Rider Diary: Campbell Watson from Moab Training Camp

Each year BJC hosts a training camp in Moab during spring break for high-school aged kids on the MTB and Road teams. It’s a chance to get some warm desert riding when the weather in Boulder can be so unpredictable this time of year.

We started this year’s camp camp at 7:00 am in Boulder, loading the vans and trailer in a super depressing drizzle. We have more than 20 riders in MTB and Road making the trip. After we squeezed everything in we headed out. A rather uneventful 6 hrs later we arrived in Moab, ready to get sendy. We saddled right up for a quick ride on Pipe dream. A fast flowy trail with tons of small rock features.

On day 2 we had a guest coach with us. His name was Tyler and he guided us around Amasa Back and Captain Ahab. That was a really fun day. Some short road spinning then some of the best trails in the world. We climbed up and then rode over to eat lunch at Pothole Arch. After that Tyler took some of us down a super technical trail called Rockstacker. Iy was tons of fun, but some of the features were too much for my skimpy 100mm travel hardtail. We then joined up with the main group and continued down the ever-so-sketchy Captain Ahab descent. No fatalities on the day thankfully.

Day 3 we headed out to the classic Slickrock Trail. We spun up Sand Flats Road and then hit the rocks. The first few miles were uneventful but fun with steep descents and punchy climbs. Then, the fun started. Taylor J. broke her chain, but that wasn’t too big a deal. Then I broke my chain and that set the tone for the rest of the ride. Tea W. then had some derailleur issues, but we got those mostly fixed. Finally, Thomas J. decided to hit a 5 ft huck-to-flat moto drop into a sand pit. He walked away unscathed, but his front wheel was bent into the most classic taco you will ever see. Luckily, we were close to the road and he could hike back with minimal time wasted. Of course, a post ride trip for some cold refreshments and a bike shop was in order…

So far it’s been an unforgettable trip and we’ve still got 3 more days of epic rides to come!