St. George is ringed on its south and west edge by a semi-continuous cuesta – a geological feature with one very steep side (the scarp face) and a relatively gentle one (the dip slope). Given its proximity to my front door, a large portion of it is my test lab.
The dip slope looks a bit featureless from a distance; it is anything but. Besides modest tucks and folds, there are a variety of hanging canyons and bowls, as well as giant rock gardens.
In a few spots, the trail darts through keyholes between building-sized rocks.
A large hanging bowl just below ridgeline.
Frequently, the coyotes that roam the ridge provide quite a serenade in the last hour or two before dawn. This one seemed pretty happy with sunny and 70s. Or maybe I’m just projecting.
The, er, non-runnable side of the cuesta. Also known as the Zen Wall by local climbers.
Even a modest climb of 700 feet or so offers the reward of a pretty nice view.
The test lab is mostly desert singletrack, with plenty of slickrock mixed in.
A healthy dose of technical, punchy climbs (and drops) increases the fun factor. (Plus, it wouldn’t be much of a test lab without them.)
Indian Paintbrush. Must be springtime in the desert. (Bonus: in our game of cuesta, not-a-cuesta, the feature in the background is…not a cuesta.)
Some of the trail network is a wilderness runner’s carnival. Some of it is “just” garden variety buff desert singletrack. The mix is always nice, but downright sublime during the winter months when the big climbs just outside of town are snowed under.
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I love the style of this post. Something very familiar about it …
Great report and pics – especially the photo of Wile E.! Looks like a great place for gear testing, for sure. Thanks for sharing it.
Very nice, I always love to see what folks’ home trail turf is. We’ve all got it, and we all love for its little quirks and nuances. Thanks for sharing yours!
Can you give me directions to this trail. I live in Hurrcane and would like to check this out.
Thanks for posting this.