of thunder.


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## Dan0930 (Oct 25, 2005)

Awesome dude! Have fun. The car is rad. Was that the year subaru made the 93x? Trim those brake lines on your bikes they are way too long and are gonna get snagged and torn


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

+1 what Shelbster said. Gooseberry and Thunder Mountain are definitely high on the "Do not miss" list.

Then coming out of Bryce head across Nevada on US 50 instead of your proposed route and stop and do at least one ride in Ely, NV on your way to Tahoe (another "don't miss" as others have pointed out).

I'd be happy to hook you up in Ely. Higher elevation desert riding (6500-9000' feet) perfect in the summer and there's at least a day of great riding to be had if you need to stop and stretch your legs.

And take Evil Patrick up on the Tucson riding (Bugs/Green Valley/Prision Camp/La Milagrosa). Good stuff and the higher elevation will make it more tolerable in the heat.

Sounds like a dream vacation. Have fun.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

cth978 said:


> What kind of bike rack is that?? looks intresting. Also how much did you pay and where did you get it?


Here you go:

http://www.etrailer.com/pc-hitch-racks~A30901.htm

Use coupon code: YT09 for 5% off.


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## cth978 (Feb 9, 2009)

could you post pics of the bikes loaded up on the rack if you have one?? that would be great.


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## the sloth (Aug 11, 2007)

Have fun on your trip, I'm sure it will be amazing. And whatever you do don't trust that cheap cable lock on your bike rack even for just a second... a cutter will go through that in an instant and ruin your day.


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## meph (Sep 18, 2003)

Bala said:


> Here you go:
> 
> http://www.etrailer.com/pc-hitch-racks~A30901.htm
> 
> Use coupon code: YT09 for 5% off.


I have the same car (I have the WRX). Can you open the hatch with the bikes off the rack??

Can you open the hatch with the bikes on the rack??

Thanks!


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## olapiquena (Sep 11, 2008)

What about the Kernville Plunge? Having also ridden most of the trails you listed, I can't imagine being that close (3hrs from Vegas?) and not hitting up one of the more old school epic descents around. Hope you have a great time.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

cth978 said:


> could you post pics of the bikes loaded up on the rack if you have one?? that would be great.


Here you go:


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

meph said:


> I have the same car (I have the WRX). Can you open the hatch with the bikes off the rack??
> 
> Can you open the hatch with the bikes on the rack??
> 
> Thanks!


Yes, the hatch can be open if the bikes are off the rack.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Nat said:


> Just one thing -- daytime high temps in Phoenix during summer is around 110F (feels like 130). You're aware of that, right? Everyone rides at 5am-6am then clears out. Mid-day riding means very short rides as water is the limiting factor. Personally I'd stay further north, such as South Boundary Trail in Taos, NM, and Flagstaff, AZ. I wouldn't stray much further south than that latitude.


Yep. Phoenix and Sedona will be oppressively hot. Phoenix because it's 110, and Sedona because all the rock reflecting energy will make it feel hotter than it is.

Flagstaff, at 7000' and higher, is absolutely amazing in the summer, and has amazing trails that rival anything/anywhere. Like boulders? It's got that on Supermoto and the Hobbit Forest. like trails with jumps? It's got that, and so on.

Phoenix (and even Sedona) are off-limits to me in the Summer. I live about halfway between Phoenix and Flagstaff, and it's a no-brainer. The quality of trails in Flagstaff is amazing, but the heat is real, people die and have other critical occurances just due to the heat in Phoenix.

You do realize the absolute "low" temperature in Phoenix before the sun comes up can be in the 90s?


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## cth978 (Feb 9, 2009)

Thanks for the pics!!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Alright! Allot of planing, anticipation and excitement... The time has finally come... Tomorrow evening is when we head out, hit the roads and start this epic road trip.

Here is a pictures of most of our gears and supply we have prepared for this trip:

Riding gear
Camping gear
Food
Bike tools
Car tools
Water container
Gas container
Etc...


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## Evil Patrick (Sep 13, 2004)

Sun Block?

Butt Butter?

Sun Shower and Camp Soap?

Big Trash bags for stinky, used bike clothes?

Laundry detergent?

Bagels?

Beef Jerkey?

Cold weather gear/clothing for off and on the bike?

Rain gear?

GPS?

Trail Maps?

Contact info?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Yes... Everything mentioned plus more... Well, we are vegetarians so we didn't pack the beef jurkey but everything else is a check.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

At first glance I thought you were bringing 5 reams of paper. "We _love_ to write!"


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## City Goat (May 18, 2009)

Spare car keys! Trust me on this.

You hold one set, lady holds the other spare. It would suck to lose keys out on the trail and be screwed.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Yes... There is one spare key securely hidden in one of those magnetic box underneath the car.


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## jjcools (Apr 13, 2006)

For sure go for Goose, I love that ride.


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## shrubeck (May 11, 2006)

Whoa, nice packing! Have a great trip. I look forward to hearing from you when you get close. I'll email you my phone number.


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## Da Dook (Oct 6, 2007)

Oh man, what a great idea! Funny thing, I was trying to figure out why you would bring 5 boxes of paper too! Your bikes look so clean....


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## jw8725 (Jun 12, 2009)

Good luck with this, we demand PICS and loads of them. This thread should serve to keep you guys focused and motivated. This is going to be very diffuclt but one hell of an experience.


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

I used paper copy boxes for my cross country drive as well. I was moving from CT to CA. I fit everything I owned into my trunk. Everything else was camping and biking gear. 

Do you have a cooler for drinks and food. I was able to save a ton of money and time by eating out of a cooler and buying groceries every few days. I used my backpacking stove to cook on mostly.


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## jw8725 (Jun 12, 2009)

Something else you might wanna consider, them cheapy high def hand held cameras. You might want to film your adventure and upload to youtube too - it support high def now.

When I was in Latin America last year, I found the pictures didn't do the place justice so I filmed loads.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

We just completed the first leg, safely surviving the long trek into Phoenix. It is very hot....just like it has been posted so I think we are going to skip National Trail and head straight to Sedona. Not many pictures yet but that should change now that our pace will slow down and the fun begins.


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## MTI3Rmember (Jun 28, 2009)

*Chattanooga?*

It seems as if you're going through Chattanooga, TN. You should definitely stop and check out Raccoon Mountain. Tons of great views and a 16.5 mile loop with a large range of technical and big climbs.

By the way, the trip sounds AMAZING!


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## The Prodigal Son (Apr 22, 2008)

*10,000 mile road trips are my speciality*

I saw your map of the road trip today for the first time. We are following much the same route in September but will go further north to the San Juan Islands.

We've done a couple 10k road trips that lasted anywhere from 40 days to 90 days. I always tried to scout out the best trails along the way. It's interesting hearing everyone's advice. I agree with those who are steering you to higher elevations. I've done Moab in spring and fall when it was over 90 degrees. I can't imagine it in the summer, with little or no shade.

I was camping and riding near St. George and Hurricane twice this year and was able to get in about eight rides. Jem was my favorite trail and we got a lucky weekend where the temps were 10-15 degrees cooler than normal. Gooseberry was popular with my friends but I don't care for that type of riding where you feel like you are trapped in a video game following a white line at 5mph. Cool trail but completely different than the flow of Jem. If people have not already suggested, you can beat the heat by heading up to Brian Head or to Reds Canyon / Thunder Mountain Trail. Thunder Mountain is beautiful but it is maybe 8 miles long when you exclude the paved trail at the beginning/end. You'll need to find other trails to tie together.

We plan to ride the Flume Trail on this trip. Not because it was ever a great trail but because they finally added some additional single track around the backside. Years ago it was just a double track trail with maybe 3 miles of scenic single track. Downieville will require a shuttle and is a fun ride. We will likely skip it to get to better trails in Oregon. I have friends and family in Bend and the trails are nearly the best in the country, in my opinion (and I build trails and ride in a lot of destinations in North America). Last October, we rode around Waldo Lake, an hour plus south of Bend. That ride was beautiful. We didn't have time to ride in Oakridge, but I plan to check out their trails this trip. We rode a long ride in Bend from the ski resort back to town that I enjoyed, plus an old favorite up to Tumalo Falls and beyond. They keep adding so much new single track I can't keep track of all the trails. We also rode MacKenzie River Trail. It is everything people suggest. It is just over 20 miles of downhill riding in beautiful old forest. I look forward to riding it again soon. I think we'll try to ride North Umpqua for the first time. My friend who lives in Bend has a second property near the Hood River, where he rides and I believe he kite sails nearby. He says the trails are fun.

