MOTOS IN MOAB

Photos and Story by guest contributor @nostalgia_memoir

The first ever Motos in Moab 2015 was met with never ending challenges from the very onset. I arrived at our campground to be met with a stern warning about the 5mph speed limit within the campground. I guess neighboring campers had already made multiple complaints about our “speed”. With that in the back of my mind, I was thrilled to see familiar faces, as well as meet the new ones. First day was relatively uneventful, as bikers and participants were rolling in throughout the day.

As the night settled, we were faced with another warning in regards to our noise level past 10pm. Seriously? How do you control the noise level of 150 bikers in a campground? But we did our best, and so the night ended.

I woke up next morning with high hopes of going on rides and enjoying the beautiful-scenic roads of southern Utah. The hope was quickly shattered by the news that the campground owner wanted us to leave and the sheriff got called in to give us until 1PM to clear out. How do you relocate 150 bikers on a memorial weekend?

With great management by our organizer Juan Cole and Rev from Salt City Builds, we found an amazing private piece of land nestled in the beautiful Kane Creek canyon, where speed and noise did not have limits.

Our first group ride was canceled for the day due to the move, but people got on their bikes and went off on their own to do what they came here to do. To explore, ride, and enjoy the freedom.

With high hope of enjoying a nice campfire cooked meal, we returned to our campsite to be challenged again, but this time by the Mother Nature. Who knew rain would be our worst enemy? Between 9-10PM, a rain shower came and within thirty minutes, our entire campground was flooded in 6+ inches of water, with tents turning into rags. I almost expected to hear someone yell ‘Jenga’ every time a bike tipped over.

For about an hour, it was mad chaos to say the least. Eventually, the water drained and turned our campground to a marshland. Despite what just happened, everyone came together to laugh, sigh, and reminisce about the past 24 hours under the beautiful skyline of Moab.

I was yet again hopeful of our third day, and I was right for the most part. A small group of us decided to ride the Utah 128, also known as “The Canyons of the Colorado River”.  It’s this kind of ride that makes such trip worth every minute of it. We got back into town thinking nothing else could go wrong, until Cierra of the Lady Tramps notice that my oil was leaking. Long story short, I had to get a trailer to haul my bike back to the campsite, which brought the end to my riding for the trip.

Fortunately, that evening was relatively uneventful compared to the last. Celebrating the last night with moto fire dace around our campfire.

The next morning was a sweet and sour moment, where everyone packed up, said our farewells, and headed back to our respective destinations.

Bring it on all you noise and speed haters, the flood of raining Mother Nature, the oil leaks, carburetor failures, flat tires, and dead batteries. We will be back with bigger, better, and crazier Motos in Moab for 2016.