The UNPavement is a movement — of ALL OF US — from the pavement to the wild. It's about healing our hurting culture of Nature Deficit Disorder. We spend so much time on our awesome devices, which enable us to accomplish incredible things today, but they render us in that much more need of a hug from Mother Nature.
If you are looking for a backcountry XC experience and want to work on your skills, then this is the perfect place for you. Catamount Trail is pretty much the main event. It undulates through lush forest. That doesn’t leave it without fun flow sections though! All the gates are 36” wide so make sure you measure your bike before heading out there.
For years, I have tried to find a route of significant mileage in Moab that I can ride solo to no avail. There is the Circle O area with adding on some of the green stuff (Lazy and E Z), but I still got into a little trouble there. There’s the green stuff in the Klondike Bluffs area, which is probably the most adaptive friendly in Moab, but again, there are some very tricky spots. Be sure to read my blog on that area. The views are unreal!
Klondike Bluffs is my favorite area in Moab. Mostly because of the trail Baby Steps North, which is all slick rock and loaded with little ledgey drops. It is plenty wide with absolutely zero exposure, so it’s great for adaptive riders with capable equipment. It’s the perfect example of how techy fall-line is no problem for adaptive riders. It’s when a trail traverses and is exposed where we get into trouble!
Lower Black is what the locals call this trail, but the official name is Black Mountain Trail (Lower). The climb, Thrift Cove, is listed as a blue trail on TrailForks, but is basically a two mile fire road. It is quite grueling and feels longer than that though. The route itself is very short and multiple laps seem ambitious, unless you’ve got a power assist. I’m told the upper and middle sections are a no go for adaptive riders. The descent on Lower Black is fast, fun, worth the effort, and over way too soon. It is littered with fun stuff to play with: rock sections, roots, double fall Iines, berms. It ends with a long chunky rock section that drops back onto the climb trail.
Getting to Alsea Falls is quite the endeavor, but let me tell you that it is well worth it. The trails are well built and crazy fun! This area is the epitome of what I like to do, climb the wide stuff and downhill the fun stuff.
Just up the highway from Santa Fe is a Christian conference property called Glorieta Adventure Camps and they just happen to have some of the best trails in the area. All trails are available to the public. This is one of my favorite places to ride!!!
This area offers some technical “Sedona Style” riding which makes it extremely fun, but potentially tough for adaptive riders. Most of the trails are wide open, but the technicality requires me to be reserved in sending someone out there solo. The steep loose undulations make it pretty much impossible for those with front-wheel-drive bikes, without support. If you are solo and do have front-wheel-drive, then I’m sorry to say that I do not recommend you ride this area. You could perform an out-and-back on the fire road climb, but if you are going to descend the fire road, please do so slowly and with extreme caution. There is heavy hiker traffic. You could definitely descend Nighthawk, but it’s the Nighthawk Connector that creates the question mark. Its steep, loose, and extremely rocky. Get up there and look at it. If you are comfortable with it, then Nighthawk is a much better descent than the fire road. It’s not the greatest trail in the area, but if you are solo, it’s the only one I can confidently send you down. There are other options, but it’s complicated and I’m hesitant to create an aMTB1 route. If you are a solo front-wheel-drive rider, and are intent on riding here, then please contact me and I can direct you. If you do have suspension, clearance, and rear-wheel-drive, then more options open up, even if you are solo. See my aMTB2 routes below. You’ll need a support rider the first time though. If you have a support rider, then you can can get rowdy! There is some good stuff here. See my aMTB3 routes below.
Oregon Metro Regional Government’s first attempt at MTB specific directional gravity trails and they nailed it! If you live in the neighborhood, this is a perfect area to rack up some hot laps.
This entire area is rated aMTB1 and most adaptive riders will be good to go solo. WIth the out and back on Madrona and Chehalem Ridge, you end up with significant mileage. Great views and worth the trip out!
Moto inspired, a lot of this area is very trike-able and loaded with some technical terrain. Fire roads run through the middle of everything so it’s great if are a weirdo like me who prefers to climb the wide stuff and DH the fun stuff. Trails listed here are very limited, but I plan on doing much more exploring because this place is rad! Beware moto traffic. Luckily you can hear them coming!
I just started a podcast where I read my blogs to you and go behind thew scenes at the UNP. Get ready for a little story time!
Willamette Valley, OR ⎪Not Suitable & aMTB1⎪
Marys Peak is the tallest peak in the Oregon Coast Range. It has a rich history and is sacred to the Kalapuya people, the original inhabitants of the Willamette Valley. The existing trails in the area are not adaptive bike friendly….unless you are down for some Type Two fun. However, the road to the summit is wide open, offering amazing views, and there are a couple gravel routes, making it well worth the effort. In the coming years, we hope to build approximately 25 miles of new trail across the highway to the south. They will be universally built and exciting for riders of all types.