We lived in Boise for a year and we rode in Ketchum and Sun Valley a few times but nothing really stood out, including Fisher Creek Trail up north. It was a good ride but short and started off with 5 miles of road. Everything in Park City I rode had spectacular views from high on the mountain. I have not ridden in Telluride but hope to get up there in the next month. 401 trail in Crested Butte was snowed in on the 4th of July weekend the year we were up there. We ended up riding Monarch Crest and only had to ride over a few small snow drifts. It was a very fun trail. I seem to recall we rode over 35 miles and dropped a lot in elevation.

If you are not burned out on your return home, you might consider dropping south as you cross Kansas and ride the Womble Trail in Western Arkansas. I've ridden it a few times and really enjoy the lay of the trail. But again, it is summer and it will be humid. You probably know a thing or two about humidity. We did a 10K+ trip about four years back that had us in Florida in April, and we rode mostly north-central trails before heading up to Georgia and the Carolina's. It did get humid.

If you need a guide or advice of local trail in Flagstaff, I love to skip work and go riding. If you only have one ride here, you'll want to get up on Elden and ride down Little Bear. Most people start that ride near the bottom of Schultz Creek but there are some incredible trails I like to start off with over on the East side of town that will take you over to Lower Oldham, Rocky Ridge, and then onto the climb up Schultz Creek. They are a bit of a secret despite being open to all.

Be safe and take lots of pictures.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

This thread takes forever to load.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> This thread takes forever to load.


Why am I not surprised by your comment?


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## Jim Beam (Dec 22, 2003)

I would definitely take Teocali Ridge in Crested Butte OFF the list.

Unless you want to climb for 3 hours for a 30 minute descent. There are definitely better rides in CB.


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## Cucucachu (Aug 19, 2003)

I've ridden with you both at Alafia and Markham. You're a great rider and that red Marin looks real cool!

When do you expect to come though the Durango, CO area. Some fellow SoFla riders will be in Durango from Sep 5 - 9. PM me if this is in line with your schedule.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Hello Nat. How are you? And why was my comment a bad one? Wasn't meant to be a bad comment. Sorry you took it that way.


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Kona0197 said:


> This thread takes forever to load.


Humble suggestion to the OP to remove all the pics thus far? The saab and staples boxes are great and all, but let's clear the clutter for the riding shots! :thumbsup:


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

No I don't mind the pictures. Perhaps a resize.


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## norcalruckus (May 18, 2005)

*santa cruz*

No santa cruz trails in your trip? I love the thought of your trip and all the stops. I see Santa Cruz as the only glaring omission, but I do not know all of your logistics, nor your budget. So, it is just a suggestion. That being said, if you do swing by SC, be sure to hit up the UCSC team!!!!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Cucucachu said:


> I've ridden with you both at Alafia and Markham. You're a great rider and that red Marin looks real cool!
> 
> When do you expect to come though the Durango, CO area. Some fellow SoFla riders will be in Durango from Sep 5 - 9. PM me if this is in line with your schedule.


Thanks for the kind comments...

Unfortunatlly I think we will be passing through Colorado the last week of August. We will have a better idea as it gets closer.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Here are some pictures of our stop in Phoenix. Like mentioned here, it was too hot to ride in the pm, so we went tubing down Salt River with some friends instead. We would highly recommend it to anyone in the Phoenix area during the summer, it was very refreshing. The scenery was beautiful, we saw many wild horses, birds, and desert landscape. The water was cold.....it was perfect!


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## BrennMan (Nov 1, 2008)

Keep posting pics of everything, thats what makes the trip so good!


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## rpinata (Jan 29, 2009)

Agreed with the BrennMan, leave the pics and keep posting more. You warned everyone with the title about being pic heavy.

Living vicariously through your trip.


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## jw8725 (Jun 12, 2009)

you guys look like your having a lot of fun, how much is this adventure costing you just out of interest?


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## notaknob (Apr 6, 2004)

I suggest you hit New Mexico on your return trip. Taos, Santa Fe or Albuquerque all have riding that never seems to make the publicized "must-ride" trails.

Here's a recent article in a SLC paper regarding one of the more publicized trails in Taos.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

We rode Sedona for two days and camped for one night... It was amazing! We absolutely loved Sedona and the trails we rode on.

Here are a lits of trails we rode on:
-Broken Arrow
-Chincken Point
-Little Horse
-Llama
-Cathedral Rock
-Bell Rock Pathway
-Court House Loop
-Big Park Loop
-HT
-Templeton

We rode around 26 miles combined both days.

Here are some pictures:

Here we are coming into Sedona.

























Here is DAY 1 of riding. We did not see anybody else riding or hiking these trails. Scenic views were amazing. We started early and the weather wasn't too hot. This first pictures is a huge hole on the ground the serves as home for allot of bats.

























































































































































































































After the ride, we went to Slide Rock Sate Park to get in the water and cool off... Water was extremely COLD!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

After cooling off, we went to set up camp. Campsite was very nice with the river running right behind our campsite. We shower, washed dishes and washed out biking gear at this river, it worked out perfect. We cooked dinner and ate till we couldn't function properly. Campsite was $18/night FYI.

































































The fallowing day, we got up early again to go ride more trails. We tried to find Budha Beach Trail but we could not find it so we just rode as many connecting trails as we could. Again amazing trails and views, this time we did see a couple of bikers. DAY2 pictures bellow.

























































































Unfortunately we did not have time to explorer the town but it look very interesting and we will definitely do it next time.

I am posting this in a hurry because internet access has been very limited so please forgive me if I am short with the descriptions.

We rode Flagstaff today and pictures will be coming soon.


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## JackFromNC (Dec 24, 2003)

Awesome.


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## BrianU (Feb 4, 2004)

Great Post and like a couple others commented, keep "all" the pics coming! Even if the primary purpose of your trip was mountainbiking, all the little things that go with it are what makes a great roadtrip and your pics give a feel for it. Thanks.

Brian


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Awesome. More, more!


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## The Prodigal Son (Apr 22, 2008)

*Bala and Sarah's excellent adventure*

Beth and I enjoyed hosting Bala and Sarah for the short time they had in Flagstaff. If they are coming your way, you don't want to pass up a chance to meet these two wonderful people. You will be inspired by their sense of adventure and their incredible personalities. You won't meet two nicer people.

Beth could not join us on yesterdays ride up and over and around Mount Elden, here in Flagstaff, due to her full arm cast, but Balla and Sarah and I got to ride some of the premier trails and take on some serious elevation. I don't know what the highest point in Florida is but we were well above 8000 feet by mid-ride. Bala was able to do all the climbs despite not having a granny gear to drop into. Sarah was equally amazing as she has only been seriously mountain biking since February. Add into that mix one of the hottest days of summer and you have a challenge that even seasoned local riders would be tested by.

Bala can really scorch the downhill sections and it was difficult being out in front and staying out of his way. Nothing slowed him down, not the loose rocks, occasional powder and sand, unfamiliar corners, or boulders to ride over or around. Both of their bikes were so well maintained that they seemed to be perfectly dialed in for the trails we rode.

My favorite experience, other than being out in the woods riding with others who have passion for adventure, was sitting around the fire pit the night before getting to know all about Bala and Sarah. They both lead very interesting lives. My wife was quite envious of the genuine "Renaldo" soccer jersey that Bala had with him. And I got to recount a trip I once took to Brazil, where Bala is from.

Along the way, yesterday, we ran into another rider named Anthony, who is an avionics expert at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. He was also a strong rider who joined us during our circumnavigation of Mount Elden. I wanted to thank Anthony for assisting me in repairing my bike along the way. Anthony, send me a message any time you want to get back out on the trails.

Fare thee well, Bala and Sarah. I leave you with a quote from "Knight Rider"

Wilton Knight: "My... adventure has ended. Yours has just - just begun."


