October 2002 Issue 10/18/02 8:13 AM Page 1 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 7 FREE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2002 cycling utah Where are your Spokey-Dokeys? •Rider of the Year •Calendar of Events •Stansbury Island •Results •A Reply from UDOT •LOTOJA •SLC Bike Co-op •Winter Tips •Cyclocross Race #1 •Vuelta Diaries •Point of the Mountain Troubles MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL October 2002 Issue 10/18/02 8:13 AM Page 2 2 cycling utah.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2002 SPEAKING OF SPOKES Autumn Delights By Dave Ward cently clear river water, natural Publisher growth and abundant wildlife of this beautiful park. Right after an Cycling is so selfishly plea- autumn rainfall is the perfect surable I am certain that it, along time to do this ride. with skiing, eating and sex, must Yellowstone can always sur- be sinful. That must be why, prise you, too. We made the when I ride, I do so with a obligatory first stops for the gnawing sense of guilt, a feeling obligatory pictures of buffalo that I should be doing something and elk. But along with others, more productive and less person- single home. So, on a cold we adjusted quickly to their ally pleasing. Saturday morning, we joined ubiquitous presence and subse- That being said, this last almost 300 other cyclists for a quently simply gazed at them as week has been particularly sin- journey, starting on soggy roads, we rode past. However, as we ful. To begin with, one morning from West Yellowstone to Old made the turn at Madison last week, I rode under a clear, Faithful and, for the hardy, the Junction to head to Old Faithful, cool sky, climbing from down- return back. (Others had the a lone cyclist, stopped at the town Bountiful, Utah, up to the option of shuttling back, or shut- base of an approaching incline, foothills, around and past the tling in to Old Faithful and then called to us as we zipped by LDS Bountiful Temple, up fur- riding back.) Thankfully, it had striving to carry our speed from ther to the Bountiful High stopped raining by the start of the preceding downhill as far up School "B" on the hillside, and the ride, though the thick, dark this incline as we could. back. The sensation of being clouds were withholding any Karma and I elected to turn under a refreshingly clean sky, sign of a truce for the next few back, reasoning that if this the air cool enough to just nip a hours. cyclist felt compelled to inter- little at your nose and fingers, is As it turned out, the clouds rupt our concentrated effort, a delight worth suffering for. were good to us. They withheld there must be something worth A couple of days later, my their moisture, thinned and even seeing. Sure enough, as we wife, Karma, and I were driving let a few rays of sunlight escape slowed to a stop, he pointed out on Friday evening to West through. Perfect weather for a wolf in the trees about thirty Yellowstone for the next day’s what is a most beautiful ride. yards away. The wolf moved Fifth Annual Yellowstone Fall The road took us along the gracefully through the trees and Cycle Tour. As the rain poured scenic Madison River, and then shrubs, stopping to peek out down on the tandem racked on through a countryside of geysers, periodically at the gathering top of our car, Karma was wish- hot pools and mud pots till we crowd, till he finally slipped out Top: Dave Ward Emerging Out of the Fog ing I had brought my single bike reached Old Faithful. of sight. Wow! Despite having Photo: Karma Ward so she could send me off alone It is a simple but true fact that been to Yellowstone more times Bottom: Karma Ward by the hotsprings the next morning while she a good rainfall outfits nature in than I care to count, this was my Photo: Dave Ward snuggled cozily in front of a its finest. The freshness of the first time to ever see a wolf in warm fire. cool air and the enhanced colors the wild. Actually, that is why I left the add brilliance to the magnifi- Several miles later, as we Cover Photo: Moab Dreaming Rider: Mike Abbott Photo: Brian Schiele home.mindspring.com/~mtbbrian The photo is a double exposure shot with a Holga camera. © 2002 cycling utah cycling utah Financing available P.O. Box 57980 through RC Willey Murray, UT 84157-0980 www.cyclingutah.com You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 David R. Ward, Publisher Robert L. Truelsen, Executive Editor Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dave Iltis, Editor & Advertising (801) 268-2652 Email: [email protected] Contributors: Greg Overton, Neal Skorpen, Gregg Bromka, Ben Simonson, Bill Harris, Jeff Stenquist, Charles Pekow, Brian Price, Brian Schiele, Ron Lindley, Ed Chauner, Lisa Peck, Dave