Rabbit Valley – Watch Out, She Can Bite!
Rabbit Valley is one of my favorite places to ride, but it can be really hard on your
equipment, and even harder on the rider.
In general Rabbit Valley has some of the best single track around. The views are
spectacular, something you really have to see to appreciate. Some people call it “Moab
Light”, but I think it deserves a little more credit than that. It’s never crowded at Rabbit
Valley, and you won’t have to go around 10,000 Jeep clubs either. We could use some
better trail names though… Trail names like “Trail number one”, or “Trail number two”
don’t quite have the same ring to them as “Poison Spider”, “Gold Bar Rim” or “Metal
Masher”. We do have our version of “The Rim Trail”, and a little place called “Lisa’s
Crack”, just incase you were wondering. There are some really nice camping spots, and
the weather is warm and sunny almost year around.
The first time I ever rode Rabbit Valley I probably dumped my bike five or six times the
first day. I did make it through the Colorado side in decent shape, even though I hadn’t
ridden technical stuff like that in years. I can certainly feel for the slightly less
experienced, or “Rusty” among us. For those who have been “out of the saddle” for a
while, I was sweating buckets and my heart was pounding a mile a minute. (More from
being out of shape than anything else.) I think some of that stuff is better suited to Billy
goats than motorcycles. There is typically an easy route around most of the really tough
obstacles, but I didn’t know about them at the time, and probably wouldn’t have had the
sense to take them if I did. I have tumbled down more than one of the so-called “Filters”
liberally strewn about this beautiful place. A Filter is a place that those who are familiar
with the trail take those who are not to see if “You have what it takes.” I can remember
riding along one particularly rocky ledge and thinking to my self “Don’t Wreck
Heeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrre!” The bike went right were I was looking… straight off the side of
the trail. I bailed off and ran down the side of the hill tip-toeing the tops of jagged rocks
with my bike tumbling down after me. I was so pooped out by the time I got back up the
hill I could hardly breathe. That evening I told the guys about my wreck, and how these
really nice guys had helped me get back on the trail… They looked at me with this funny
sort of half grin and said, “THAT WAS US!”
Have you ever heard the term “Know your local fauna”? I’m sure it originated right here
at Rabbit Valley. Normally when you ride in the mountains you can sort of lean into a
bush, or brush by a tree. The bushes at Rabbit Valley are different. They are made of
Chrome-Molly Steel, and tipped with barbershop razors. If you even get one pinky close
to these evil life forms you will surly be leaving a DNA sample behind. I don’t think that
I have made one trip to Rabbit Valley without unceremoniously ripping a hole in my
jersey. The most common thing I have seen is a big red itchy six inch long scratch along
one forearm or the other. Sometimes you think that you have made it through the day
unscathed, until the back of your arm starts to welt up just before dinner. The other nice
things to watch out for are the cacti. These prickly little bulbous mounds will pop up
occasionally just when your butt hits the ground. This leaves you to spend the evening
plucking the minute hair like barbs from your neater regions, and your gear practically
ruined.
There are many different types of rock at Rabbit Valley, but there is one type that is
particularly dangerous. These Rocks have a super high iron content; heck, they might as
well be cast iron. They are a deep Black Cherry color and will flat tear--you--up. The
worst place to run into one of these critters is in a “G-Out”. A G-Out is that point where
the trail causes your suspension to abruptly bottom out, like at the bottom of a wash or
dry creek bed etc. There are hundreds of these through out the trail system. I was cruzing
along at a leisurely Mach I when I hit bottom crossing a small wash. There was a very
narrow opening and one of our friendly cast iron boulders was right there to greet me.
The rock scored a direct hit. My right foot flung up so hard I practically kicked myself in
the back of the head. I somehow managed to avoid a crash. When I tried to swing my
leg back over and stand on the peg it was basically useless. The rock itself didn’t even
have a scratch. The right footpeg on my bike was basically dangling there and the frame
was severely torn and twisted. I went back later in the year to that very spot for some
“therapy”. It was probably close to 100 degrees in the direct sun. I tried valiantly to
smash the offending rock by hurling fifty-pound boulders at it. It was a really tough rock.
I did manage to smash the one next to it before nearly passing out from heat exhaustion.
Then I piled up a bunch of smaller rocks on top of the one made of Kryptonite to slightly
redirect the trail.
It wouldn’t be Rabbit Valley if someone didn’t end up with something broken. I always
say, “Better the bike than me.” Besides ripping a footpeg off, my equipment has suffered
several other attacks over the years. I have lost parts of fenders, taillights, and entire tool
packs. I have smashed radiators, and managed to tear more than one seat cover. I have
even had to ride half a day without a front brake when the caliper was sheered off by
(what else?) a rock. It always seems like if it’s not me then someone else will have
trouble. I have seen stripped sprockets and mangled chain guards. Most of us try to
come fairly well prepared. It just seems like that the one bolt that the other guy needs is
your special magic fifteen-dollar bolt. You hand it over just the same because it could be
you the next time. (Payment may be extracted later at the campfire in chips and beer.)
On a more serious note, I have also seen a few instances were the rider did not fair as
well. As I mentioned before, there are numerous G-Outs and other dangerous sections
strategically placed where the rider will least expect them. I have found one way to avoid
injury is to always keep my toes pointed in, and keep the balls of my feet on the pegs. I
have had more than one riding buddy end up with a twisted ankle, or broken foot because
of poor feet positioning. Just a short time ago we were all getting ready to head out on a
ride when a guy came up asking for first-aid help. His friend had been riding a borrowed
CR500. He was wearing a helmet (thankfully), but the rest of his gear consisted of a
sweatshirt and jeans. He had made it less than ¼ mile from the parking area. His leg was
totally shattered when it got smashed under the bike at the first sharp G-Out in the trail.
The lower part of his leg could not hold its shape and basically followed the contours of
the ground. They originally thought about trying to move this guy but I had already sent
guys out to call for an ambulance. They were right by the road and were within easy
access of the paramedics. This was one of those times you just wanted to look away for
fear that this poor fella’s misfortune might somehow rub off. Another time I was teasing
a friend of mine about having some riding boots that were no better than moccasins. He
smashed his foot on a rock ledge later that day. That afternoon he drove all the way back
into town and bought himself a brand new pair of Alpine Stars.
Rabbit Valley is a beautiful place. I have had some of my most enjoyable rides ever,
right there in the desert. It’s just one of those places that will come up and bite you if you
are not prepared. If your bike isn’t well maintained, you will find your bike is missing
something by the end of the day. If your safety gear isn’t up to snuff, you will feel it
before you get back to the truck. If you ride beyond your limits, you will most likely not
return with all of your appendages in working order. I hope you all give Rabbit Valley a
try. Spring, or fall is the best time of year, because it is a bit cooler, and there is generally
less dust. Hey, we only had twenty something riders this year… Where were the rest of
you?