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Thank you Dan and Beth for all of your kindness and flattery, you are both amazing athletes and it was our privilege to be able to ride with you and experience your home trails. 
We had a wonderful time despite beign exausted. We too very much enjoyed sitting around the fire and getting to know you, places you have been and adventures you have had. It was a beautifull night with your landscaped yard including water fall and bonfire. It is so nice to meet new people and we are happy we got to know a little of you and Beth. 

Anytime you are in th South East region, let us know and we may be able to meet up with you and ride. Anytime you are in South Florida, you will always have
a place to satay (as long as we are still in this mountainless state).


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

I will be posting pictures of Flagstaff as soon as I get a chance... I am having trouble uploading with the internet access available.


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## homer8 (Nov 5, 2007)

Great work:thumbsup: Keep those pictures coming....moral of the story: Do it while you can!!

Cheers!


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

wonderful, bala! i agree with the others that state keep _all_ the pics coming- it's nice to see your whole adventure. traveling is the best! glad you are taking advantage of it. enjoy the rest of your trip!


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Keep the pictures coming. Some of them are breathtaking.


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## ssr2 (Feb 7, 2009)

Hey Bala and Sarah im happy to see u 2 are having a good time on your adventure. Love the pictures. It's funny seeing u 2 riding with out the full faces helmets. Keep the pictures coming...cant wate to hear your stories when u get back.


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## ThePinkBarron (Aug 28, 2008)

Absolutely awesome thread guys, looks like everyone is having fun! Trails look awesome, and the roadtrip looks like it is turning out in epic fashion. One to write home about as they say.


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## lamdman1976 (Sep 16, 2008)

SWEET adventure... maybe i see you guys in tahoe rim trail or downieville :thumbsup:


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Two days in Sedona and one (or two?) in Flag.... I can see why you are getting behind.

Sooo many great places to ride in the west I don't blame you for having to pass up Ely. Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you two after Prodigal Son's tribute.

Oi bicho! Brasileiro?? Que coisa. Eu passei dois anos no Brasil muitos anos atras.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

KRob said:


> Two days in Sedona and one (or two?) in Flag.... I can see why you are getting behind.
> 
> Sooo many great places to ride in the west I don't blame you for having to pass up Ely. Sorry I missed the opportunity to meet you two after Prodigal Son's tribute.
> 
> Oi bicho! Brasileiro?? Que coisa. Eu passei dois anos no Brasil muitos anos atras.


Yes, getting behind indeed. And now even more so... After riding over 100 miles in 5 days we decided to take a break from biking at Tahoe City. So far we have ridden Sedona, Flagstaff, Hurricane and Lake Tahoe. I have tons of pictures and will upload them as soon as I can. Tomorrow is Downieville and I want to be very rested for this ride. I also took the opportunity to replace my rear hub bearings, believe it or not, it is already worn down and getting a small annoying play.

Where did you go in Brazil? I am from the capital Brasilia.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Here are the pictures from Flagstaff. The group picture bellow is of Anthony, Dan, Sarah and me in Dan's beautiful backyard that lead directly to the trails. We literally rode our bikes from his backyard to the trails.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures were taken during the drive from Flagstaff to Hurricane, UT. We stopped at a bridge crossing the Colorado river.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from our ride in Hurricane, UT. We started with Gould's Rim which took us to Jem trail and finished the loop with Hurricane Rim. This was about a 25 mile ride (got lost for about 4 miles but we found our way).


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Following pictures are from the drive to Lake Tahoe. Along one "highway" there was allot of open range area where cows were roaming and crossings the roads at their leisure. We had to slow down many time to allow calves to cross. Note in one picture the dust storm in the background. This "highway" also took us past AREA 51, which was clearly indicated by name of the highway, "Extraterrestrial Highway" and the many signs with Aliens as themes.


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## ladodgers (Apr 16, 2007)

if it hasn't been brought up yet check out Ashland Mtn. Adventures when in Ashland
http://www.ashlandmountainadventures.com/ 541-499-2298


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Bala said:


> Where did you go in Brazil? I am from the capital Brasilia.


Parana' and Santa Catarina in Southern Brazil mostly. I also saw Sao Paulo and Rio.

Great pics. Thanks for posting them up. Keep 'em coming.


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## mfshop (Jan 4, 2007)

Hey, I think I saw your car parked up at the Hurricane TH. Looked just like mine:thumbsup: Too bad you guys didn't have time to stay longer, but looks like an awesome trip!


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## thepaul (May 27, 2008)

This is the most bad ass thread of all time.

Hope you two have a blast bombing it in Downieville.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

mfshop said:


> Hey, I think I saw your car parked up at the Hurricane TH. Looked just like mine:thumbsup: Too bad you guys didn't have time to stay longer, but looks like an awesome trip!


We saw your car as well. We have seen many Subarus in Tahoe and Oregon, but yours was the only other Saabaru we have seen on the trip so far. What did you ride that morning?


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

On the way into California we had a traumatizing experience that kind of put us off that day. A truck entered the highway in front of us dragging a large dog by its leash. The traffic was heavy and is was difficult for another car to get beside the truck and communicate what was happening, and the truck was hauling ass. The dog was dragged for a good 5 minutes before a car was able to squeeze beside the truck and flag it down. It left a bloody trail on the road. The owners response indicated that the dog probably jumped out of the truck at some point before entering the highway and the leash got caught on something inside the bed. I think the only thing that got our minds off of this horrible incident was the great ride in Tahoe City. So all of you dog owners out there, be careful with putting your dogs in the back of your trucks.


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## luckynumber9 (Mar 7, 2009)

ah damn. that put me down for the day. I opened this up expecting to see some badazz pics. poor pero


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are of our ride in Tahoe city. We caught the Tahoe Rim trail via a fire road and hike-a-bike section and completed a 25 mile loop. The loop apparently doesn't provide the views provided by the Flume trail in the east side of the lake, but we were pretty impressed by what we saw. 

























































































































































































































































__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Photobucket is loading your pics pretty slow. Bala - how about using Imageshack instead?

Keep them coming!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

And here are some more...


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

Kona0197 said:


> Photobucket is loading your pics pretty slow. Bala - how about using Imageshack instead?
> 
> Keep them coming!


might be your pc or connection- no issues here- maybe takes 20-30 seconds to load.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The night after the ride in Tahoe City we decided to take the following day off and enjoy the town. We camped in a small campground on the lake. The next day I took advantage of the local bike shop and a day off to get my rear hub bearings replaced, unfortunately that was something I couldn't do myself. We also did some laundry, uploaded some pics and enjoyed the time off. We found on awesome pizza place right on the Truckee river, very discrete but amazing pizza, a great environment, and some very enjoyable people watching of those trying to paddle their way down the river. We also noted the many bicycle cops pulling cars over which we finally got a shot of. At one point we saw a cop charging on his bicycle as hard as he could to catch the car. He got lucky that the light turned red. The city was very nice, kind of touristy, but Monday wasn't so bad. That afternoon we left for Downieville.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The drive from Tahoe City to Downieville was beautiful. We passed through countless quaint small towns and drove winding and rolling country mountain roads. We got to Downieville before our camp sight so stopped to snap a few shots. We stayed in Indian Valley Campground, a little pricey but the Yuba river ran near it and provided a perfect spot for post ride washing.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

In Downieville, we caught the 9:00am shuttle via Yuba Expeditions. We wanted to follow a recommendation from Tom here on MTBR. We were lucky to find a group of 4 that were riding the same route and were willing to let us tag along. We were dropped off at Packer Saddle and caught a trail that led us to Upper Pauly Creek which took us through two creaks before we climbed Big Boulder. From there it was all downhill through Third Divide and First Divide. After that we had out post-ride river swim to cool off and clean up.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

So far we have ridden just under 150 miles, we've driven just over 4000 miles, and have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We had a little hick-up today in Bend when trying to arrange our Bend ride and shuttles to McKenzie and North Umpqua but we have worked out alternative plans and should be back on the bikes tomorrow.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> Photobucket is loading your pics pretty slow. Bala - how about using Imageshack instead?
> 
> Keep them coming!


No issues here either. Any chance you're on dial-up?


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

No I'm not on Dial-up. 10mbps Broadband. DSL. This thread takes 3 minutes to load.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

After loading the thread again it took 2 mintues. It is Photobucket. Pictures are downloading very slow.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> After loading the thread again it took 2 mintues. It is Photobucket. Pictures are downloading very slow.


