After riding on the Western Rim, which is moderately technical, we connected a few dirt roads/two track that brought us to a solid hike-a-bike before reaching the top of the plateau. The area saw a bunch of rain/snow a few days prior, but high pressure took over after the storm making for some awesome riding conditions in the mid to upper 60’s.
We took a quick lunch break at the top before continuing onto Westwater Mesa, a trail unknown to us. The dirt was fresh and we were the first tracks on the trail since the storm. The views were stunning. The La Sal Range and the canyons were carved out by the mighty Colorado River leaving behind an unforgettable landscape. Westwater Mesa was really stunning and the singletrack was pretty technical.
After finishing on Westwater Mesa we made our way down to the Westwater Ranger Station to re-up on some water via paved road. The pavement was a nice change but descending to the Colorado River meant we had to climb back up. The water re-fill would not have been necessary if we had carried a lot of water, but we opted on having lighter rigs and riding a bit out of our way to re-supply. While we were down at the ranger station we ran into Wade Greene, a prospective 2016 Tour Divide participant. He was training by doing an out and back on the Kokopelli trail starting from Dewey Bridge. After leaving Westwater backtracked up the pavement, and eventually to the Kokopelli Trail where we would climb up to Bitter Creek to find camp for the evening.
After quickly hopping on the Overlook Trail, we found a perfect spot with stunning views to make camp for the night. The warmth of the sun still graced us with it’s presence and we knew we were also in a good spot for morning sun as temperatures were slated for a chilly mid to low 30’s. We decided to bring our MSR Huba Huba tent fly because of the chilly night and it proved to be a nice alternative to a bivy.
After a few beers, some good food, and star gazing it was time for bed. The morning came with quickly warming temperatures, beautiful views, and some morning coffee to get the day started. We decided to take the Kokopelli Trail down. There is an option to connect with the Zion Curtain trail from the bottom of Bitter Creek. This would eventually take you back to your original trailhead via a mixture of singletrack and doubletrack. By adding the Zion Curtain you complete what is known as the “Rabbit Valley Holy Grail.”
Rabbit Valley is a great place to ride if you are on the Kokopelli Trail, and the above mentioned trails are fantastic detour if you want a singletrack option with stunning views. The area is also great for a leisurely 24 hour overnighter like we did, and there are some other great options in the area. If you are interested in exploring other route options in the area, be sure to pick up a map, such as the Latitude 40 – Fruita, Grand Junction Trails.
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