Kookoo for Kokopellis

This Thanksgiving, Doug Johnson and I spent the long weekend camping and riding the cornucopia of singletrack that the high desert of Fruita has to offer. This was certainly a test of my hardiness and desire to become a better cyclist….oh, and a whole lotta fun too.



We arrived in Fruita on Wednesday night and butted our way into a table (waited patiently) at Hot Tomato Pizza to enjoy some….pizza. YUM! After filling up, we headed off into the darkness of Rabbit Valley to find a suitable spot to camp for the next couple nights. With a little team work and plenty of heckling about my “sleeping bag,” camp got set up …the stars were admired briefly and then it was time for bed.




Thanksgiving day was spent riding at Loma. Basically that place is full of amazing views on top of sweet singletrack that gave me the willies cause I’m still afraid of big rocks and falling off of cliffs….oh, and watch out for the Juniper trees- they’ll get you too. Post-ride, Doug & I enjoyed an epic Thanksgiving feast of sweet potato stew (recipe can be found @ pedals not pistons) & took a stroll around “camp” while I went googoogaga for the sunset that unfolded in the sky.




We spent Black Friday not Christmas shopping, but rather riding from camp on the Kokopelli trail out to the Western Rim for some more amazing views of the Colorado River. After all that, we packed up…hit town so I could enjoy a HOT pumpkin pie latte & Doug an americano and re-stock our water supply. The Bookcliffs & 18 road would be our next destination….funny, how a porta-potty, picnic table and a couple other mtb hungry campers can make things feel less primitive.




The rest of the weekend we zippety do-da’d our way up and down chutes & ladders, mastered one-pan breakfast burritos & staying warm in the desert in late November…and I personally worked on laying off my brakes and not being a giant crybaby. Next year, you should spend Thanksgiving in Fruita too….hmmm.



Thanks for staying on the Bandwagon through the "off-season!"

Sincerely,
a very THANK-full Thumper