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Bryce to Zion "The route was great and very scenic, our group was fantastic, and the brownies were amazing! "Anne-Marie Demers, Aug 2008 |
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Description & Itinerary Our Bryce to Zion tour has it all-two national parks, both single and double track riding, beautiful camping, and a lodge to boot for the final night.We ride in, out, and between each park using backcountry routes, which include the spectacular singletrack of the Virgin River Rim Trail. From the first day's ride through the Hoodoos of Casto Canyon to the final hike on Angels Landing, or the Zion Narrows-the unusual geology will continue to amaze you. The riding varies from winding singletrack to a long mileage day on rolling dirt roads. After four days of camping we'll arrive under Zion's 2,000-foot sandstone walls and spend the night at a lodge in Springdale, Utah. Here we'll feast at our favorite restaurant, The Bit and Spur. This is a terrific tour that will take you up and over several large plateaus that form Southwest Utah's most distinct geological features. You can control the challenge, as the support van is never far away. Call us at 800-845-2453. We can answer all your questions about the Bryce to Zion trip. |
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This tour will begin at 7:30am MST at the Holiday Inn, 850 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah 84770, 435-628-4235. After loading the van we will drive the 2 1/2 hours to Red Canyon, the beginning of the ride. You will need to spend the night in St. George because none of the shuttle services from Las Vegas run early enough.
From our meeting point near Zion National Park, we'll shuttle 100 miles to scenic Red Canyon on the outskirts of Bryce Canyon National Park. After a brief orientation and bike check, we'll begin this outstanding cycling adventure with a fun doubletrack road that takes us into the spectacular and colorful Casto Canyon. Here we pick up a moderately technical ATV track that will take us through this deeply cut canyon. Brilliant red rock formations surround us on either side as we gradually climb up to the plateau country north of Bryce. From here we will ride beneath the rock formations of Casto Bluff and the Flake Swale. Our camp tonight will be nestled in the Ponderosas just above the park.
After breakfast we will make our way to Bryce Canyon National Park. Bryce is known for its colorful and strangely eroded cliffs. The unique layers of Bryce were formed from the 43 million year old Claron Formation; an iron rich layer of limy sediment. After a stop at the visitor center, we will shuttle over to Sunset Point for a hike down into the canyon. Here we will find ourselves surrounded by an array of fantastic shapes called Hoodoos. After lunch we will ride out of the park on a series of dirt roads and ATV trails into the backcountry to our camp just above the Sevier River Valley on the Paunsaugunt Plateau.
Today, we'll begin with a 1,200 foot climb to the top of the Sunset Cliffs. From the summit, far reaching views can be enjoyed in all directions. To the north, the Paunsaugunt Plateau and the Table Cliffs Plateau loom upwards some 2,000 feet. To the east lie the canyons of Bryce. To the south are the Pink Cliffs and to the west lies the main fork of the Sevier River and the Markagunt Plateau. After a short rest stop in this breathtaking setting, we'll begin a fun filled 2,000 foot doubletrack descent that takes us through the small town of Hatch on the Sevier River. We'll load up into the van and shuttle the rest of the way across the plateau to our camp in the aspen trees. From our camp we'll ride to Strawberry Point for a spectacular afternoon view.
Today we will ride on the spectacular Virgin River Rim Trail. The trail contours through the trees along the edge of the plateau. The Pink Cliffs drop below us, stepping down to the Grey Cliffs of Zion in the distance. The trail is fairly wide with challenging climbs and swooping descents, and the route that it follows along the edge of the rim is brilliant. We will stop for a short hike to Cascade Falls, the underground outlet of Navajo Lake and the source of the Virgin River. This is the river that created the dramatic canyons of Zion. A strenuous climb along the rim returns us to the ridge line for more great riding, ending in an amazing three mile descent to camp at the end of Navajo Lake. An optional loop ride from camp rolls along the banks of Navajo Lake which is great for an afternoon swim. The far side of the singletrack passes through a lava field, evidence of the forces that formed the plateau.
Today our cumulative descent will take us 5,200 feet down into Zion itself. We begin gliding through the aspen trees descending and descending and descending. At last we will cross the North Fork of the Virgin River and begin a rolling ascent through Orderville Gulch. We pop out on the road, and after another mile or two we reach the red pavement of Zion, heralding the entrance of the park. Once inside the park prepare for one of the most beautiful sections of road riding you will ever do. As Scott Martin, an editor for Bicycling Magazine says, "How can people bear to do this in car?" After a quick van ride through the tunnel, we will ride to the Springdale Lodge, our lodging for the evening. Tonight, dinner will be at one of our favorite restaurants, the Bit n' Spur.
On our last day we will do one of Zion's classic hikes, either Angels Landing or the Zion Narrows. We will begin on our bikes, riding north through the park under the Great White Throne, the East Temple, and the Mountain of the Sun. If we choose Angels Landing we will hike up into the cliff tops with views in all directions. If weather permits, we can attempt the Zion Narrows, one of the Colorado Plateau's most spectacular canyons. In June and September this hike may not be possible due to high water levels. Yet in the hot summer months when the water flow is lower, we can hike right through it. We'll have lunch on the trail today, and after our ride back down the canyon, we'll load up for the shuttle back to St. George.
We will return to St. George between 3:00-4:00 pm on the last day. You will have time to catch a shuttle back to Las Vegas, but not to Salt Lake.
Riding Surface: Dirt roads, double tracks, some singletrack and some pavement. |
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May 29 - Jun 03, 2011
Mountain Bike |
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 Western Spirit Cycling Adventures Toll Free: 800-845-2453 Local: 435-259-8732 More Contact Info
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