It took about 15 seconds here. Don't know what to tell you.


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> After loading the thread again it took 2 mintues. It is Photobucket. Pictures are downloading very slow.


thread loads quickly for me also no slow down at all..


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

I can't be the only one that has issues loading the thread. You all using IE or Firefox? I'm using Firefox 3.5.1.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> I can't be the only one that has issues loading the thread. You all using IE or Firefox? I'm using Firefox 3.5.1.


It looks as if you are the only one having issues.


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## MBTex (Dec 28, 2005)

Great thread.. I'm Jealous. Was in the same location's in AZ during spring but could not ride.


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## dustinp43 (Feb 12, 2005)

Hi Bala, out of curiousity...what do you guys do for a living? Are you a student or a teacher and are able to have summers off to do this each year? Are you between jobs?

I would kill to be able to take a couple of months off and spend some time touring around with my bike! Unfortunately its just not possible in my current job!


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> I can't be the only one that has issues loading the thread. You all using IE or Firefox? I'm using Firefox 3.5.1.


Me Firefox 3.012


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

So you have problems loading this thread too?


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> So you have problems loading this thread too?


nope loads just fine... maxiumum it takes is about 20 seconds


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## HandyMan (Feb 25, 2008)

Bala, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you two having such an adventure. Believe it or not, I had planned almost exactly the same trip for my summer. Sadly I had some health problems which put a stop to my trip. At least I can have it vicariously through you two. Hit me up on your way back through Gainesville, FL if you feel like grabbing a bite to eat or going for a ride. [email protected]


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## EMFC (Aug 22, 2004)

This is an epic trip, thanks for posting. However it is killing my PC every time I open it. Recommend you spilt it up into different segments from here on out. That way we don’t have to search through the post to see where we left off. 

Again awesome trip, I am really jealous!!!


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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

Awesome thread. Thoroughly enjoying all the pics. Great terrain you guys have over there.

Looking forward to the rest of the trip.

P.S. FF3.5 here at work and home - both broadband (DSL & cable), both load these pages & pics fast as.


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## ThePinkBarron (Aug 28, 2008)

To those of you having a hard time loading the screen, how many posts per page do you have settup? if you have too many trying to load 100 posts per screen full of photos is going to slow down anyones load time.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

I tried setting the page load to 40 posts per screen. That did not help. Every time I load this thread it hangs while waiting for Photobucket. This last time locked up Firefox.

I also wanted to add that this thread - http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=5934505#post5934505 loads very fast and also uses Photobucket. I think there is something wrong with either the size or format of Bala's shots.

I'll just live with it. No worries.


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## Exilestate (May 15, 2009)

This is a awesome thread, thanks for sharing your trip.
keep the writeups and pics coming.


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## abmtnbkr (Sep 26, 2005)

Bala, thank you for sharing this epic adventure with all of us. Your pictures are awesome. There is definitely an audience out here waiting for the next round of photos and wish they could get out there and ride some of these fantastic places (I'm one of them). Also for what it's worth, I'm rocking the Mac using Safari with road runner service from time-warner and it's only taking about 15-20 secs to load your pictures.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Wonder what my issue is then. Brand new install of Windows and SP2. No firewall. I tested my speed at 4 mbps. Firefox 3.0.12. Makes me wonder.


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

Kona0197 said:


> Wonder what my issue is then. Brand new install of Windows and SP2. No firewall. I tested my speed at 4 mbps. Firefox 3.0.12. Makes me wonder.


Have you tried a differant browser? How do you test for speed? I'm also using Firefox 3.0.12, but on a Mac with DSL.

I have it set to load 100 posts and it takes about 15 seconds to load the second page with 66 posts and about 10 seconds to load the first page with 100 posts.

I hope you get to load this thread faster, the pictures are fantastic!


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Yes I have tried IE 6 and IE 7. I've also tried newer versions of Firefox.

Test your speed here: http://www.speedtest.net/


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## Brentster (Jun 17, 2007)

Kona, just an FYI - for me, this thread loads as fast as any other thread and I have a $375 laptop on Wifi.


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Nevermind...


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## Funrover (Oct 4, 2006)

That is AWESOME!! I would love to take the wife on a trip like that


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Hey Kona0197,

Since this is Bala's trip thread would you care to stop distracting everyone by interjecting questions about your computer issues? Can you figure out your computer issues outside of this thread so we can enjoy Bala's trip?


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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

I apologize to Bala. And guess what Nat - I wasn't distracting anyone. EMFC said this thread kills his PC as well. I notice you didn't address him...


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

Kona0197 said:


> I apologize to Bala. And guess what Nat - I wasn't distracting anyone. EMFC said this thread kills his PC as well. I notice you didn't address him...


EMFC didn't make a dozen posts trying to figure his shet out. It's like being at a movie and having some ahole talking in the next row.

Sorry Bala. Carry on.


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## Agent-Boltron (Jul 3, 2009)

Wow you guys trip is inspiring. If you guys do this again and come by Santa Cruz send me a message and I can show you some trails.


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## bobvanjr (Jul 14, 2009)

Awesome trip. I'm not much of a mountain biker but I do consider myself a photographer. Dude, the tilt in your pictures is killing me. It's a pet peeve of mine.....random tilt for no good reason gets very annoying:madman: 

Other than that...I'm super jealous and wish I could find the time and resources to do something similar. I've got three kids though and it'll be a few years before they're old enough to ride along. I hope I'm not too old to do it by that point 

I hope you have fun the remainder of your trip, and most importantly, stay safe!


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## otis24 (Apr 1, 2004)

You've done an amazing job of capturing your road trip. Thanks so much for posting this. I drove cross country from CT to FL then to CA and totally regret not starting a thread on MTBR now that I've been watching your thread. At least I put it on Flickr


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## druranium (Apr 6, 2007)

Great pics Bala & Sarah...look forward to following you on your trip. Wish I could do it!
Maybe in a few years. And yes, kona, shut the hell up, thank you nat.


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## wjrodman (Apr 26, 2009)

Very very nice thread so far...Congrats on taking advantage of the opportunity you have.
Thanks for posting all these pictures for us.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Alright... Here are some more pictures for you guys. They are from Bend, OR.

We camped just outside of Bend in the mountains somewhere. It got extremely cold that night and we ended up eating in the car, not really have time to start a fire. We saw a few deer as we were setting up camp but the real action took place in the middle of the night when we heard them charging down the hillside towards us and our car.

Unfortunately we did not get to ride Bend as much as we wanted and we ended up only doing a small 20 mile loop.

We rode the following trails in Bend:
Phil's
Helicopter Pad
Whoops Tr.
Ben's


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from our stop for the Mckenzie River Trail. From Bend we were a little concerned because the shuttle with Cog Wild was so expensive. We decided that we didn't want to miss out on the trail and we would ride it out and back if necessary. We drove from Bend to the McKenzie River T railhead passing through Sisters, OR. The drive was beautiful, getting greener and greener as we entered Willamette National Forest. We knew there was a hot spring that everyone talked about on the ride so some locals, the ranger station, and a few maps led us to Belknap Springs Resort. It was a "resort" with a few rooms, rv sites, drive up tent sites and walk in tent sites available right on the McKenzie River. Just across the river was a hot spring that the resort harvested, mixed with water from the river, and created a pool. The grounds were very well maintained and quite fairytale like with the lit pathways through the forest, waterfalls, and ponds. A gentleman at the rafting store on site gave us the name and number of a gentleman who often shuttles riders to the trail head, and for a very reasonable price. The ride the next day was breathtaking. 26 miles of flowy and relaxing down hill with a few technical sections thrown in. The scenery was impressively green and lush, and the proximity to the river kept the air cool. The pictures didn't turn out very well because of the continuous shade on the trail. The hot springs on the trail that many people "soak sore muscles" in was full of naked people messaging each other so we thought it best if we continued on our ride. This was the last ride before Sarah had to depart back to Florida and it was a wonderful end to this part of the trip.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)




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## Kona0197 (Oct 19, 2004)

Welcome to Oregon.


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## msimmons (Jun 14, 2007)

What an awesome adventure, I am so jealous.

