The Mission

Two friends set out on a mountain bike trip from Durango to Moab, testing their physical and mental grit and having the time of their lives.

Chet: This was meant to be the trip of a lifetime so, to me, that meant setting ourselves up for success. I wanted to be as prepared as possible in a new environment. This meant doing research (books, videos, articles), seeking advice from pros (other people who did trips like this and bike techs) and immersing myself in the sport and discipline of mountain biking.

Justin: My goal was to get out there, lead from the front and #liveBIG. I just wanted to experience something amazing. Don’t we all? I’d had it with dreaming of great things, it was time to take action. A bigger goal includes starting a movement of getting the Windy City community (coaching staff and members) to all start thinking and living BIG.

The Training

Chet: My training was very simple: Spend as much time on the bike as possible. I knew conditioning my butt and tailbone to sit in the saddle for long days (5+ hours) was going to be the biggest challenge. So, I would ride to and from work every day on a variety of bikes, included taking the long way home down the lakefront to add extra miles. When there was good weather, I would do longer rides on the weekends in Palos Hills to log distance off-road. I did general cross training at the gym to keep my body fit and not overtrain.

"My favorite part of training was getting out to Palos Hills forest preserve. I would often go early on Sunday morning, right when the sun came up."

Justin: My training included general strength work in the gym and lots of time on the bike. I would try to get in 2-3 rides during the week, including rides along the river trail up to Evanston and back as well as along the lakefront. My favorite part of training was getting out to Palos Hills forest preserve. I would often go early on Sunday morning, right when the sun came up. I look forward to doing those peaceful rides again this summer.

The Journey

Justin: After meeting up, we spent one night at a resort in Durango in an attempt to acclimate. The next morning, we parked our car at the resort, locked the doors and took off on our bikes.

"The journey was mind blowing. We let go of daily life and really dove into the outdoors."

Day 1

Uphill through piney forests

Chet: As the elevation climbed, the wind was slowly sucked out of us. I was heavily affected by the altitude and it really slowed us down, especially at the end. That last mile and a half took us 90 minutes to finish. I won’t lie, it was really nice to reach the first hut and make some dinner.

Day 2

Finding a pacing system

Justin: The day started wet and rainy, but eventually cleared to blue skies. Having spent the night over 11,000ft, we both felt much better. We quickly developed a great pacing system and managed our energy much better on the ascents. The day finished at a hut with the most amazing views, including an end-to-end rainbow.

Day 3

Into the mesa and dry river basin

Chet: Fast descents brought us out of the higher elevations. That night we got our first glimpse of the Milky Way. Now, this is also the night Justin locked himself into the outhouse and I stepped on a cactus and had to pull needles out with tweezers. Our hut was also circled by whiny coyotes at 4am. Even with all that, it was great day.

Day 4

The Gas Roads

Justin: Having descended into the dry river basin, it was much hotter and the terrain was much spongier, which made pedaling more challengin. We took our first alternate route through the “Gas Roads,” which avoided wet, muddy conditions but smelled really strongly since it’s where they drill for methane. We eventually climbed some very rocky terrain and ended up at the Wedding Bell Hut. From there, we had an outstanding view of the upcoming ride—the Manti-La Sal mountains, the Davis Mesa and the Dolores River below. We laid outside that peaceful and secluded night and saw dozens of shooting stars.

Day 5

Bull Canyon to Paradox Valley

Chet: Traversing the mesas and riding out of Bull Canyon revealed the Paradox Valley. The view from the mesa into Paradox Valley was incredible, so we climbed up some rocks and ate lunch from the top. We knew Day 5 would be challenging since our options were to either ride 15 miles down a 2-lane paved highway with trucks traveling over 75mph and no shoulder or descend the “Catch ‘Em Up,” an old cattle trail that hasn’t been maintained since the 1920’s.

