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Whirlwind Loop
The Whirlwind Loop is part of the Horsethief
Area mountain bike trail system along Highway 313 northwest of Moab.
The Whirlwind trail must be reached via other area trails. The top of the
loop is at 5700 feet altitude with a usual riding season of March through
November. The lariat-loop itself is 2.4 miles long.
Looking east from the spot where the
Mustang Loop and the Whirlwind Loop join. Photos and ride review by Bruce
on October 28, 2015.
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| At the top, the Whirlwind Loop shares a short section of
trail with the Mustang Loop. Most riders will
enter the Whirlwind Loop from here. At the bottom of the main Whirlwind Loop, a 0.2-mile spur connects
Whirlwind to the 7-up trail. If you were to
start your ride eastbound on 7-up
from its top at the Bull Run trailhead, it's 3.1
miles to Whirlwind. 7-up also ties the bottom of Whirlwind to the downhill
ends of the other Horsethief trails Wildcat and Hildalgo.
Looking north as the northern limb of
the Whirlwind Loop heads away from Mustang. This is what you'd see if
you're riding Whirlwind clockwise.
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On the Entrada sandstone, the Whirlwind trail is marked with
purple stripes. Where Whirlwind and Mustang share a common trail for
around one-tenth mile, the trail has both yellow and purple markings.
Heading south on the short portion
where the Whirlwind Loop and the Mustang Loop share a common trail.
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| The loop can be done in either direction. When riding
counterclockwise, you'll pass the trail fork for the Wildcat trail about
0.1 mile downhill after you leave the combined Whirlwind/Mustang segment.
Looking east, near the Wildcat trail
fork.
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There are frequent views of the Monitor and Merrimac area to
the northeast, and of the La Sal Mountains to the southeast. The trail is
surrounded by a scrub forest of juniper and pinion pine, with occasional
sage and bitterbrush.
View to the northeast at Monitor and
Merrimac buttes.
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| I'd estimate the trail to be about 70% slickrock,
alternating with hardpack dirt. There will be some up-and-down riding in
both directions. The climbing rate is reasonably gentle, with 350 vertical
feet of elevation change over each side of the loop.
Slickrock sample. Smooth Entrada
without a lot of ledges and bumps.
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The riding surface is similar to the Mustang Loop
-- a solid
intermediate-level ride. I don't recall any tricky spots. It's exactly one
mile from Mustang to the bottom of the loop (and the 0.2-mile spur to 7-up) by either side of the loop, so the rates of climb and overall
difficulty are similar whether you go clockwise or counterclockwise.
Descending toward the bottom of the
loop on the southern half (counterclockwise).
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| By connecting to 7-up downhill, you can make other loop
options. For example, you could head east to Hildalgo
or (via the 7-up
singletrack option) to Wildcat for a bigger loop ride.
Beginning the climb back up toward the
main loop from 7-up.
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My recommended ride for intermediates is the "Horsethief
Tour." See the track file below. It does the Mustang Loop clockwise,
hitting the campground trails then
the Whirlwind Loop counterclockwise before hitting the Wildcat-Hildalgo
lariat. This ride is 14 miles with around 2000 vertical feet of overall
climbing. See the track file below.
Winding uphill on the northern limb of
the loop, as dirt ribbon alternates with sandstone.
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Bottom Line:
Not a "destination ride" by itself, but a very nice add-on loop
to the Mustang trail. Well-designed and fun to ride.
We're approaching the junction with
the Mustang Loop (the dirt trail in upper left) as we finish the
counterclockwise ride on Whirlwind.
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Riding notes, Mustang to Whirlwind from
Chisholm:
0.0 East from 313 (Chisholm) TH
N38 34.866 W109 47.857
0.5 L on Mustang Loop
N38 35.088 W109 47.586
1.3 Keep R (L = Whirlwind joins)
N38 35.501 W109 47.388
1.4 Downhill L on Whirlwind
(R = Mustang continues)
N38 35.499 W109 47.308
1.5 Keep L (R = Wildcat)
N38 35.574 W109 47.234
2.4 Fork R (will return here)
N38 35.920 W109 47.300 |
2.6 7-up, turn around
N38 36.019 W109 47.225
2.8 Back at fork, go R
N38 35.920 W109 47.300
3.8 Join Mustang, keep L
N38 35.501 W109 47.388
3.9 Keep R this time, Mustang
N38 35.499 W109 47.308
5.1 Keep R (L = toward Getaway)
N38 34.909 W109 47.267
5.7 L on Chisholm
N38 35.088 W109 47.586
6.2 Back at parking |
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Getting there:
From I-70 and Crescent Junction, drive south on US-191 for 20 miles (about
9 miles north of the Colorado River if you're driving out from Moab) to
Highway 313. Drive uphill 11 miles.
Horsethief West: On your right at mile 11.8 from Highway 191,
turn toward the campground. The mountain bike trailhead is before the
campground on your left. Start southbound on Chisholm to reach the
Mustang-area trails.
Highway 313 (Chisholm) Trailhead: At mile 12.5, spot the
trailhead kiosk on the left side of the road. Turn into parking. Pedal
east (away from the highway) on Chisholm to intercept the Mustang Loop in
0.5 mile.
Gemini Bridges Road (Getaway) Trailhead: For longer rides of
the area trails. At mile 12.9, turn left at the Gemini Bridges sign. About
200 feet from the pavement, spot a small parking area on your left with
the Getaway Trail just east of parking. Mustang forks away from Getaway
0.6 miles from the trailhead.
Bull Run Trailhead: Drive 1.1 miles down the Gemini Bridges
dirt road, then turn right into the trailhead. Start your ride to the
Horsethief Area trails by heading left on 7up. |
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