Portal

This is one of Moab's classic 'must do' trails for expert riders. This trail is really like two different trails, the top half and the bottom half. The trail starts out on trail that has a lot of exposure. The first half is really not all that difficult, and goes up and down with some difficult climbing spots in addition to off camber rock edges. The trail starts right out with a filter feature, which is a difficult tight left turn down loose rock steps. If you walk this, expect to walk most of the bottom half.

There are several places to dismount that are very dangerous and close to the cliff edge for the first half. Once you get around the bend into the canyon, there is a short drop to an open viewpoint and a nice view point. This is where you start the lower half.

The lower half is very technical, with some sharp turns that include 2 to 3 foot drops in succession. Some sections include very steep rocky sections between massive boulders. As you get closer to the bottom, you pick up speed out in the open, but quickly find yourself into drops into loose rock and more rock gardens. Very technical, easy to wheel trap.

As technical a trail as this is, it is a lot of fun to test yourself, your bike suspension, and your ability to lean back and not go OTB.

Access Info

Not the easiest to get to. Some people will climb up the steep slickrock Poison Spider Jeep trail, but this is a horrible climb on a bike. The preferred route is to shuttle to the top of Gemini Bridges.

Disclaimer

EXTREME EXPOSURE - experts only!