Desert Desserts

I've got Moab pegged--though I will admit a bit of luck goes a long way when one chooses to venture into rugged desert terrain on two wheels of mechanized confusion.

Our week in Utah was a smash success--six days of biking, gourmet cooking over a fire, swimming, hiking national parks, and afternoon naps for less than $200/person, all expenses included.

In honor of the venerable Rider Mel (author of our sometimes questionable guidebook) I have composed a list of things that ROCK and things that SUCK, according to us.

Things that ROCK:

Anything cooked on a fire, especially corn, steak, chicken legs, and marshmallows
Eating the aforementioned with your hands
Gnarly intimidating descents on which inspire fear of death
Shredding gnarly intimidating descents and cheating death yet again
Going fast (Speed is your friend!)
Barefoot night hikes
Perching on massive cliffs
Poison Spider, Amasa back, Kokopelli Down, Flat Pass, Slickrock, Schumann's Gulch
Not getting a single flat tire or breakdown in 100 hours combined riding!!!
Wicked technical ascents
Yelling battle cries when charging wicked technical ascents
Cramming 4 people, 4 bikes, and gear into, onto, and around an '02 Outback Sedan
Blasting Hip-Hop when rolling into the campground
99 cent cones at McDonalds
$1.09 cent cones that are twice as big
20 foot cliff jumps into a swimming hole
Zaks pizza
Singletrack!!!
The La Sals
Battle wounds from high-speed endoes
WANTING IT ALL!! (See playlist)

Things that SUCK:

High-speed endoes resulting in dirt-eating and facial scarring
Throwing Romaine lettuce onto hot coals
Black Widows the size of ping-pong balls
Bear cubs on the trail
Jeeps
Dirt bikes
Throwing other people's little brothers off ten foot drops into water
Troop 191
Rider Mel (that bastard!!!)
Riding in sand
Riding uphill in sand
Twenty year-old kids from the UK who sit in the pub all day
Losing "the stoke"
Sweaty old men who ride slow
Fat guys who act surprised when Mads and Nat throw down on burly ascents
Portal trail
Hike-a-bike