Durango to Moab

Hermosa Creek, near Durango

Nine days ago we started an eight day mountain bike trip from Durango, CO to Moab, UT.  The first day (the "prologue") we rode a trail called Hermosa Creek.  About two thirds of the way in my mom was trying to stop but she couldn’t get her foot out of her pedal and she fell down a long slope.   While she was trying to get her foot out she tore the MCL and ACL in her knee.  She had to walk out about six miles.  The next day the trip went on without us but they had to turn back because of a big scary thunderstorm.  They stayed with us in Durango the next day.  On day three I left my parents behind and we drove to Telluride where we rode the Galloping Goose Trail.  That night we slept in a cow field beside the next day's trailhead in the Uncompahgre National Forest.  The cows were not too happy about this and mooed loudly at us for a long time before going away.  Day four we rode an ATV trail and camped at Windy Point which is right on a cliff.  That evening my mom and dad caught up with us.  The next day we rode and then spent two hours looking for the perfect campsite only to end up in a campground we knew was there from the very beginning.  Day six was Yute Creek Trail and we dropped four thousand feet before lunch into Gateway, UT.  That afternoon the route climbed about thirty-eight hundred feet but only Juan was able to ride the whole thing.  The next day was the last day, day seven and it was supposed to be about twenty-two miles.  Sixteen miles in, about two thirds of a bridge over a stream had been washed away in a flood and the cars weren’t going to be able to get across so we had to turn around, get in the car, and drive out.  Tom had a flight from Durango at five fifteen so he had to drive back really fast and we all thought that he was going to miss his flight and buy a new ticket but he just barely made it and was able to get home on time.  Meanwhile, we looped back around to Moab where it was really hot and we watched the Women’s World Cup Final while eating pizza.

- Brook, with a little help