As a suggestion, the Whole Enchilada in Moab is a ride you won't forget. 2000 ft of climbing and 7000 ft of descending over 26 miles. Shuttle to Geyser Pass, climb to Burro pass (11,200 feet) then lower your seat post for a huge DH. The cool part for me was riding through totally different eco systems. Start above tree line, then through aspen groves with small stream crossings (Burro Pass to Warner Lake Camp Ground), to high meadows with huge berms and small tables (Hazard County trail), to high desert with FAST sections (Kokopelli), to cliff side rock ledge after rock ledge (Procupine Rim). We used Coyote shuttle, $20 per person.

Some links of interest:
http://trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-utah/trail/PRD_420017_4583crx.aspx

http://www.coyoteshuttle.com/

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/enchilada.htm


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## JackFromNC (Dec 24, 2003)

This could very well be my all time favorite post!


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## flyfat (Jun 8, 2004)

*Can I just say*

...thanks. I'm stuck in a remote and rundown camp above the arctic circle and stumbled on your thread today. Lovely work you two. You are cute as buttons and living life the way it is supposed to be lived. Thanks for taking the time to share. Someday, married, maybe kiddies, and embroiled in one job crisis or another and you will look back on this trip and youthful freedom and be glad you did this. What I described above isn't a burden, just another style of adventure with equally many phot-ops and and great moments. Have a great end to your trip and enjoy life's trip ahead.

Great thread. Hey dude with the computer issue, it's a lot of pictures, we get that. Be patient, let it load, it is worth it. The good things in life often require patience in heaping measure.

FF


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## Boner Breaker (May 5, 2009)

man, keep posting your stories and pics, this is effin great. I'm stuck in an office bored as hell and at least I can live a little vicariously through this thread.

thanks.


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## alant (Nov 17, 2005)

Wow. This is an awesome thread! That is definitely a trip of a lifetime in my book. I would have a hard time returning to South Florida. Good luck in the remainder of your trip. :thumbsup:


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## DEride (May 10, 2009)

Man you make some good looking rice and beans. Looks like an amazing adventure too.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

DEride said:


> Man you make some good looking rice and beans. Looks like an amazing adventure too.


Looks like you two are still having a terrific trip. Keep the photos coming. What's the plan after Sarah heads back?

Oh, speaking of the rice and beans.... they do look good but I'm having a hard time identifying the green roundish things in the rice. Green pepper, green olives, or lima beans maybe?

Not wanting to derail a beautiful thread but FWIW.... my computer chokes a bit on this thread too (Didn't want Kona to feel like he was the only one). My connection speed is 11 MPS and it took about 3-4 minutes to load page two and then when it said it was done the last three posts (Bend and MRT) displayed the first pic and then just a bunch of red Xs. I had to right click then click "Show Picture" for each of them individually to view the rest. I'm just running plane old IE 6 though.


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## bigworm520 (Sep 18, 2006)

Man that looks like an awesome trip. The Fiance and I just got back from an Oregon trip, but didn't get to hit all the cool places in between like you guys. Have fun and keep the pics coming it makes work easier.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Hey everyone, its been a while... Just wanted to let you guys know that I have tons of pictures (overwhelming actually) and as soon as I get a chance I will upload them here.

We are currently in Moab and I have pictures of Ashland, Crater Lake, Sun Valley and Park city.

We will be riding the "Whole enchilada" in Moab tomorrow.


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## theNine (Aug 24, 2007)

Just found the thread, what an epic trip. This is the kind if reality media I'm into, great work


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## Silver_Slug (May 10, 2005)

I just stumbled across this thread for the first time....Awesome!... I cried when Sarah left....


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## Brentster (Jun 17, 2007)

Silver_Slug said:


> I just stumbled across this thread for the first time....Awesome!... I cried when Sarah left....


LMAO. You too????


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## MtnBikeNC (May 22, 2008)

Subscribe!!


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## luckynumber9 (Mar 7, 2009)

aw soooo much emotional attachment has formed from an MTBR thread. this is sooooo cute


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## 6thElement (Jul 17, 2006)

Great stuff!


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## Silver_Slug (May 10, 2005)

I've been around for awhile….don't often post. Day job traps me in a sea of cubicles, and I'm forced to hit MTBR forums as an escape in-between tasks and assignments. I normally don't give threads with this many replies a 2nd glance. Usually it's a sign of banter/hijacking, and those things don't interest me much these days. But I clicked on this one just to check out the route. I started off, as many of you, with thoughts of "enough car /rack/bike pics…lets get to the rides." Then something strange happened. Like a novel that somehow turned interesting, I kept reading and lost track of time. Characters formed, and I started to settle in and enjoy the story through random pictures, and touches of narrative. I tweaked my monitor at work so that what I was viewing could not be seen from the main isle. It was fairly easy to get a read on Bala. Like us, I pegged him as a passionate cyclist, also passionate about the trip. My guess is that he more than likely spear-headed the meticulous planning. For me, Sarah is a bit more difficult to get a read on….

My wife supports my passion for bikes…and bike trips. Always has, always will. But she doesn't actually bike with me. Sarah, physically looks fit and strong, but not in a "hard-core racing" way. The pictures of her were mostly all smiles, with an occasional "this is really hard" look. Then, there was that one shot where she looked totally depleted / exhausted. I am familiar with that look and how it feels. I am also familiar with many of the trails on the route, and have checked most of them off my "bucket list". The trail pics posted are beautiful, but often the climbs to get to these views are tough, energy sapping, and the terrain unforgiving.

I would love to hear from Sarah. I think hearing her point of view would make an "outstanding thread" even better. Sarah, was this trip your dream trip too, or were you there in support or Bala's dream? I would like to know how the trip changed you. Were you sad when you had to leave, or was your body telling you that it was time? I'll man up and say that I honestly did feel a little twinge of emotion when I heard that the Oregon leg would be your last... 

Congrats to both of you for following through on a dream……and a special thanks for allowing this forum to ride along….


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Sarah here...

I am happy to say that the Oregon leg of the trip was just the last part of the first half of the trip for me. Bala stayed in Ashland, attending UBI to obtain a Professional Bike Technician certification as well as some other things, and I had to return to Florida for work. But three weeks later I flew back out to Oregon to continue the second half of the trip, the return home. The journey has been a trip of a lifetime for me as well. Bala is definitely in better shape than I am and more committed to the competitive aspect of cycling, but I very much enjoy the challenge, scenery, people, and places it has taken me. I am proud to say that I am the one that got Bala into biking and thankful that he is a person that is passionate enough to dive full force and head first into it. I have been active most of my life but few things have captured my heart and interest as much as biking (running and capoeira were the only other two). The concept of this trip was planned by both of us and destinations were chosen by Bala with the help of posts, magazines and friends. We still have a couple of destinations left on our trip home and I am starting to feel the end nearing. I try not to think about it because it is like a rain cloud looming in the distance, inching closer and closer, and seems to move faster if you continue to look at it. It has been tough though, I will not lie. Bala has tried to pick some of the most challenging and rewarding rides in each destination, and I have definitely felt it. The climbing at high altitudes has been especially difficult and I have gotten much more "comfortable" dropping into my granny gear. My muscles have been sore, and I have been quite tired, but I wouldn't trade a single second for anything else. We have seen a lot over the past few weeks and still have a little more to see, but we are more certain now than ever before that Florida is not the place for us and are hoping we will be able to move out west.....closer to all of the things we love... all of the things that will make daily life that much more enjoyable. Hopefully this will give all of you a bit more incite into the other person on the trip.....

Below are the pictures from Ashland. Unfortunately Bala didn't take as many pictures as usual, but it was a beautiful town with amazing downhill trails.


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## ThreeD (Feb 7, 2008)

*Yea, Sarah is back!*

Welcome back Sarah. As everyone has stated...thanks for this excellent thread.
:band: :thumbsup:


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## biggoofy1 (Aug 24, 2009)

looks like an amazing trip i wanna do something like this sometime if my wallet will allow me


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from Crater Lake in Oregon. We stopped here on our way to Ketchum, Idaho. The view was absolutely amazing, we haven't seen anything like it. The water was shockingly BLUE! We circumvented the lake, stopping for short hikes and different views.

