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Bike trails in Logan Canyon get you close to nature and happily tired By
Adrianne Bergs Imagine: it's late September. The aspens are on the verge of losing their lush, forest green color and about to turn into a wonderland of bright yellows, crimson reds, and burnt oranges. The trail is lined with yellow mule's ears, blossoms of purple mountain hollyhock, and red Indian paintbrush. Occasional patches of snake grass dot the sides of the rocky ground below. There is a hint of fall in the air. Pause just for a moment. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes. Take another deep breath and feel the crisp air make a cool spot in the back of your throat. Open your eyes. Look around. The Bear River Mountains stand strong. Clusters of evergreens give the mountain a hint of color in the midst of gray boulders protruding from the ground. Brown, wheat-looking, dried-out grass reveals a long and hot summer with little precipitation. Ben Montrella and Mike Girard, two seniors at Utah State University in the landscape architecture program, pull up to the base of the trail. You can hear the tires crunching the brownish-gray gravel trail on the side of the road and the stream briskly flowing by. They hop out of the white truck with New York plates, grins across their faces, as the sun almost directly above pours down golden honey. Mirrored Oakley sunglasses hide the direction in which they are looking. Girard has on a white, light breathable shirt reminiscent an old seventh grade basketball mesh jersey and Montrella has on a light blue short-sleeved shirt. The two friends close the doors and head to the back of the truck to pop open the tailgate. Girard jimmies inside to pull their Cannondale bikes from inside the bed of the truck and pushes them towards Montrella for him to pull out. Helmets . . . check. Water bottle . . . check. Sunglasses . . . check. Girard and Montrella are ready to burn off some bottled-up energy after they barely stayed awake during their landscape and design class and enjoy the autumn afternoon. Their shoes, equipped with special clips, grip to the pedals with a snap and off they go up the River Trail in Logan Canyon. Whether youíre a novice or distinguished bike rider, the River Trail is one of the most favorite biking spots in northern Utah. Challenging yet rewarding, this six-mile round-trip trail takes the biker parallel to the Logan River for the majority of the ride. For the first mile and a half, the trail is about 8 feet wide, giving the rider plenty of room to cruise around hikers and their pets. After passing the Spring Hollows with their long limber stems bowing down to the ground, Third Dam is where the trail starts to get a bit trickier. It narrows to just enough room for the biker to get by. The oak, maple, pine and juniper trees that towered high above now create a tunnel of branches and leaves. As they continue on their journey, the trail switches back and forth up the side of the mountain, making it more difficult to pedal, so Girard and Montrella switch gears. The whole trip takes them under an hour and a half. This is just one of the many bike trails in Utah waiting for you to discover. "A Utah bike trip could open your eyes to some beautiful landscape that cannot be seen just by driving in a car," said Montrella. Whether it's a wide-open desert bike ride with spectacular red rocks or a lush green mountain trail lined with wild flowers, Utah has it all to offer. Utah developed a world-class reputation from Moab's famous Slickrock trail and is known for diverse alpine mountain biking, including lift-service access at some ski resorts. And you don't have to be a shin scarring, road biking radical to enjoy Utah on wheels. All you need is a love for beautiful scenery and invigorating outdoor activity -- and a bike. Tim Kofoed, an employee at Al's Sporting Goods bike department, has been cycling since fifth grade (he is now 24). "This is when mountain biking was just starting to get popular." Asked about his first bike, Kofoed's eyes stared off in the distance and a bright smile came across his face. "I got my first bike for Christmas that year," he said. "But the bike I bought after that was the one I started really getting into mountain biking with. I put in $100 and my dad put $100 toward my purchase. I think it meant more to me because I had to put my own money into it. That's a lot of money when youíre a little kid." He and his dad would ride in all the hot spots in Logan. One of Kofoed's favorite trails in the Cache Valley area is Tony Grove. "I love the bright colors, especially this time during the fall. This is the best time of year to go and enjoy the trails." Kofoed suggested beginners try the trails at the Deer Valley and Park City ski resorts. They have chair lifts where riders attach their bikes on the back of the chair. This saves the rider from the long, uphill climb and makes the ride much easier since youíre just headed downhill from the top. Weekend or weeklong-guided bike tours are available too. At www.westernspirit.com , there are various tours and trips available for different sizes of groups and welcome riders from all levels of mountain biking. Westernspirit.com says, "A week of mountain biking in the back country gives everyone new perspective. Imagine rolling along through the vast desert landscape or gliding through an incredible grove of golden aspens, to arrive at camp where you are greeted by a magnificent view and a Dutch oven dinner. A guided trip means you will have the opportunity to think about nothing, while contemplating everything." Kara Rubin, a bike rider quoted on the web site, said this about her July bike escapade, "This was the ideal vacation: an escape, a challenge, a sense of accomplishment. The guides made sure that we all had a positive experience regardless of initial differences in capabilities." From day trips to weekend getaways to weeklong trips, Utah has all trips covered. Ready to gear up and head for the trails? Kofoed has a few pieces of advice before you go. "Don't ride out of your ability. Be respectful of others on the trail. Remember, 'horses, hikers, bikers.'" That saying means that bikers must yield to hikers, and hikers to horses. Horses have the first priority on the trail because it is easier for the hikers and bikers to move out of the way. The last advice Kofoed offered was to "Be aware of your surroundings and have fun." Donít feel like spending $250 on a basic model or even as much as $1,500 for the XTR top-of-the-line mountain bike? Al's Sporting Goods bike shop has got you covered. It does sell all types of bikes, but also rent them as well. Demo bikes rent for $30 a day and rental bikes cost $20 a day. Bikers can purchase a helmet (an essential item on any biking trip) for around $30. Alís and other bike shops in town have trail maps available for a biker interested in more information. Montrella and Girard have the end of their trail in sight. They squeeze their breaks with both hands and come to a stop, wipe off their foreheads, look at their stopwatches and take a swig of water. Another enjoyable day of bikeriding. They load up their bikes into the back of the truck; not with quite the amount of energy they had at the beginning of the trail, but their smiles are still on their faces. "It's a good sort-of tired," Montrella said as they hop back in their truck and head home to eat dinner.
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