Oof!  I am so sore..., A group of riders on the Kokopelli Trail, from western Colorado to Moab, Utah.  March, 2007.

This report segment was originated on ADVRider.com as part of a MUCH larger ride report, and has been co-posted on KLR650.net. It is imported here with minor editing for structure and flow.  Typos, etc., have mostly been left as they are, fixed only for clarity in some cases.  The authors have been identified by their user names.  Martin is the originator of this segment of the ride report, and is identified here as SgtMarty.

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SgtMarty wrote:

I decided to join a bunch of ADVRiders on a dirt ride from Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah. We were to take a route that included Kokopelli's Trail, a well-known hiking and mountain bike route. It was the first dirt ride of the year for most of us. It was, what?, maybe 170 miles total? Now, safely back home, I am very sore. Some damage to the bike, but then, it's just a piece of equipment. It's a recreation tool. It's just an object.

*snif* I am so sorry than I damaged you, trusty steed.

(this is my ADVRider report, recreated here for your amusement)

This was my first time in Moab, and I loved it. Got a few repairs to do for the old KLR, but it's easily fixable.

LaurieD and I got into the Grand Junction KOA campground late, went to bed pretty quickly, and found morning earlier than I had hoped to find it.


Cookie Julie was already makin' the fixin's for breakfast in the dark.  (It was darker than this photo looks.)




There were maybe 20 bikes (?) when we stopped to air down for the real trail riding. Several Sheriff's vehicles in the lot. Lots of clothing layers came off, too; it was already getting very warm.




There was some expected group separation due to skill level. This was the first real challenge for me, and I failed. There is a rock ledge just below the final rise on this hill, and I hit it too slow. BIFF! "Minor" slip off the trail, but I then found out that my right footpeg had been sheared off. Fortunately, I had highway pegs mounted, so I had somewhere to put my foot. Couldn't use the rear brake effectively, though, with nothing to stabilize my right foot. I could lock up the rear tire like nobody's business, but couldn't feather or drag that rear brake at all.




Lucky for me, Unaweep took me on a detour that I was able to manage with only the front brake. Adrenaline was my drug of choice and my constant companion. I was barely able to get my butt off the seat for a few seconds every now and then. With my right foot far forward, I couldn't center my weight on my feet, and every time I stood up, 90% of my weight was on the left footpeg. I was getting a left thigh workout. I had to stop for photo ops just to left the thigh ache ease up.




The detour trail here was wonderful and easy, but I could either steer or brake at any moment, not both. I had to downshift a lot for some rear braking, and almost washed out the front tire hundreds of times going into turns. I was still at about an 80% fun factor, with 20% "too much work".




I was very relieved in stretches like this. Not being able to spend more time on the footpegs was giving my back a workout, too. All those bumps and shimmies went right up my spine. When there was some 2-track sections, I could relax a bit.




And then we got to some trail that was horribly rutted and washed out. Unaweep will have fond memories of this one.




Many of the eroded gullies were narrow and several feet deep. Most were able to be avoided. Most. Eventually, the trail looked too far gone and probably impassable. We met a couple other riders and turned around for another detour.




I had the ride printout with me, and could have managed to get out and make my own way to Moab, but it was wonderful to let Unaweep lead the way. His familiarity and the GPS made these detours manageable. We made it to the lunch site. Oof. I liked being able to give my back and left leg a rest. Julie, Laurie, and Jen were a wonderful support crew, even if their day was pretty much shot waiting for us constantly. Here, I should have taken the offer to trailer my bike to Moab and get the sheared footpeg fixed. Here, I failed to do the wise thing.



 

We split into smaller groups from lunch and headed back for Kokopelli's trail. There were some compromises made along the way, but I will let those more knowledgeable give the trail report. Mostly what I knew was that the ground was hard and that gravity is relentless.

Red_Chili gave a big rock the old "Take that!" treatment, and the rock did the some for his clutch cover. Magnesium cracks in a spidery pattern, I found out.




We spent, what?, maybe an hour or more watching Red_Chili patch his clutch cover. There was some shade but not much. We discussed whether or not urine would help QuickSteel set up faster, but it ended up being only debate and no testing. It was getting late, and the ride was far from over.




So okay, down and onward! Three of the bikes went ahead, then Tramontana and I set out.




We stopped for a couple pics. Here's Tramontana, his DR650, and my wounded KLR...




... and here's the view behind me when I took the above photo. Probably less than 1000' drop off.




I took no pics at Rose Garden Hill--don't know if anyone in our group did. There were several ingredients to my failure here. I am not good at this kind of technical trail riding, I was nearly exhausted, my left leg felt like it was just a big bruise, my back was... Aw, screw it, I just failed on Rose Garden Hill. Guys finally tried to help me ease the bike down and that was fun for no one, but I really appreciate their effort. My bash plate kept high-centering on the bigger rocks and BAM! the bike would come to a halt and usually keeled over on my leg. The front tire kept washing out and BAM! the bike would fall again. The fun/adventure factor was down to about 10% at this point. When the worst of the rocks were over, I tried to ride it down, and BAM! off the trail I went. I tumble well (all those Judo rolls), but the KLR is less skilled at rolling over. Snapped the rear brake lever off (hey, I wasn't using it anyway). So, more shrapnel added to my tailbags.