This is the deepest fresh water lake in the US. We would highly recommend visiting this wonder of the world.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from our stay in Ketchum, Idaho. We stayed 2 days and camped a few miles outside of town. The first day we lifted up Bald Mt. and rode down Warm Springs Trail. The views were one of the best so far, mountains as far as eye can see. Warm Springs took us through an old burn site, and we could see acres and acres of burnt trees. When we go back into town we had some lunch at a Pizza joint, upgraded our lift tickets to ALL DAY, and lifted back up to catch Cold Springs Trails down. These two trails were very fast and smooth downhill, allot of fun. While on top of Bald Mt. we saw people paragliding, this one dude got some really high altitude (you can see in the pictures bellow).

After riding for the day we attempted to find some local hot springs but we failed miserably. The dirt road leading to the hot springs was only accessible via high clearance vehicles but there was no warning about this so after a few miles of "oh **** this is getting rough" and burning allot of clutch we decided to turn around. We were extremely frustrated to have gone that far and still not get to see the hot springs. So instead we made it to the local YMCA for a $5/person shower. While driving around looking for a hose to wash our gear and bikes we stumbled upon an orchestra rehearsing at this beautiful amphitheater in Sun Valley resort (picture bellow).

Day two in Ketchum we rode Greenhorn Trail to Imperial Gultch. Again, very fun ride with amazing views and very fast and smooth downhill section after a pretty tough climb.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)




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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)




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## nuclear_powered (Apr 18, 2007)

So who's the olive fan and who's the mushroom fan? 

Awesome pics, awesome locations, awesome trip ... awesomely jealous.


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

Amazing pics, amazing trip, amazing rides.... welcome tothe west coast. Hope to see you in the future doing some riding in BC, when you move west.


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## ThreeD (Feb 7, 2008)

*Wow!*

Thank You. These are beautiful photographs. I'll be very sad when this trip is over and we don't get any more great posts from the two of you. But, right now I'm enjoying it.:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Silver_Slug (May 10, 2005)

Sarah likes mushrooms and Bala likes olives. Hmmmmm I may be spending way too much time in this thread....


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

Silver_Slug said:


> Sarah likes mushrooms and Bala likes olives. Hmmmmm I may be spending way too much time in this thread....


which one snores and which one doesn't lol come on tell us


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## Brentster (Jun 17, 2007)

Awesome trip you two. We go to Vail every year and it amazes me how empty the mountain is. Except for perhaps 10 other riders, I have the entire place to myself!


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## Trek7000rider (Sep 7, 2008)

anyone else not getting all of the pics? After the first 7 pics in idaho, i just see a bunch of little white boxes with red x's... 

anyways, it looks like a really sweet trip. i really need to see more of the US... the east coast gets pretty boring...


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Silver_Slug said:


> Sarah likes mushrooms and Bala likes olives. Hmmmmm I may be spending way too much time in this thread....


You are right, I am the olive fan and Sarah is the mushroom fan.:thumbsup:

And... We both have our moment with snoring, it all depends on how tired we are and how hard the ground is.


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## hairyharris (Sep 8, 2006)

thanks for all the pics and info.
This has inspired me lots. We are now planning our trip out west from Georgia with our 17 and 14 year old teens. Our route will be similar to yours. I will PM you when you get back home. Enjoy your trip and thanks again for all the pics.


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## Stevob (Feb 27, 2009)

Absolutely incredible. I'm so jealous.

Bala & Sarah, you are both very lucky to have each other.

Have fun guys.


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## Tearlessj (Dec 26, 2005)

O snapz, thats dope. What else do you drive? lol


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## dada (Mar 10, 2009)

Wow! just found your post... had to stay up to go through but could 'nt just finish it.
So that was the trip that you hinted when we rode together in Oleta.
Well good for you & thanks for sharing. 
Take care when you come back the road close to home are boring stay alert to the end.

P.S. By now I am shure you know how humid Florida really is!!!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Pictures bellow are from Twin Falls, ID. We stopped here quickly for a bite to eat and to pick up some new sandals because mine broke. Right as you enter the city you cross over the pictured bridge and canyon. Whats not shown in the pictures is the small city with river, golf course and some other things inside the canyon... Pretty cool.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Following pictures are from Park City, UT. We spent a night in Salt Lake city and hit the trails in Park City the next morning. A local bike shop tipped us off to driving to the trailhead rather than purchasing a lift ticket for the day. The FREE in town bus service took us and our bikes back to the trailhead once we finished the ride.

We rode the Mid Mountain Trail, a 25-30 mile smooth single track with a few rocky and technical downhills. This trail was allot of fun to ride. Sarah took her first spill but she didnt get hurt, just a few bumps and bruises.

Post ride grub was at a small local Greek Cafe with great Falafel.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from the drive to Moab, UT. The drive was very scenic and we came across this car with a TINY bike on its fully equipped bike rack. Funny sight.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from DAY 1 in Moab, UT. We hit a few bike shops, checked out the Colorado river and some campgrounds, and hit the Slick Rock Trails at sunset. It was our first time on slick rock type of terrain and it was absolutely awesome, a natural bike playground. We could spend hours upon hours hitting different lines, trying different angles, jumps, berms, etc. We didn't put in very many miles this day, we just played around until it got dark. We wish we had more time so that we could hit this section again.


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## BendBound (Aug 9, 2007)

Awesome thread, awesome pics. Thanks for taking us on your trip with you.

As I type this I'm still sweating and catching my breath from my morning ride, and it feels good!!


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Following pictures are from DAY 2 in Moab, UT. WE shuttled up to Burro's Pass Trail to ride the "Whole Enchilada". We got the shuttle # from Poison Spider bike shop and we were very pleased to have met Kyle, the shuttle driver. Great conversation, tips for the trail, very nice guy and hard core mountain biker.

The "whole Enchilada" was a 36 mile ride from the top of a mountain at about 13000 feet down to the Colorado River in Moab. We started with a hike-a-bike/ride section up to Burro's Pass which included being chased by a very ferocious and brave calf. Once at the top of Burro's Pass we had some breakfast and then started descending a pretty technical and steep section before getting into some smoother singletrack. Burro's Pass dumped us into a campground where we picked up Hazard County Trail which led to Kokopeli Trail. This is where the fun really began. I was able to get some pretty good air and speed at the beginning of Kokopeli trail. After Kokopeli, we go to the UPS and LPS trails which hugged the rim and was also extremely fun to ride. Finally we took Porcupine Rim trail to the finish at the Colorado river.

This was the longest and most demanding but also one of my favorite rides. Beautiful views, extremely technical at some areas, different terrains... A very unique ride.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

From Moab we made our way to Fruita, CO. Unfortunately we did not take any riding pictures because we forget our camera in the car. We rode a trail (forget the name) up to Zippity-Do-Da Trail. Unfortunately the trail was rutted do to recent heavy rain and therefore difficult to maneuver sometimes.

The road signs took us by surprise.. We had never seen fractions as part of road names before and couldn't not get a picture of that. Note that most, if not all, road names in Fruita had a fraction attached to the end. See pictures below.


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## Frs1661 (Jun 9, 2008)

Oddly appropriate that that sign has a sticker for Push.

Looks like an amazing trip so far! I would also like to express my jealousy... I gotta get out west sometime.


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## Acme54321 (Oct 8, 2003)

Haha we thought the same thing about the signs in fruita. The fractions are kind of random.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Bala,

Glad you and Sarah are having a great time.

To anyone who might cross their paths- my wife and I had the pleasure of riding with these two here in Florida. If they come to your area, do yourselves both a favor and meet them. As we say here in the South, they're good people.


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## pointerDixie214 (Feb 10, 2009)

Talk about irony! I had no idea when I posted last night you were back in Florida. 

Bumping into you today at San Felasco when I didn't even know you were there was wild! HAHAHA I saw Sarah and thought, I know that girl. Then I saw your red bike and realized, HOLY CRAP THAT'S SARAH AND BALA! Glad to see you two had a great time and sorry to see your trip is over already. 

Too bad you didn't get to hit the new back trails today. Holler next time you're up and I will show them to you. 

-Ryan


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## BreatholdiveRI (Aug 23, 2009)

Looks like an epic trip. I know it must suck to be back on the east coast but i'm glad you both made it home safe. Long drives can be killer.

