so we decided while we were in Moab we wanted to do some mountain biking. now, obviously i know how to ride a bike. but i had never rode a mountain bike on a serious mountain trail. we had to rent bikes from a shop downtown Moab. while filling out the paperwork, i made sure they knew i was a beginner and that i couldnt go on an extremely difficult trail. they told us porcupine rim was the perfect trail. beautiful scenery, only a couple drops that we might have trouble with, shouldnt take us more than 4.5 hours......if only that had been the truth.......
it turns out, the porcupine rim is an advanced/expert trail that shouldn't be attempted unless you are in top shape with a lot of experience. people have died on the trail, and are taken out on stretchers all the time. 25 long, gruesome, bumpy miles and 7.5 hours later, we pedaled our way back into town. dehydrated, sore, and defeated.
at about the halfway mark, alex's chain broke. now when it comes to bikes, i hate the chain. since i was little kid, i have never been able to figure out how to fix that damn chain. we sat on the trail for about 45 min in the scorching sun waiting for a fellow biker to try and fix it. it was 100% luck that we ever got it to work. he only had 2 extra chain links. he put the first one on and then realized he didn't loop the chain right. so then had to break it in order to try again. he then put his second and last extra chain link. we set the bike up to make sure it was right and sure enough, he had put the chain on wrong, twice in a row. my heart sank. we were 13 miles in on a trail with no cell phones, only half our water left, and a broken bike. we would have to walk another 13 miles out. in a desperate last attempt, our new friend tried to take the chain back off without breaking the link. he succeeded. thank goodness.
by the end of the trail i was almost in tears. i had ran into three trees, gone over my handlebars at least 4-5 times, and had acquired horribly scraped/bloody legs. we had ran out of water, patience, and endurance. i felt like it was never going to end. the "couple drops that we might have trouble with" turned out to be over half the trail. i found myself having to get off my bike and walk it down narrow ledges and steep drops over and over again. it was incredibly frustrating. my body had never been pushed to the limit that i pushed it that day. running on no water or food in 90 degree weather, i was so dehydrated and tired that i honestly dont know how i made it down.
now, on the other hand. there were some parts of the trail that i actually enjoyed. the parts that weren't made out of rock and steep drops. i do remember having fun at times. and, the people at the bike shop did tell the truth that it was beautiful scenery. the views were spectacular and i am so happy i got to see everything that i did up on that rim. now would i do it again? absolutely not. but, it really was beautiful.
fast forward this video to the 1 minute mark, and this is seriously what the entire trail was made of!
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