Amassa Back TR - Oct 2007

[Sombeech]

Amassa Back was the second trail we hit on Saturday, after Sovereign Singletrack. Please consider this as we express our opinions of this trail.

Here's the info from UMB:

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/pics/m-amassa.gif

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/amassa.htm

The Amasa Back trail (ascends from the Colorado River just west of Moab, climbing up onto an outcropping of rock surrounded on three sides by the Colorado. The trail is a rocky Jeep trail with ledges and drop-offs, and is for advanced riders. As an out-and-back, the trip is 10 miles. Vertical climb is 1050 feet.
First of all, we weren't too impressed with the trail. True, it could have been from having less energy, but the climb REALLY sucked in the first mile, and it just sucked the rest of the way.

I thought it was a blast coming down, but I probably won't do this trail again.

Here's the thing that sucks; Besides being a VERY rugged jeep trail, right from the trailhead, you go down some hairy stuff, that you'll just have to come back up in the end. Then you have to climb in 1 mile, just to get to your starting elevation. That first mile is very rugged, we did a lot of walking.

For some strange reason, everybody else we encountered was saying the trail was EXTREMELY fun, but this is while they were riding down.

My evaluation; If you have a short time in Moab and want to make the most of it, I would choose a different trail. If you just want to cross it off your list, fine. If it's the only ride you do that day, you'll probably enjoy it more than we did.

The trail did have some cool scenery up top though. You'll see the pic of acca sitting down on the ledge. That's when we almost turned around at the first mile. It was that bad.

We got off the trail just as the rain and MASSIVE wind came through. We were fighting wind and dust the whole time we were on the trail, so take these things into consideration as you read our opinions of the ride.

Then we got home late last night, due to the snow storm. I rolled in around 3:00 am.

[Sombeech]

PS, you can park in a small area just around the corner from where the trail starts.

If you park in the main parking lot, you'll have a pointless climb up a dirt road.

PPS, there were a lot of people in Moab this weekend, for a Jeep Jamboree, and a Marathon.

[CarpeyBiggs]

Sweet pics 'Beech. :2thumbs:

[sparker1]

Thanks for sharing the pics. That is an interesting trail, probably more fun for jeeps.

[accadacca]

Yup, it was a JEEP trail and I would have rather been in a JEEP. Not worth the fooking climb to get to a long dirt road overlooking the river. :nono: I'll pass next time. . .

[live2ride]

Nice report, this is one of my favorite trails; however, I love to climb so it fits me perfect. This is a great trail to ride at night.

[greyhair biker]

Alright! I have to disagree on this one....I LOVE this trail! The initial drop into the creek & sand does suck but the rock ledges - both climbing and bombing down - are amazing...on a long travel bike. Fourtycal and I did this one a few years back just before thanksgiving and it was a BALL....ok, the uphill is a workout and you should rest up before the big descent but MAN! this trail is hard to beat and the views are incredible!

[accadacca]

This trail may have some views. . .but hard to beat? :nono:

I could name a half dozen trails that are better in Moab. I guess to each his own, pick yer poison. It didn't help that the wind was blowing like a son of a gun. With all that dust in yer face and fighting the wind. :frustrated: I may have felt slightly different in better conditions. . . :ne_nau:

[tallsteve]

I also love this trail but, I too, like to climb. I also love the reward of the long downhill after the climb which I can do faster with each visit. If I am there multiple days this is a trail I always do.

[Sombeech]

I've had a couple of days to think about it, and on fresh legs, no wind, and no sandstorms, I think I would be willing to try it again.

We just had a bunch of factors working against us. What really pissed us off were all these people telling us how fun the trail was while they were on the way down, and we were climbing up this crap:

http://uutah.com/forum/files/amassa_back__11___medium_.jpg

[greyhair biker]

At the time we did this trail I was really looking for new/different trails to do in this great area, since I have ridden the 'basics' so many times. I always ride Slickrock because, well, you just have to ride it when you go...Poison Spider because it is such a nasty trail to master and the 'climb' to the Portal is exhausting...Porcupine Rim ...hate the uphill, love the downhill...Klondike Bluffs, steady uphill, not too strenuous then just float downhill...Bartlett Wash, cause everyone should love a huge bike park playground...SO, Amassa Backs' uphill - yes- is gruelling to say the least, and doesnt really let up much, but DAMN - with a long travel suspension you can float/fly/BOMB! the downhill....I get excited just thinking about it!!

[RedSpecialized]

Here is a sign on the top of Poison Spider, it is actually on the Portal trail that scales down a 200+ foot cliff. fun trail for long travel bike.

As for the Amassa back trail. I'm trying to figure out why you didn't like the ride.......here's what I have come up. GET A NEW BIKE!! ok, i've ridden a lot of trails and until I got my long travel bike most if not all of the trails were not nearly as fun. I can't imagine ridding the amassa back trail with a small travel bike. It would be torture. Speaking from experience I rode it for the first time with about a 3 inch travel bike. For the most part, didn't like it. I was constantly getting on and off the bike. both going up and going down. Beat the Crap out of me. Not much fun. Now that I have my 7inch travel bike the trail is one of my favorites in moab. I still walk up a lot of the trail, but I don't walk much going down. I LOVE THIS TRAIL. That being said, I think you need the right bike for the trail.

[REDFOX]

Cool Picture, I like the bike too ! Do you have any video from the Portal trail ?

[Tucker]

I thought it was a blast coming down, but I probably won't do this trail again.



At least you got to bomb back down. When we rode it the idiot who was guiding us took us back down on the Jackson Trail. It was an extremely unpleasant 6 mile hike a bike. All that climbing and no reward. HELP!, I BEEN ROBBED! :ne_nau:

[REDFOX]

Is the Jackson Trail hike a bike because of drop offs and deep sand, or is it just really technical ? I might be interested in it if it is more challenging than an out and back ride.

[RedSpecialized]

Cool Picture, I like the bike too ! Do you have any video from the Portal trail ?

If I remember right, I think I might have some of you doing the drop of death right next to a 200+ ft cliff. Maybe some more, I can't remember, I'll have to check it out!!

Yeah the bike is cool, the rider we had to cut out, wasn't that cool.