Mike's Kokopelli Journal
I brought along a little blue notebook to write down my thoughts, ride info, and interesting happenings along the Kokopelli. I can't guarantee that this is fantastic reading, but here's what happened.
April 23, 1998 (Thursday) 2:30 a.m.
Finally in the Super 8 at Fruita. Mike's Land Cruiser conked out in west Denver, and after some heroic efforts on Mike's part we decided to use the Suburban. Jake and I brought it down from Fort Collins, we put all the stuff in there, put a 6-bike Yak rack on top, and hit the road.
One nice side-note: the Burb didn't hesitate coming through the mountains--maybe the fuel pump did the trick. Trips like this make me want to keep the Burb!
In about 8 hours we should be on the trail, heading into a 50-mile day. If we can shuttle the sag wagon I should get to ride most of it. Should be great!
April 23, 1998 (Thursday) 4:30 p.m.
227:35 (3:47:35 ride time) 9.57 avg. speed, 22 miles
Just drove the sag wagon from Rabbit Valley to Westwater w/Terry. The wind's blowing and I'm a bit tired. Off to find the main group.
April 23, 1998 (Thursday--still!) ~8:00 p.m.
Tucked into my bivvy sack--for the first time ever. This one seems pretty snaz--bug netting and a hoop.
We are in a fantastic little green meadow near the spot where the Kokopelli trail meets the Westwater access road. The stars are just beginning to come out for what should be a nice night of star-gazing. Should be great sleeping out.
Everybody finished up fine today. Terry & I met the group just as they were cresting the 400-foot climb from the valley floor (ok, they were pushing). Glad we didn't get there sooner--it was a pretty big climb. (Don't remember if I made it all the way last time or not.)
I felt better after Terry and I got a few miles into the ride. Before that I felt pretty wiped out. I also had a headache on the way back, despite drinking quite a bit during the day. Too much sun, or ...?
A Kokopelli first--got to call Kat on a cell phone from camp. We had three or four phones and most everybody took a turn phoning home. Unfortunately Kat had a rough night w/Joshie last night. I pray that tonight will be better for them. I'm looking forward to being home with the gang for the next month solid. I miss them all!
We have some big riding and climbing tomorrow. Last time these were the stages we finished in the dark. I need to ride mellow in the morning so I have more left in the afternoon. Time to watch some stars and fall asleep. (And think of/pray for my favorite people--Kat and the kiddos.) Good night.
Day 3: Baaaad Chili, Good Tent
April 25, 1998 (Friday) Sometime after 9:00 p.m.
Wow am I seriously beat! Rode 50+ offroad miles and I felt 'em. My knees are sore, my rear end is sore, and my stomach is a little upset. I seriously dislike climbing the dirt road up from the Dewey Bridge. It's like cobblestones w/loose gravel scattered over the top.
We made pretty good time for the first segment today--33 miles w/an 11.0 average. Had a stiff wind in our faces much of the way. It kept things cool but really added to the work. The last section along the Colorado River was nicer than I remembered it. There were a couple challenging hills that I made on the second try.
Just five of us rode the second segment--Henry, Terry, Rob, Mike, and myself. Mike (W.) drove the sag this morning so he was pretty fresh. Steve, Doug, Jake, and Mike (P.) drove the sag and visited Moab. Guess it took them an hour to drive the Burb back in here from highway 128.
Climbing the gravel road was fairly miserable for me. We did cut 4 miles off by following the main trail into a nice cottonwood canyon. Good descending, and a couple challenging climbs that we all had to push some on.
We rejoined the road and were treated to 3 or 4 tough, long climbs. Once we crested the top it started being at least close to worth it. The views were spectacular, the trees were bigger and more numerous, and most importantly the trail went downhill.
Lots of nice jeep trail descending, interspersed w/a few ups. Found the big downhill where Dave crashed. It was still pretty impressive. I put a foot down in the middle, but rode the rest. Fairly long climb out, which was slow but rideable. It felt like we were slowing down, and like the ridge just kept going on and wouldn't let go of us.
A long, smooth, double-track descent led us to the Onion Creek road. We found a sign that said "Baaaad Ass Chili one mile ahead" :-) The Burb and dinner were waiting.
Dinner was good but I felt a little queasy. Going to sleep hard tonight. I'm in the tent w/Rob and Terry--didn't feel like squishing into the bivvy and it looked like rain.
Tomorrow it's into the La Sals. Looks like the snow is pretty far down, so it'll be interesting to see what we encounter. Thankfully it looks like a much easier day. Had I mentioned I'm wiped?!
Got to talk briefly w/Kat and the girls, which was fun. Kat had a headache today, which is a drag. Gotta keep praying I guess. Joshie was a little better and the girls seemed happy. I can't wait to be home with them!
305:03, 5.88 average, 18.0 miles to Fisher Valley (book).
540:40 (9:00:40) ride time, 9.89 average, 55.59 miles for today's two stages.
Mike Greiner / Last modified: November 11, 1998