Mountain biking on … Mars?

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t find it all that uncommon for excitement to get the better of good judgement.

Like during Stone Hound’s spring field test in the Utah desert, for a recent example.

The idea was to get some trail miles in while wearing the newest iteration of Stone Hound’s trail dog hip pack, which had seemed to really find its form over the winter. It was still a bit early in the season and so with the local trails covered in snow that was as good of an excuse as any to hit the road, heading south.

So then, why not finally get around to exploring the Thunder Mountain Trail outside of Panguitch? I’d seen some photos of riding there and it had captured my imagination.

The photos I had seen looked warm and dry, so I assumed like other parts of the Utah desert, this area would be the same – at almost any time of year.

I probably should have made fewer assumptions, and/or done more research. It might have been nice to know ahead of arriving that Panguitch sits at 6,624 feet above sea level (which for reference, I was getting away from Bozeman, sitting in the neighborhood of 4,500’). And, as I would also learn later, the trail tops out at just about the 8,000’ mark.

I arrived under the cover of darkness, so obviously had no reason to suspect that the conditions might not be ideal. Even in the early light of the next day, things looked fine – at the bottom.

I started out early enough that it didn’t seem odd there were no other vehicles in the parking lot. But by the time I reached one of the upper parking areas, it was seeming strange that no one else had had the same idea for the day. Pushing through some serious doubts, it didn’t take much longer to reach the snow.

But, I had already pedaled a good ways and the snow seemed to be confined to the shaded, northern aspects. Which wouldn’t have been a big deal at all were those same aspects not the downhill parts of the early going. In some spots the snow was thin enough to ride through. Mostly though, it turned into a bit of an ugly trudge – literally, because carrying a bike never goes all that well really.

Pushed on anyway.

And, as it was, it wasn’t far before the snow blankets became thin, ragged patches. And beyond that was perfect orange, yellow and red dirt. Soft and tacky. It was an amazing descent.

The riding was as good as I had hoped for. As was the performance of the trail dog bag.

Yes, I probably could – should – have carried more, perhaps a wind breaker for one thing, but that was hardly the bag’s fault. There had been plenty enough space to tuck that in with the snacks, tools, pump, water and phone.

The size felt right on. It was so comfortable I could actually forget I was wearing it. And, the overall simplicity really tickled my fancy. It also didn’t hurt that it was weather/water/mud resistant. By the end, the outside was a mess, with everything inside just fine.

The tube strap, too, was as reliable as always.

So, while it feels a little too much like patting myself on the back, I have to say, all in all that went pretty well.

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Postcards from Mount Blackmore