EPIC’S NOW in Stock. Zabriskie, Lou Melini, Kevin Nichol, Karma Ward, Marc Yap, épek cycling utah is published eight times a year beginning in Complete line of trainers March and continuing monthly through October. Annual Subscription rate: $7 Postage paid in Murray, UT Salt Lake Sandy Provo 1370 S. 2100 E. 1300 E. 10510 (106th S.) 187 West Center Editorial contributions are welcome. Please included a stamped, self- 583-1940 571-4480 374-9890 addressed envelope to return unused material. Submission of articles and Ogden Sunset Layton accompanying artwork to cycling utah is the author’s warranty that the 3239 Washington Blvd. 2317 No. Main 110 No. Main material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others and that 399-4981 825-8632 546-3159 the material may be published without additional approval. Permission is required to reprint any of the contents of this publication. www.binghamcyclery.com Cycling Utah is free, limit one copy per person. October 2002 Issue 10/18/02 8:13 AM Page 3 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2002 cycling utah.com 3 TRAIL OF THE MONTH Stansbury Island Mountain Bike Trail By Gregg Bromka inhabitants. Moab, it’s not, and Length/Type: 10.4 miles/Loop you would be hard pressed to (clockwise) At last, gone are the dog days find a postcard of the place, but of summer and with them life in it’s equally unique and defini- Tread: 5.8 miles singletrack, 3.2 the blast furnace we call the Salt tively Utah. miles doubletrack, 1.4 miles dirt Lake Valley. Labor Day ski Details: road sales, an early autumn dusting of As you head south from the snow on high peaks, and crisp trailhead across the sun-baked Physical Difficulty: Moderate nighttime breezes that warrant foothills, you can trace the nine (tough climb to reach the “shore- an extra blanket on the bed com- switchbacks that lead up to your line” then flat with micro-hills) pel many to wave a checkered anaerobic destination. Ugh! flag and call the bike season Once there, you’ll drop through Technical Difficulty: 1+ to 5 officially over. As the days get four more turns to catch the (tight, rocky switchbacks on the shorter still and trails up high in shoreline, proper. You’ll stay initial climb; smooth and choppy the Wasatch Range transform glued to that elevation for 4 trail with exposure; steep, grav- from air conditioned escapes to miles. elly descent; smooth dirt roads arctic training grounds for the At times, the shoreline’s nar- with light sand and washboards) Ice Man Cometh, the urge to row rocky lip barely accommo- Elevation Gain: 1,050 feet make a beeline to Moab or St. dates your two-inch wide tires; George is more primal innate- other times, the smooth terrace is Dogs: Yes, but no water on route ness than human logic. If you broad enough to build a house hang out up north, however, on. Acrophobes and bikers with Trailhead Access: you’ll be shocked at how the rudimentary handling skills may From Salt Lake City, travel 36 mountain biking season speeds find some sections especially miles west on I-80 to Exit 84 through September, rolls into unnerving. After curving through (Grantsville, UT 138). Go right October, hangs tight during Tabbys Canyon, the trail bends at the exit then left/west on the November, and only begins to around two points that provide Frontage Road for Stansbury fade with December’s first inver- overlooks of the salt evaporation Island, which turns to all-weath- sion. In fact, a wily biker can ponds on the flats below and of er dirt. Stay straight at a Y-junc- shred powder one day and rally the Oquirrh and Stansbury tion to reach the trailhead in in the dirt the next until old man Mountains rising high above eye another 3 miles. winter clenches us in his icy level. Nearly a mile farther, the mitts for good come January. By trail bends through a canyon, Excepted from Mountain Biking then, life is merely having to and an intersecting trail descends Utah’s Wasatch Front (due March 2003—no lie!). Will be available deal with two short months of sharply to the right. That’s your Brad and Aspen enjoy a spring ride on the Stansbury Island. at www.offroadpub.com. frozen trails—nothing a home- route down, but before you Photo by Gregg Bromka made set of studded tires can’t descend, chase the bench trail handle. another half mile for the best So, save some gasoline by view yet. There, the Wasatch staying up north, postpone spin Range can be seen stretching classes, keep the chain lubed, over 60 miles from Ogden’s Ben and head a half hour west toward Lomond to Salt Lake’s Lone Tooele to ride the Stansbury Peak, and the city that welcomed Island Mountain Bike Trail or the world during the 2002 other routes in Utah’s west Olympic Winter Games sprouts desert.