Kokopelli Trail Bike Trip

At the end of April, Steven and two friends rode for 4 days and approx. 120 miles on the Kokopelli Trail, from Loma, Colorado to Moab, Utah. Roxy and I came along to drive the "sag wagon" with all of the camping gear, food and water. During the day she and I went on hikes, drove around the various scenic areas, went to the store if necessary and then we met the guys each afternoon at that day's designated campsite. Because I was driving the supplies and equipment we got to have great meals every night and morning--pasta with meat sauce, fettucini with homemade alfredo sauce and chicken, sesame chicken salad with soup and of course, what's a camping trip without burgers and hot dogs (and s'mores for dessert one night)? Another bonus was that 4 of the 5 nights we camped had a toilet nearby (basically a ranger-maintained deluxe outhouse, but it did have toilet paper!) and one night our campground even had a shower! That was one of the most appreciated showers I've ever had.





Our campsite on the first night was the most beautiful place I've ever camped; I couldn't believe it when I drove up to it and it was available! The Colorado River was flowing far below us and there was a train track that ran along side it in the canyon. All night there were freight and Amtrak trains going by, but they provided a soothing sound since they were so far down. Plus it rained that night; what a wonderful thing to fall asleep to. Roxy was in heaven because she got to roam around off the leash and explore much as she wanted. I got really nervous when she would get close to the ledge but I think she was just doing it to torment me. That day also had some unexpected heavy duty 4-wheel driving; I learned later that there was an easier route available, but it was worth it to say I got to really go off-road.





One of the trails Roxy and I hiked was the Trail Through Time, where many different dinosaur fossils have been found. Paleontologists still quarry for fossils during the summer months. Right near the trail was a dinosaur vertebrae fossil. It felt completely plausible that dinosaurs roamed there so long ago; I felt like I could look around the corner and see one at any moment.

Our third night of camping was another incredible location. We were lucky enough to camp by a river or a stream every night. The sound of water is absolutely my favorite sound.



Another day Roxy and I hiked in an area called Yellowjacket Canyon. The walls of rock were massive and had all kinds of patterns and variations everywhere you looked. The layered rock was really fragile and a few pieces broke off when I stepped on them.





The biggest bike mechanical issue was a couple of flat tires. Not bad! They rode for 3 days in a row, then we all took a break on the 4th day because it was unclear if the road and trail for that day was even open (due to lots of snow received the week before), plus everyone was ready for some rest. The next day I shuttled them up to the top of a mountain near Moab, Utah, and they got to ride a 15-mile downhill section of trail. What a great way to end the trip! Part of the trail they rode was the downhill portion of the Porcupine Rim Trail, which Steven, Travis, Trevor, Jerry and I rode in 2006, but we had to ride all of the uphill section before we even got to the downhill part. Next time we're definitely doing it the shuttle way!