Normally, I would not recommend the San Rafael Swell in Utah for a biking getaway weekend in the desert. Instead, I’d point you to the surrounding areas like Moab, Fruita, Hurricane, or even Saint George. But with our dog, Gregor, recovering from a successful “ACL” surgery, we were forced to take things a bit slower, and that meant parking the van in one spot for the weekend. Since, we’d be doing a lot more hanging out than wandering the desert, we settled on one of the best campsites in Utah for the long Memorial Day Weekend. The south side of …
The Downieville Classic offers a unique mountain biking experience with a challenging Cross-Country race followed by a thrilling Downhill race, all set in a charming small town. Participants enjoy a lively post-race party, camping options, and a vibrant local atmosphere. The weekend promises adventure, fun, and lasting memories for all riders.
One of the best parts about living in a ski town is the shoulder seasons, when you can combine multiple sports into a single day. Well, once the ski resort closes down for the year, it’s the perfect opportunity to combine biking and ski touring. Though we wanted to ride from our house, the spring melt made our route to cross the highway impassible, so we started from in town. After loading up the bikes, we headed up to Park City Ski Resort to tour up the last bits of snow to the summit of Jupiter Peak for an epic day out with a good buddy!
The entire journey was about 22 miles, with a total elevation gain of almost 3,700 ft, including the bike portion. I was shocked, to be honest, that I was able to make it all the way up to the peak and back, while skiing moderately well once I put the GoPro away! It was such a blast being able to ski my favorite line at Park City Mountain called Main Chute off the top of Jupiter peak without anyone else being remotely close to us. It felt like we had the entire resort to ourselves… and that Grouse of course. Luckily, my legs didn’t bonk until the last 1/4 mile on the rail trail while riding directly into the wind. So I’ll definitely take that as a win!
Hi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer. My passion is to tell stories that will hopefully motivate you to go live a more adventurous life. Whether that is to experience the view from the summit of a mountain, or wandering through a new town on a road trip. Currently based out of Park City, UT.
I’ll never forget the conversation I had with my friend Bill, shortly after getting my first gravel bike. It was the Trek 920, and I fell in love with how I could ride from my place, on the road, to any trail system in town, and go for a mountain bike ride as well! I told him, “This bike is amazing, without the suspension, it makes even the easiest of trails fun and exciting!” He responded, bluntly, with, “Yeah, its’s nothing new. Gravel bikes are exactly like the mountain bikes of the 90s, which were already awesome!” He had a …
Road Cycling opportunities are seemingly endless in both Salt Lake City and Park City. But there are obvious complications that a big city has on bike routes, compared to a smaller town in the mountains. Regardless, for the hardcore riders, or the casual cyclists, there are perfect opportunities to be found in either place! But one of these places seems to fit most riders much better. People that live in Salt Lake City believe that Park City is just another suburb of Salt Lake. The locals that live in Park City know that’s simply not true. And so it goes, …
Trying to compare the opportunities to go mountain biking in Salt Lake City versus Park City! Either way, there are endless opportunities, but there is a clear winner here! People that live in Salt Lake City believe that Park City is just another suburb of Salt Lake. The locals that live in Park City know that’s simply not true. And so it goes, the endless debate (and rivalry) on which town/city is better to live in. Either Park City, where the mountains are at your fingertips because you live in the mountains, or Salt Lake City that sits right at …
The Captain Ahab and HyMasa is another iconic mountain bike ride for the expert rider in Moab, Utah. If you’ve ridden the Mag7, Klondike Bluffs, and Moab Brand trails and found them too easy, then the HyMasa and Captain Ahab loop are surely going to test your skills! The climb up HyMasa is beyond technical, with countless step-ups that will test the best riders. The climb makes the descent down Captain Ahab completely worth it, that is, if you want to ride some of the most challenging features and rocky sections in Moab! All said, if you only have a …
For years I’ve starred up at the canyon wall that surround the town of Moab, wondering what exactly is up there any how could I get there. Well, a few weekends ago, I found out exactly how, and it was followed by one of the best days on a mountain bike I’ve ever had. I’m talking about the classic trail link-up of Mag7 to Gold Bar to Portal. Each of these three trails is unique and incredibly challenging for drastically different reasons. And 5 1/2 hours later, my two friends and I were back at the truck, exhausted, and ready for a beer to cap off an incredible day on the bikes.
Hi there, my name is Zachary Kenney and I’m an adventure filmmaker & photographer. My passion is to tell stories that will hopefully motivate you to go live a more adventurous life. Whether that is to experience the view from the summit of a mountain, or wandering through a new town on a road trip. Currently based out of Park City, UT.
The mountain biking at Gooseberry Mesa (Trailforks Link) is unlike anything else in the world. The landscape is completely unique, even among the already diverse Utah riding styles we have in the mountains and the deserts. But how could a mesa, with only 100 feet of elevation gain from trailhead to point, have nearly 700 feet of climbing on the average ride? Well the answer to that is short, steep, and out-of-the-saddle punchy climbs that highlight the entire trail system, that’s how. And though that might sound like most riders’ nightmare, I’m here to explain why the slickrock trails at …
7 Hours in the saddle. 8,000 vertical feet of climbing. 3 miles of hike-a-bike. Oh, and of course a rain-storm that came in just as the racers were on the 9,500′ ridgeline dropping the temps to a finger-numbing 40 degrees. That’s just a part of the sufferfest that is known as the Eden Epic mountain bike race. Mixed in, during the 45 mile perpetual slog, was actually a stunning landscape that wrapped around high above the Eden valley. Check the course out on Trailforks.com. The race course was a mix of forest roads that were rocky, muddy, and steep, as …
