DAY 2 - BIKING 

A quick stop to rent mountain bikes (Poison Spider bikes) and then it was off to another one of the most popular areas in Moab – Slickrock – with options to complete a long, advanced bike trail or a shorter easy one. While Evan, an experienced mountain biker, was certainly up for the advanced route, the easy one was definitely enough for me, Nicole and Karen. Perhaps the highlight of the route was the scenic reward upon arriving at the lip of a massive canyon.
 
Overall the route was super fun and an excellent introduction to biking in Moab.
 
We chose the Poison Spider Mesa Trail for our second trip of the day. This trail was very different from the super popular Slickrock; noticeably the lack of other cyclists and the varied terrain and scenery.  About two thirds of the way along Evan and I encountered several souped-up jeeps and trucks, negotiating some pretty tricky terrain. It was very entertaining to watch.
 
Day 2 gets 2 thumbs up from me and 8 in total!     
 
Route 1 - Slickrock

Nicole powers her way along the marked trail



Evan tackled all the hills with speed and aggression. I tackled them with fear and passivity!



My companions following the trail to the canyon



Nicole cruises the awesome terrain

There were several sections where the three of us pushed our bikes up;
pretty sure Evan stayed on his bike for this one



Approaching the canyon



Reached it!



Posing at the edge of the canyon



A close-up



It's a long way down!



Back on the trail, with the La Sal mountains in the background

Route 2 - Poison Spider Mesa


Evan takes a quick break in beautiful surroundings



Biking under these sentinels of rock was awesome!



The Colorado River below



The reward of pushing your bike uphill is the sweet ride down!



Easier and magnificently scenic terrain farther along the trail



Happy cyclists



A look down the route we came up



Someone is overdressed, as usual! (photo by Nicole)



Once again, the La Sal Mountains make their appearance









Even Evan had to push his bike for a few sections of the trail through deep sand



A different mode of transportation






Evan photographs a daring route



Awesome rock and the La Sal's

continue to DAY 3
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