Kokopelli

[DaveInDenver]

So is anyone interested in a multi-mode Kokopelli trip? Vehicles could potentially include 4 or 2 wheels, but the main thing would be a couple of trucks to run sag for the bikes. Would be most likely 2 nights camping, start in Fruita and end in Moab. Would like to keep around 3 bicycles to 1 truck ratio, although more trucks would be alright up to a point. If anyone is interested post up and we'll see what we can work up for time and route and what-not.

 

[60wag]

I would love to do it but having burned through just about all of my vacation, this year won't work for me.

 

[DaveInDenver]

So when, Bruce? You are one of the main people Nakman had in mind when we talked about it. I did it last the first week of May in 2007 and that was starting to get pretty hot, particularly Yellowjacket Canyon was brutal.

 

[60wag]

I have to look at a calendar but how about late Feb or early April?

 

[nakman]

early April sounds cool to us.. combination bike/drive, mostly drive, would be the whole family. And we'd have ample space for the gear of full time riders. I've always wanted to do this... let's do it.

 

[treerootCO]

http://root45.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=54582

Pics from 2007 when Gary and I ran it.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Man, April is so far away! That would be better since Feb would still see lots of snow in the La Sals. What fun would it be to bypass 1/3rd of the trail and not get to descend on Porcupine or take Sand Flats to Slickrock?

Done as a mildly aggressive ride I would plan on two nights on the trail.

Night one would be the Bitter Creek Overlook, roughly just northeast of the West Water put in. This is easy access for trucks and gives the option of Western Rim for the bikes and motos if any are thinking of chasing. Night two probably somewhere around the bottom of Rose Garden Hill or near Onion Creek. That would make the third day sorta long, climbing into Castle Valley and up to Porcupine, but gives time to do the Yellowjacket section and climb to Top of the World. Often guided tours will shuttle the climb from Dewey Bridge up the dirt road, but unless there are enough trucks that might not be possible.

 

[60wag]

Root - great pix. That gets me fired up to go out there.

Dave - Yea, April is too far away. I'd rather go in September but staying employed just seems like the right thing to do The only part of the trail that I'm familiar with is the part from Rabbit Valley to about the Utah border. I'll go with whatever you rec' for camp destinations.

 

[rover67]

I'd be up for it in April..

 

[Caribou Sandstorm]

We would be up for April. I might do it again this fall. The only issue with April is going to be the Dolores is way, way high in April, like possibly 6 feet deep....

 

[DaveInDenver]

We would be up for April. I might do it again this fall. The only issue with April is going to be the Dolores is way, way high in April, like possibly 6 feet deep....

I believe this is only an issue for the non-singletrack vehicles (i.e. trucks)? If so, then can't you bypass? But I don't know since I've never personally driven the KT, just ridden it on 2 wheels and maybe just can't remember where the Dolores comes into play. You sorta parallel it climbing up from Dewey, but that's a road.

 

[Caribou Sandstorm]

Yep, your right Dave, there a go-around section when the Dolores is running full steam.. It is a great trail all around and my wife said she would mtn bike it forsure..

So we would love to join in if there is room.

 

[BLACKGOLD]

Myself and a group of friends just did Kokopelli this past May, and I've biked/driven much of it a couple times previously. Trip Report

We only made it as far as Hideout in 3 days of riding...~90 miles ~4600 ft of elevation in 3 days. We did have a 3 day battle with mother nature though.

The beginning in Loma, Mary's Loop is great mountain biking, however the canyon between Mack Ridge, and the eastern-most edge of Rabbit Valley is pretty tough...you just about cannot bike it. We did a lot of hiking our bikes...its steep and loose. Next time I do the trail, I'd probably bypass that 2 miles. There is a ~1-2 mile stretch of singletrack between Cisco Landing and McGraw Bottom that you have to bypass by driving up to Cisco. After Dewey the elevation gains are pretty brutal on a mountain bike if you are not prepared for it. There is also a stretch of the trail near the trailhead for Top of the World that is questionable about whether it is drivable or not (I have different books/maps that describe it both as drivable and not)...I drove it once a year ago, and would never do it again...very narrow, and unforgiving consequences, and this past May it looked more eroded than a year before.

Bitter Creek is a great spot to camp. Hideout Campground down in Fisher Valley is a great campsite as well.

If you need any more info I'd be happy to chime in.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Everyone should check out Jeremy's thread, this is what I'm gunning for as The Rising Sun Kokopelli Adventure (TRSKA). The more the merrier!

 

[DaveInDenver]

BTW, if you want to read another thread about the Kokopelli, here's the thread I posted about a supported ride I did back in 2007. Also attached the trail profile.

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5968&highlight=bikerpelli

 

[Red_Chili]

Sagging sounds like a relaxing way to spend a weekend. Dunno if I will have vacation to burn though!!

 

[nakman]

that's sweet- so the sketchy driving portion is Rose Garden hill then, right? I thought that was closed for some reason.. at least it's not part of CM anymore....

so the bypass then would be just take the pavement from Dewey Bridge down to Onion creek and then up until the bikes started running into you? more

 

[BLACKGOLD]

that's sweet- so the sketchy driving portion is Rose Garden hill then, right? I thought that was closed for some reason.. at least it's not part of CM anymore....

so the bypass then would be just take the pavement from Dewey Bridge down to Onion creek and then up until the bikes started running into you? more

Pretty much. To Bypass Rose Garden Hill, you have to bypass just about an entire day's worth of the trail (on a bike anyway)...Dewey to Onion Creek Road via HWY 128.

 

[nakman]

Pretty much. To Bypass Rose Garden Hill, you have to bypass just about an entire day's worth of the trail (on a bike anyway)...Dewey to Onion Creek Road via HWY 128.

Cool, thanks man. And great pictures by the way, that totally reminded me of my first camping trip to Rabbit Valley with 60wag here, it was raining so hard and the lower parts of the road all had about a foot of water in them.. it was just spectacular driving through there particularly since we had no idea what to expect.

One more question for those who have BTDT: Presuming Rose Garden Hill is bypassed, is the rest of the trail benign enough that a trailer could be taken? I'm not adverse to obstacles, the only real deal killer is a switchback where reverse is required. Not the camper, thinking my utility trailer, which is SOA...

And how does the week of March 27 through April 4 work for everyone who's really interested? Three 3 nights camping on the way, followed by a few days in Moab? Then you get three full weekends when you get back before CM.

 

[BLACKGOLD]

We took 3 days, and only made it to Hideout Campground...probably had ~40 miles of "trail" left to get to the end. And the biggest climbs of the trail were still in front of us as well. You'd have to average ~47 miles a day to do the whole thing in 3 days...which is completely possible, but the bikers better be ready for that. We weren't. Plus we had a lot of weather that fought us that weekend.

Regarding the terrain other the RGH. I would suspect you could get a trailer through it all. You could probably get a good trailer down RGH if you knew what you were doing...but I would probably not try it. There might have been a guy on Kurts Expedition Utah forum that did it with a trailer...I'm not sure. I will look for that.

Also, be careful of the dates...realize that you do get up around 8500 feet for some of the trail, and the weather in the LaSal's can be harsh and unpredictable.

Here is a couple files that might be helpful. An article I wrote for our WC Newsletter the year before, and the GPS from the trip. If its confusing LMK...I chopped up the track into little sections of the trail that make sense to me...maybe not to others!?