Friday, January 20, 2012

Etc., St. George, Utah

It's pretty definitive. There is no good mountain biking where I live in Kanab. Great hiking trails are everywhere here though. There is the "telephone pole" route north of Fredonia near the "Clam Shell", it's not too bad. There are a couple of hours worth of biking available there. We usually have to go to the Hurricane/St. George area for good biking.
The "Bear Claw Poppy" in Bloomington is fun but not worth the two hour drive for us. The 12 mile loop is half pavement also; that is a drawback for me. In all fairness there are many options yet available in the same area. We need to explore them before I condemn.
The Cottonwood/Prospector/Church Rocks Loop (10 mile ride) is borderline acceptable for the driving needed. It is nearer to us and by the Coral Canyon golf course. It's a pretty good track but too much freeway vista and bumpy slickrock. The Prospector & Cottonwood sections are out-and-back.
So for us, nothing beats the Gooseberry Mesa area yet. It's pretty definitive.
We like the J.E.M. east and above Hurricane also. However, the "loop" (about 13 miles) ride comes back on a gravel road. I'm never a fan of that. S/T all the way would have to be an out-and-back ride on the John.Ellen.Mike. We got roped into the 20+ mile loop ride once. It's too much for us 60-year-olds.