70th Birthday on the White Rim

I’ve known about the White Rim ride just outside of Moab, Utah for quite some time.  I’ve always heard friends talk about how beautiful it is, yet knowing that the ride was double track held me back from riding this gem.  I decided it was time to put my “single track only, no out-and-backs” rule to rest and expand my horizons for this one weekend.  Turns out I’m a bit of a trail snob.

When I was invited to tag along on a group’s 70th birthday ride with Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, I jumped at the opportunity.  Their White Rim adventure would be a fully supported 3 day trip including two nights of camping under the desert night sky.

I’ve never participated in a guided trip like this and especially not with a group of guys containing one who was getting ready to turn 70 and another well into his 70’s.  I was informed that these guys were hammers and most had ridden the entire 90+ mile White Rim in one day.  They were a solid group of riders for sure.

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The group consisted of the birthday boy and 9 of his good friends plus his 2 sons.  What a incredible way to celebrate your birthday, and one that will not long be forgotten by these guys.

The 3 days consisted of a 7 o’clockish wake up call with COFFEE and a great breakfast prepared by our guides.  The bulk of the day was spent riding, stopping frequently for photos, eating lunch, then stopping at a super-scenic spot to set up camp to rest for the night.  The day ended the way all good days should, shooting the shit with friends and family over great wine and a great dinner.

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Organization, guides and THE FOOD were amazing!  The support and timing were all great, the guide kept things in order even when problems occurred and also kept us well entertained.  If you haven’t realized, I am a huge fan of what Western Spirit does.   They do an absolutely phenomenal job of facilitating incredible journeys with their guided trips all over the western US and also organize the best bike demo ever, OUTERBIKE!

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This trip reminded me of what is most important in life.  Family.  Friends.  Adventure.  This is how I aspire to live my life in its entirety with good company, in cool places and on my bike.  I plan on enjoying as many of these life long experiences with my friends.   My passion for getting friends together for these types of adventures has been rekindled, thanks to this close knit group of friends.

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