Alex


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

pointerDixie214 said:


> Talk about irony! I had no idea when I posted last night you were back in Florida.
> 
> Bumping into you today at San Felasco when I didn't even know you were there was wild! HAHAHA I saw Sarah and thought, I know that girl. Then I saw your red bike and realized, HOLY CRAP THAT'S SARAH AND BALA! Glad to see you two had a great time and sorry to see your trip is over already.
> 
> ...


Great to see you guys as well... We had to cut our ride short because our friend started to feel really bad and started puking (will post pics later). Next time we are in town we definitely want to hit the new trails in San Felasco.

We got back into Florida Friday night and we stayed at my parents/sisters house till today.

Pictures from the rest of the trip will be posted soon...


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Following pictures are from Telluride, CO. We camped one night at the campground in town right on a small creek. We got into town early enough to stop by a local bike shop, set up camp, cook dinner, prep the bikes and watch some dogs play in the creek. After cleaning up we walked into town (night time) and checked out the FREE Gondola that we had to take for the ride next morning. We had some time to kill so we rode the Gondola round trip to the "Mountain Village" and met a couple from England, who gave brief rundown of the area. Telluride is apparently one of the most expensive cities to live in Colorado because Mountain Village was built as a ski village. Mountain Village is accessible by road but many people who work there but live in Telluride take the Gondola. It is on top of the mountain where as Telluride is in the valley. Very cool little town.

Next morning we caught the Gondola to the Prospect trailhead. Originally we planned on riding the Wasatch Trail, but while at the local bike shop we discovered that this trail was closed due to mining in the area. Prospect Trail was very similar to Park City's Mid Mountain Trail, very flowy smooth single track with a bit more climbing. The views however were much more impressive. We got a bit lost so missed Boomerang Road into Alta Ghost Town and therefore missed Alta Lakes Tail to the T-35 Sunshine Trail. We debated going back up to the beginning and trying it again but due to time we decided to head out. The ride was fun regardless but a little too short. While lost, we rode by some impressive houses (Mountain Village).


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from Crested Butte, CO. As we drove into town it was kind of rainy and we stopped at local bike shop to discuss trails and camping options. They directed us to Gothic campground near the 401 trailhead. We wanted to hit both 401 and the Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadmans loop but only had time for one ride so we picked the more epic of the two, a 20 mile loop (Reno-Flag-Bear-Deadmans loop). The morning of, it was raining, foggy and extremely cold for us FL folk so we layered up, got some breakfast and decided to ride it anyway. The first seven miles was solid climbing which kept us warm despite being wet. When we made it to the top we met another group (two couples) from South Lake Tahoe doing the same ride (we were the only CRAZY ones). Because of the fog we were not able to see any of the spectacular views but this ride was one of our favorites, absolutely awesome. It was basically broken into six sections, three uphills and three downhills. The last downhill section had 30+ switchbacks in just over a mile. The climbs were smooth, some times muddy, long and grueling at some points but the downhills were fast, smooth and out of this world. We cleaned up at the International Hostel in town and went for some post ride grub at the famous pizza place called Secret Stash. The atmosphere was low key but trendy and the pizza was unique and very tasty. We ordered "Where's the beef?" outfitted with dijon sauce, fig, balsamic reduction and tons of other veggies.

The group we met on the ride told us that a bear had been spotted at our campground the two previous nights so we decided to sleep in the car in town that night (regrettably no pics).

Sorry about not having as many pictures as usual, everything was wet and muddy and getting the camera out to take pictures was difficult.


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## Sway? (Feb 22, 2006)

Awesome trip!!! Thanks for sharing. What camera are you using to take such good pictures?


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## LDH (May 27, 2007)

great thread, pics and narrative were awesome. ride safe.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

The following pictures are from Salida, CO. When we got into town we picked up a trail map, scheduled the cuttle, and had lunch/dinner at a local coal fired pizza place, Amica's. It was recommended by a guy in Big Al's bike shop in Crested Butte. After lunch we changed the oil in the Walmart parking lot, getting ready for the trek back across the country. That night we slept in the car again, this time in the Walmart parking lot. The following morning we were shuttled to the top of Monarch Pass along with 8 other riders. We rode the 32 mile trail along the Continental Divide and were dumped back to where the car was parked. The ride was very beautiful; smooth singletrack, decent climbs, fun descents, and some pretty technical/rocky sections, including riding down a creek. We couldn't have asked for better weather up until the last 2 miles or so. It was cool, sunny, and perfect for riding. With approximately 2 miles to go, the sky opened up and released a massive amount of hail and rain on us. The trails got muddy and slippery but it definitely added to the experience. After the ride we went to the local public pool which is fed by a local hot spring, and soaked out soar muscles before showering there. As soon as we were cleaned up and packed up, we hit the road towards Florida. We went north to Colorado Springs and had some Indian food for dinner,and then again camped in the car in a Walmart parking lot. The next day we made our way to Arkansas, and stayed with a friend from UBI and his wife. The next day we got on the road early and plowed our way to Florida.


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## Bula (Sep 20, 2004)

*Thanks for a great story*

I've enjoyed this thread as much as I've enjoyed any. Forget the magazines! Now that you're back, I have a couple of questions (which I hope have not been answered in some of the posts I haven't read).

1. If you could choose only one place to return to for a week of riding (once you're rested and can stand to look at a bike again), where would it be?

2. How did it work out in the cramped conditions of your very cool, but small car? Did all the packing and unpacking every night come to drive you nuts? Sleeping in parking lots - that had to be brutal. Any fear of your bikes getting ripped off the back when you were away from the car, locks notwithstanding?

Again, thanks for a great tale.


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## KRob (Jan 13, 2004)

Que aventura maravilhosa!! Muito obrigado!

I didn't think about it until you mentioned the rain in Crested Butte but it seems like that's the first weather issues you had the whole trip. Right?

How hot was Moab? I see the empty Slick Rock Trail parking lot and wondered what was going on, then realized this was August and it may have been pretty hot.

Just curious, why Telluride instead of Durango? Telluride looks beautiful but I never hear anything about epic rides there whereas Durango is full of them.

Para bens par voces. Glad you're home safe and sound. Thanks again for sharing.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Bula said:


> I've enjoyed this thread as much as I've enjoyed any. Forget the magazines! Now that you're back, I have a couple of questions (which I hope have not been answered in some of the posts I haven't read).
> 
> 1. If you could choose only one place to return to for a week of riding (once you're rested and can stand to look at a bike again), where would it be?
> 
> ...


1-Its really hard to try to pick one destination, we have tried but could not decide on only one great place. I can tell your a few top choices... If you are trying to pick one place to spend a week at, it would have to be a destination with a good trail network and not just one grate trails. With that said, this is what I would recommend:

Ketchum
Moab
Crested Butte
Sedona

2-The car was a bit small but it worked out just fine. Sleeping in the car was not that bad at all with the rear seats folded. The unpacking and repacking didn't bother us, it only took 10min or so. No, did not fear that my bike would get stolen. We did lock the bikes anytime the vehicle was unattended and overnight though.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

KRob said:


> Que aventura maravilhosa!! Muito obrigado!
> 
> I didn't think about it until you mentioned the rain in Crested Butte but it seems like that's the first weather issues you had the whole trip. Right?
> 
> ...


Yes, Crested Butte was the first time weather got in the way. Also, we did get rained on at the last 2 miles on Monarch Crest, Salida.

Moab was hot, 100+ degrees but we hit the slick rock trails at sunset the first day and we got a really early start the second day. Also, the Whole Enchilada started at really high altitude and it was actually really cold and it got warmer as you made your way down to the desert.

We chose Telluride because we heard of it and actually didnt hear anything about Durango till I started this thread. Next time we will definitely hit Durango though.

Thanks for the kind words.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Here are some pictures of us making our way back to Florida.

We missed a couple of state welcome signs but here you go.

























We stopped at Chilis to have lunch. We got it to go and sat outside to eat, the weather was nice.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

We got back to north Florida (parents house) and we spend a couple of days here. We went to the local trails for a bike ride with a friend but the ride was cut short because my friend started to feel bad and started to throw up allot. It was his first time riding trails in a while and he was riding a 100lbs Mongoose from Walmart and on top of that we had lunch not too long before the ride.

Apparently there are tons of new trails at this park but we did not get to ride them... Next time for sure.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Here are some BONUS pictures from Ashland.

