Off-Road Adventure for the Sentient Being
So suppose you're not the type that thinks heading off into the unknown with approximately zero preparation is good fun. Or suppose you find yourself in Moab for a limited time, and you don't feel like screwing around trying to read guidebooks, looking at maps and trying to guess what ride will be the best use of your time. Or suppose you (god forbid) are in Moab without your motorcycle. Never fear, there is a solution to your problems.
Dale Parriott, owner of Elite Motorcycle Tours, has been riding in the Moab area pretty much forever, and he knows every trail for miles around like the back of his hand. Better yet, he provides late-model KTM 4-strokes for his tour customers. After 2 weeks of riding all day, every day, I had the privilege of tagging along with Dale and 3 customers for the first day of their 2-day tour. Unfortunately for me, I was stuck on my well-used klx300 dualsport bike instead of one of the sweet KTM RFS bikes.
Dale drove us all up to the summit just south of town in his motorhome, pulling the trailer with all the bikes. After unloading, we ran through a brief orientation with the machines, including a quick lesson on riding techniques, and we practiced some maneuvers in the dirt parking lot using traffic cones. One of the things Dale stressed in the orientation was the importance of treading lightly and treating the trails (and other travelers) with respect. No ugly donuts to make U-turns, instead we got to do non-invasive 3-pt turns when we needed to turn around. Dale has been around long enough to see too many restrictions placed on our riding, and he's doing his bit to educate his customers to have maximum fun, while not giving any ammunition to those who would prefer to see our riding even more restricted.
Once we got underway, we pretty much rode like maniacs all day long, taking the long and scenic route from Moab to Monticello. Every inch of the ride was new terrain to me, and i'm pretty sure I couldn't find more than 10% of it again. We ended up covering about 150 miles of interesting and scenic terrain, with a few stops to snack, gas up, and learn a little local history. Dale used to work in the mining business, so he has a wealth of stories and information about the mines, and our ride took us past some old abandoned mines, as well as some more modern operations.
I was expecting a pretty sedate pace, since every group ride I've ever been on has been mostly spent sitting around and bs-ing, but don't expect that from Dale. He's all about the ride, and we covered some serious ground, with just enough time off to stay fed and hydrated, and occasionally catch our breath. Dale does a great job of matching the rides to his clients' skill and experience, so if you go, be prepared for riding that will be fun and also challenging. Dale is also a multiple national champion desert racer, so come prepared with technique questions and you can also get some coaching out of your riding time.
Chatting with the group afterwards, I found them all quite pleased at the ride and the equipment. Best of all, they were able to show up, and just go riding, without worrying about transporting bikes and gear, and doing countless hours of research, and spending half the day navigating. Nope, just show up and go riding. Check it out at EliteMotorcycleTours.com.