The weather is unexpectedly fine today, so of course we’re biking. With down to only two days left here in Moab, we’re finally going to ride possibly the best miles starting right from town: the Moab Canyon Pathway.
First though, we turn right at the bridge crossing the Colorado to explore the Goose Island Trail, a short spur that follows Route 128 upriver. It’s only about two and a half miles long, but it’s a beautiful little ride and a great local outing for families. The cliffs along this part of the river are exceptional and right in your face as the river navigates a pair of tight bends. It’s a good place for this trail too because this is probably the worst biking stretch on this highway - completely shoulderless, very limited visibility, heavy traffic. If all of 128 were like this, I wouldn’t consider riding it at all.
On the Goose Island Trail. In places where there is no room beside the highway the path is elevated above the river. The state should just continue with this project and extend it for another ten miles, out to about Dead Horse Point. They’d have a world class cycling destination.
The Moab Canyon Pathway begins just after crossing the river on the pedestrian/bike bridge. About 9 miles long, it’s an exceptional route that parallels busy US 91 past the entrance to Arches National Park and ends at the start of Route 313, the road to Dead Horse Point and Grand View Point up in Canyonlands.
We rode this path twice before in our first visit here together, but my memory of it has really dimmed. With so many other outstanding features in the region to think back on, I’d forgotten what a great riding experience this is.
We’re following the route of the Old Spanish Trail, the historical route between Santa Fe and Los Angeles.
The Old Spanish Trail included multiple branches. Here, we’re following the Main Route, coming up through Durango. Note that none of these routes goes anywhere near Tucson. I don’t know where the Old Spanish Route Road in that city got its name, but it’s not part of this system.
Crossing under US 91. This is a retake of a photo I took four years ago. The lighting is a bit better on this one, or maybe it’s just from having a better camera.
From the end of the bike path we turned up Route 313, following it as far as the Navajo Rocks turnout. There was no special significance to this destination - 313 is a fine scenic ride with a broad shoulder that makes it great for cycling. We could have stopped anywhere, but 44 miles felt like the right distance for current conditions (a bit chilly, a bit windy, a bit weary, a bit old). With more time, energy and ambition we could have kept going all the way to Dead Horse Point, as we did four years ago when we didn’t have a car along. That Raven is spoiling us, making us soft.
