In early September, we left San Francisco for the foothills of the Northern Sierra starting a 2.5 month, 2500 mile loop with stops in Utah, Colorado and Nevada. The primary goals for the trip are cycling and off-roading in beautiful places.
The foothills welcome you first with rolling landscapes dotted with old oaks, golden meadows, and historic towns where remnants of the Gold Rush still echo in wooden storefronts and winding backroads.
As you head higher into the mountains, the scenery shifts dramatically. The Sierra Buttes rise from the forest like jagged granite spires, striking and unmistakable against the sky.
Stunning landscapes augmented by fall colors dominated the trip. The fiery reds of Utah’s desert formations and the brilliant yellows of Colorado’s aspen forests created a spectacular tapestry of fall beauty.
Moab delivers with campgrounds and bike trails right on the Colorado River.
Offroading in Colorado and Utah is spectacular and seemingly limitless.
A guided Jeep tour to Hurricane Pass in Colorado is an unforgettable blend of rugged adventure and high-country beauty. The journey begins on narrow mountain roads carved into steep slopes navigating rocky ledges and winding switchbacks. As the Jeep climbs higher, the world opens into a panorama of towering peaks, cascading valleys, and alpine meadows.
At the summit of Hurricane Pas, over 12,700 feet above sea level, the light snowfall delivered the night before kept us from getting to even higher elevations.
Driving the White Rim Trail begins with the dramatic descent down the Shafer Switchbacks—steep, tight turns carved into sheer red rock walls. As you drop from the mesa top to the desert floor, the world opens into a maze of canyons, cliffs, and sculpted sandstone buttes.
Once on the White Rim proper, the route winds along broad benches perched high above the Colorado River. The road undulates across slickrock slabs and skirts the edge of dramatic drop-offs.
Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park and Snow Canyon State Park bike trails made for awesome rides with jaw dropping views.
Nevada’s Valley of Fire surprised with herds of big horn sheep and the best campsite.
These photos capture only a fraction of what we experienced, but they hold the spirit of the adventure: scenic cycling, rugged offroad trails, amazing colors, and the freedom of carrying home with us wherever we went. Until the next journey, thanks for following along.