Once off Rose Garden Hill (geez, it's impressive to see guys who can ride down that), the rest of the ride was sheer beauty. The sun was setting, backlighting wonderful rock formations and I just had to stop and take a couple pics. The 20-plus water crossings were very refreshing.






Finally to pavement and the long cruise to the campground. One last pic of whence we came. It was actually much darker than this photo shows.




Red_Chili's clutch stopped complaining and decided to do something about it, so it blew out. At speed. In the dark.

The campground was nice, if mostly just dirt, with a view out there somewhere in the night. We'd have to wait for morning to see it. The bathrooms and running water were nice. Meanwhile, the dinner was wonderful, the Guinness a godsend (goes without saying, usually), and the company and conversation was part of why my fun factor went way back up. Thanks, everyone.


Some sightseeing on Sunday morning. Deadhorse State Park, and the stunning views.






It was this hot in March?! I'll be back at the end of May, when I will likely melt into a disagreeable pudding. I intend to never see Rose Garden Hill again. There, I've made my peace with it.

(As it turned out, I was back for more the following year...  Different kind of drama, though.  - Martin)

JudJonzz wrote:  What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, eh, Marty? Nice report. Looks like kokopelli could be fun. Still undecided on whether to go to CMC this year, but your pics pull me in that direction.

SgtMarty wrote:  Hope to see you there, Jud. I need some mesh gear, though. 'Twas hot. We never actually got to the final Kokopelli part due to it being impassable. That was a section in the middle of the overall ride. What we did was enough, to be sure. And for the first ride of the season?! I said it already... oof.

Ranier Tom wrote:  Excellent post SgtMarty.

jethro wrote:  What a trip ya went on Marty. You did a good job with showing what the KLR can do (and you too). I think I would've wussed out on Rose Garden.  I briefly looked at the write up on avdrider and it looked like there was not a whole lot of KLR's, or the bigger bikes going down that hill. Is that correct?

SgtMarty wrote:  There was no alternative but to advance bravely down Rose Garden Hill. It was the only way (aside from backtracking 80 miles or so). The KLR's weight and suspension were the most significant disadvantages aside from me being a putz. There were a couple big bikes, but most were smaller bikes. (Only one other KLR, but he took a different route after lunch and bypassed Rose Garden Hill.) They were all very skilled though, so regardless of the bike, the riders made the difference. Guys my age had been riding for 40 years; this is only my 4th year riding, and only the second year doing stuff like this. My learning curve is not what it used to be

Wanderer wrote:  Man!!! Awesome stuff... wish we had those kinds of massive trails around here. Miles and miles and miles of good stuff!!!

I believe the passenger foot pegs are identical to the front. If anyone had some basic tools, you could have swapped the passenger one forward. That is, of course, if the complete front mounting assembly wasn't also destroyed.


This says it's Rose Garden Hill..... is that what you went down?

SgtMarty wrote:  The footpeg mount sheared off with the peg still attached. One of the (hardened) bolts broke and the other stripped out the threads. I will be replacing the captured nuts with 10mm hardened ones, and maybe even welding them on. Don't know yet. This is the second issue with the right footpeg mount coming loose/off. Maybe it's me?

That looks like Rose Garden Hill. I'd have to scrunch my face up in terror and throw dirt in my eyes to see it the way I remember it. The top part (not visible from photos taken from the bottom) was by far the hardest part. Very sudden, steep drop off and big rocks.

It was listed as Intermediate in the bicycle and 4x4 guides. you'd have to carry the bikes, certainly, but most high-clearance, low-geared 4x4's could do it. It is quite steep.

Someone has now posted a couple pics of me crashing on Rose Garden Hill (on ADVRider) so now I have evidence aside from broken bits.

wzltech wrote:  I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time near Durango this summer, if all goes as expected, and have found myself strangely obsessed with the Black Bear Pass Road going down into Telluride. Not sure why, other than it looks very cool, and a wee bit dangerous...but mostly in that one section near the falls. Have you ever done it? (Can't remember if I asked you before.)

I think it would be a great loop ride going down Black Bear and then back up out of Telluride over Imogene.

Anyway, thanks again for sharing your ride with us...some of it looked like fun.

SgtMarty wrote:  I've not done those yet, but will get them done this year. At either the Horizons Unlimited gathering or on my own. I intend to spend a lot of time in the area around Ridgeway/Ouray/Telluride.

That zig-zag down into Telluride is alluring, isn't it?

(Follow up:  I did Black Bear Pass later that summer. -Martin)

SgtMarty wrote:  Here's a pic someone posted of me over on ADVRider.

Geez, it looks like an easy trail in this photo. I'm such a wimp.

I had popped over a small ledge in the trail there at the right side of the photo, and didn't have any momentum. I can't do wheelies fer crud.  (Wheelies help getting over some of the steps.)

When the bike came down on the edge of the trail, the soft ground gave way and the bike slid off the edge and into a rock that sheared off the right footpeg mount.

I had to ride it down off the trail (to the right) from here, and only then discovered the missing peg.

(They are giving me some well-deserved grief on ADV, and that's fair...)

(Update:  I have since upgraded the footpeg bracket bolts to hard 10mm (nuts and bolts). I've done Black Bear Pass, Cinnamon Pass, Engineer Pass, Ophir Pass... many others since the ride that started this post. 2007 was a busy year.

I had less trouble on those rides, partly due to the increased experience, and partly due to ditching the saddlebags and putting tools, etc, into a big camelback pack that I wore. That alone made the bike more agile. -Martin)