We took the later and spent over an hour navigating our bikes and equipment down the hillside, which drops a thousand feet in only one mile. Each step we took required physical and mental precision and a misstep could be fatal. After the Catch ‘Em Up, it was a short ride to our next hut in the Paradox Valley. From there, we rode another 4 miles or so into town in search of the Paradox General Store, promised to us in the literature. Even though we were exhausted, it felt good to be in civilization after that descent.

After riding around but not finding the store, we finally asked someone if it existed. They told us that, while it never got off the ground, the potential owners were living in the trailer across the street. We crossed, met Marty and Greg and proceeded to have an amazing evening filled with food and conversation. Marty prepared a homemade feast of burgers, salad and fruit, using all ingredients from their greenhouse. They served us a cold beer and hosed us down for the first shower of the trip and provided great company throughout the evening before driving us back to our hut. It was an unexpectedly great night.

Day 6

So much climbing

Justin: To avoid the 100+ degree dry heat of the Paradox Valley, we started off early. We went up almost 6,000 ft and, once out of the Valley, we were greeted by the welcome smells and shade of piney green trees. After climbing we ended up on the Red Ranch, an enormous private ranch. We rode almost eight miles more before reaching our final hut, where we were greeted by a gang of wild turkey.

That hut was nestled along a meadow which opened up to two majestic peaks of the Manti-La Sal. We sat in the meadow and watched our final sunset as well as listened to more whiny coyotes in the distance. We had made it to all six huts without getting lost, but that now meant we only had one day of pedaling left before returning to normal life in Chicago.

Day 7

Our final major ascent and over Geyser Pass

Chet: Just before we hit the pass we looked back and could still see the majestic peaks we passed on day 3 in the far distance, probably close to 175 miles away. It was pretty cool to reflect on making it all this way on our own power and in such short time. We descended toward Moab and out of the Manti-La Sal mountains on mostly paved roads. Eventually we turned off onto a portion of the Kokopelli trail, a 140 mile trail through Colorado and Utah. The Kokopelli was fast, rocky and a ton of fun. At one point I had a rock kick up and take a chunk out of my shin. Aside from the cactus and a little sunburn this was our first major boo-boo.

After attending to my wounds we continued down the trail and eventually ended up at the trailhead of SlickRock, an iconic trail that we wanted to ride. It was in the parking lot of SlickRock that we then experienced our first technical failure in almost 225 miles of riding—a single flat tire—less than two miles from our destination.

We descended the rest of the way to town and snapped our last photo at the termination point. After getting to our hotel and taking well-earned showers we had our shuttle driver gift us a lift back up to SlickRock, where we rode another hour or so. We were worn out but couldn’t leave Moab without having tried SlickRock. SlickRock was like nothing we’ve ever experienced. The rock was the opposite of slick and insanely steep. It felt more like a roller coaster and was a perfect end to a perfect trip.

The Results

Chet: I learned it pays to be prepared. At the beginning I felt I had overpacked tools and supplies, but we ended up using nearly everything we brought at least once (even the snakebite kit which I used to extract cactus needles from my foot).

It also pays to slow down. In almost every situation—building fires, packing our bikes, fixing things, applying sunscreen—we experienced better outcomes when we took our time and were diligent.

"This trip confirmed that the outdoors is somewhere I want to be, all the time."

Justin: Me too. Like Chet, I realized that this is something I want to be constant in my life: Getting out into nature, experiencing the land and re-connecting. This trip changed me, as I hoped it would. There’s no turning back now. I’m hooked.

I love the outdoors. I want to do my part, however small that may be, to protect the natural spaces of this country. It’s one reason we partnered with the Merchant Giving Project to benefit the Sierra Club Foundation.

We get so caught up in the daily grind of city life. This trip was very simple with regard to routine. Get up, make coffee and breakfast, prepare our gear and bikes, clean the hut, bike all day, enjoy amazing natural beauty and quiet, get to hut, prepare meals, take care of gear, find and chop firewood, prepare route for next day, go to sleep. Then we’d get up and do it all over again. No emails, no texts, no phone calls. It was awesome.

The Takeaway

Our advice: Book the trip. Really, book it...so you start planning...so you start doing...so you can have the time of your life.