 |
Three Amigos
This trail alternates narrow singletrack with occasional doubletrack, undulating
through red and white dirt. It's upper-intermediate in technical requirement. Good
bike-handling skills are required to stay off the soft shoulder and out of
the cactus. Length is 6 miles. You'll do about 900 feet of total climbing,
starting at 5900 feet of elevation to a peak altitude of about 6250.
View northeast from the trail. |
Update June 2016: Although the Three Amigos Trail
remains an
official route included on the area trail plan (and on the trailhead
maps), the area is subject to intermittent closure due to mine blasting.
The local bike shop has removed it from their list of recommended rides.
Please check current status and conditions. Obey any posted trail
closures. |
|
The trail is located north of Red Fleet Reservoir in the Red
Fleet riding area, about 10
miles north of Vernal. You'll look at some pretty rock formations as you
drive to the trailhead, but you won't ride on them. This is narrow
twisting dirt singletrack.
The trail is found a short distance up the J-Boy
trail from the Dinosaur Tracks road. It's marked with stakes and carsonite
posts. The first couple of miles are a steady climb with some
up-and-down. You're riding on the red dirt of the Moenkopi formation,
headed for the white of the Park City formation where most of the ride
occurs. You'll be crossing three ridges as the ride plunges fairly steeply
into canyons then climbs back out.
Typical section of trail. It's only
about 12 inches wide. |
|
 |
As you complete the loop, you'll encounter some tight
switchbacks as you climb. These are a challenge to clean, especially if
the cows have made things a little loose.
The track is narrower, and a bit more challenging, than the nearby Jass-Chrome
Molly trail.
Early in the ride, we pass by these
cliffs, then head out to undulating sage and juniper. |
| The ride's big finish is the plunge from 6250 to 5900 feet
as you rocket through the sage and juniper. See if you can hold the bike
on that narrow track without kissing cactus or juniper!
General view of the terrain through
which the trail passes.
|
|
 |
Clockwise riding notes:
0.0 Singletrack TH uphill side of road
0.1 Join ST from Cabin Boy, straight
0.4 Cross DT
0.6 Merge DT
0.8 Veer R onto ST
1.3 R on DT at trough
1.4 R off DT on ST
2.1 R onto DT
2.2 L on DT
2.4 L on ST
3.3 Fork hard R
Then merge DT
3.5 L onto ST
3.8 L onto DT
4.3 R onto ST
5.2 L on DT (return route)
5.4 R onto ST
5.5 Cross DT
5.9 Back at pavement
A look at the trail -- what plunges
down must climb up! |
|
|
Getting there:
In Vernal on US-40 (the main drag), turn north on US-191. Drive to mile
10.7 and turn right at the paved road signed "Red Fleet Dinosaur
Trackway." You'll cross a cattleguard and start uphill. About 1/10
mile later, find
a dirt road on your left (at mile 1.6 since leaving 191). Turn into the dirt
road and park. On
your bike, go back to the paved road and turn left. About 100 feet later, find
the singletrack marked with a carsonite sign on the left side of the road, heading
north uphill just before a guardrail. Alternate: pedal uphill on the dirt
road about 1/3 mile and spot Three Amigos where it crosses.
Camping: Red Fleet state park
Bathroom: 2.4 miles from US-191 on the Dinosaur Trackway road is a bathroom at the
the trackway trailhead. No water.
Bike services: Altitude Cycle, 580 East Main, Vernal. 435-781-2595
|
|