Bike School in Ashland, OR (UBI). This was an awesome experience, bad ass instructors, cool facility and very nice classmates.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Bellow is one of the wheel set I built during the time at school. We were held to extremely low tolerances (0.2mm, anything more, points would be deducted) when building these wheels. Wheels were graded at the end of the day.

Students have the option of selecting their own custom wheel confuguration if they are buying the wheels from UBI. I chose DT FR600 rims, DT 440 hubs (20mm axle front and 12mm/9mm QR axle rear), DT Alpine III triple butted spokes and DT gold alloy spoke nipples.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Here is one of the times we rode down Mt. Ashland. Trail dumps you right at this water reservoir where we cooled off after hard day of riding.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Following pictures are of all of us hanging out downtown and at the Hostel we stayed at.


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## xc_xtc (Oct 8, 2005)

*Bah!*

You slept in your car in town?!

You totally could have slept in our crib! Another two items that would have helped on your trip.

1. Iphone 3g
2. Couchsurfing.org I'm listed under Crested Butte as OhBeJoyful

Too bad we missed you ugys! My gf & I ususally get the notorious FIG. Mmmmm tasty.

Although I only made it through half of this thread I'd love to hear more background information about yourselves, your dreams & goals & how you were able to go on such a sweet trip.

Cheers,
M


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## xc_xtc (Oct 8, 2005)

*Bah!*

dbl p0st


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## The Prodigal Son (Apr 22, 2008)

*Now it's my turn*

Bala, I see that you and Sarah have made it home. It seems like such a long time ago that you two were here in Flagstaff. I was thinking about you today as I was cleaning my bike and putting in a new Chris King bottom bracket. My bike has been falling apart since we rode together.

Now I'll be heading out on the road. I will pack tomorrow, after I get in a ride. I hope to have the camper ready to roll by Friday morning. My goal is to join a friend for a ride in Hood River, Oregon on Monday. Then we are going to do a couple more rides near Mt. St. Helens before we return to Bend for a few days of riding. Then we are riding the North Umpqua River Trail. Beth is flying up to meet me after about ten days on the road. She only has two weeks off work and I gave my notice at the conservation corps, so I'm planning on staying out and riding until mid October. Beth will get to ride McKenzie River Trail, Waldo Lake, and a full weeks worth of other trails in Oregon. I discovered there is a music festival in Portland during the time we will be in Oregon and I saw one of my favorite artists is performing, so I got us tickets for a show our last night in Oregon. After that we head to the San Juan Islands to visit Beth's older sister and ride on Orcas Island. Beth will fly home from there and I will return to Oregon for a few more days of riding. Then I'm off to California where I have friends in Sacramento. I will ride a bit in the foothills and maybe take a day trip to visit friends in Santa Cruz. Then I hope to get in a ride at Lake Tahoe, as I work my way to Salt Lake City, where I am picking up my sister and brother-in-law at the airport on October 8th and taking them on a journey through southern Utah. I promised them I would find a camping spot early enough to allow us to watch the Nebraska vs. Missouri football game on ESPN that night. They live in Nebraska and I spent five years selling peanuts at Tom Osbourne Stadium, so we are Big Red fans. I want to take them through four National Parks and National Monuments on the trip back to Flagstaff. It will be a lot shorter trip than yours, but will have a lot of great riding. I'm taking lots of spare parts.

Thank you for being an inspiration to so many others here on the forums.

Dan & Beth


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Dan, we are so happy to hear that you and Beth are headed out on the road. And I have to admit that we are both a bit jealous. We wish we were still out there, and you will be hitting a couple of trail that we wanted to ride but didn't get the change to (Hood River and North Umpqua). It sounds like you have a great trip planned, and I know you will enjoy every minute of it. I'm sorry that Beth can't join you for the entire time, I know Sarah hated to miss out on any of our trip. Take lots of pictures and share them with the rest of us... let us live a little through your adventures for a while, second only to experiencing them firsthand. Keep us updated if you can.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

xc_xtc said:


> You slept in your car in town?!
> 
> You totally could have slept in our crib! Another two items that would have helped on your trip.
> 
> ...


awesome tip, thank you. We would have loved to have met you and stayed with you for a night. Sarah is short and fits in the car a little better than I do. Couchsurfing is a very cool site and we will definitely utilize it on our next trip, which hopefully will take place sooner rather than later.


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## Tor-y-Foel (Nov 10, 2006)

Glad to hear you guys made it back safely - but sad the trip is over and no more reports and pics. Thanks for all the stoke, and lots of useful ideas for future trips for us visitors from the UK too:thumbsup:


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## Turn (Sep 16, 2008)

Amazing! An epic to end all epics


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## JP Nuts (Jun 21, 2004)

Bala,
Great trip and thanks for sharing and thanks to posters who joined in. Some trips end and I am saddened by your end. Your experience seems to have you primed for another trip. Many posters offered their opinions of must do rides and your chore was to sort out which ones you wanted to ride and you translated various reviews of your selected trails, no easy task to ride a trail that is your type of ride from all the submittals. Observation that you hit the big name rides. Next trip suggestion will be to ferret out the lesser known or even written up rides. Pick a ride location and hang at the trail head and hope for a local rider to show up and ask to glob on with them. Locals know which way the trail rides best and also secret stashes.
My story: I left my sold house in Spokane, WA back on July 18. 2008 and have been on the road since. My goal was to ride in all of the lower 48 states which I accomplished june 23, 2009. I have driven 30,000 miles and counting. Presently i am hanging in my old home town enjoying old friends and riding old trails. Someday soon I will head out down thru ID and winter in AZ & NM escaping the snow. I rode most of the trails perhaps you did.I have just about 300 rides under my tires and am unwilling to name the best trail i rode. Sadly, many trails become just another trail to ride but very enjoyable. And my memory was overwritten by new rides.I found it easy to get a local rider to share a ride, I didn't have to tickle them under the chin to share. Hardest legal precurement ahs been brake pads for my Formula brakes.
Living on the road is quite an adventure and I have found it to be fulfilling w/ the friendly and generous people I met along the way. Showers were always an adventure way more exciting than plodding down the hallway to my own bathroom. And I don't have to mow my yard or shovel my driveway.
Good that you rode many trails along the way that will show to you that there is other riding. Ride the rocks in West Virginia if you want to really ride rocks. FATS in SC is a special trail system and near you for a short road trip.
Savor your accomplishment and plan for the future.
Craig,
runutsadventures.com


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## darty (Jul 7, 2009)

so i was following this thread a couple weeks ago.


then i was at my local riding spot here in south florida friday night.

i saw a saab wagon pull up and didn't think anything of it.

then i saw a couple ride off together and it finally clicked. 

it was as if the internet came to life!

i was lucky enough to meet bala and sarah last night on yet another local ride.

we got rained out but more to come i hope.

nice meeting you two.

-anthony


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## Cujo (Jun 10, 2004)

Wow!! Words cannot describe the jealousy that I feel because you guys were living my dream. I dream of doing a road trip like that. I can only imagine the excitement of riding each new trail. How it must have felt to witness some of those spectacular views in person. The feeling of accomplishment after each ride and the anticipation of the next. I would never have wanted that trip to end. Thanks for sharing.


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## Redbeard77 (Sep 9, 2009)

What a great trip, and thanks for taking so many pics! (I always neglect that aspect)
I feel like I've been a lot of places, but this thread reminds me of how much of the USA I haven't seen.


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## Bala (Jan 9, 2009)

Thank you all for the support and kind words. We are still adjusting being back in the real world. This really was a life changing experience for both of us in so many ways and this thread was a big part of that. 

Keep posting so that more and more enthusiasts see what the US has to offer and to inspire others to create great adventures.


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## SingleTrackHound (Jul 29, 2003)

Bala,
this was the most inspiring thread ever, period. You guys were right in my neck of the woods in CO and didn't even know it until now. So bummed that I didn't get to meet/ride with you and Sarah. Hope to cross path some day... In the mean while, I will drop in occasion to say hello when I spot you in another mtbr thread.

Fellow Marin rider


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## Rigidone2 (Feb 27, 2004)

Simply Amazing!! Dream trip of a lifetime. Maybe i will get to do this when i retire! LOL


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## BeaverTail (Aug 12, 2009)

How did the panaracers hold up on such a trip.


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