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Amasa Back
The Amasa Back trail is one of the classic rides of Moab. It ascends from the Colorado River just west of Moab, climbing up onto an outcropping of rock surrounded on three sides by the Colorado. Chad Hunter rolls along a smoother stretch of slickrock trail, with the Navajo Sandstone bluffs of Kane Creek in the background. The horizontal layers at the base are Kayenta. Photo April 15, 2000 by Bruce Argyle |
| The trail is a rocky Jeep trail with ledges and drop-offs, and is for
advanced riders. Intermediates can manage the ride, but will walk most of
the rougher climbs. As an out-and-back, the trip is 10 miles. Vertical climb is 1050 feet.
Smoother section trail during the initial climb. A 4x4 road climbs the ledges of Kayenta sandstone. |
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Near the top, there are connections to Pothole Arch and Rockstacker Trails. If you're looking for hairy technical riding, you can loop back via Rockstacker and Jackson Singletrack. Amasa Back has plenty of Moab's great sandstone to play on. At the top, there are wide areas of slickrock. On the way, you'll have eye-popping views of the canyons, as well as a cliff-side cruise overlooking Jackson Hole and its rincon (called Jackson "Not-Hole".Gary Argyle cranks up the stone to where Matt Flygare and Dominic Bria are waiting. April 15, 2000. |
| On the way to this ride, you'll climb ledges in the Kayenta Sandstone of the early Jurassic Era (about 200 million
years ago, when this area was dunes on the western edge of the continent) onto
the familiar Navajo Sandstone. The Navajo Sandstone is a course-grained
sandstone deposited by the wind in dunes in a broad, flat desert area. In some
areas, it is thousands of feet thick. Where the land surface was fairly flat,
the stone is smooth. Where steep dunes prevailed, there are oblique bands
marking successive layers of sand deposits on the downwind side of a dune.
Navajo Sandstone tends to break up into fins and domes.
Mike in front of "Jackson Not Hole". |
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The lower two miles of the trail is a tricky series of ledges and rock
challenges. Clearing the multiple rock obstacles will test your skills on the way up and
again on the way down. Mike Engberson shows his jumping form. The fins above are Navajo Sandstone. April 15, 2000. |
| You'll run into a couple of side routes. Just stay on the main path by
following the tire tracks when in question. Side routes can take you out onto the
peninsula, or down Jacob's Ladder into Jackson Hole to connect to Hurrah
Pass. As you cruise the cliffside, notice
"Jackson Not-hole," a rincon where the Colorado formed a
gooseneck, then cut it off to form a new straighter channel past the rock
"island." Matt Flygare takes some air near the top of the Rock. Of course, you don't have to go over every cliff in the trail. There are easier cheater routes around most obstacles. April 15, 2000. |
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The end of the "official" trail is this view over the Colorado.
But you can extend your ride by heading northeast. This trail is faint, and
not well-marked, but you can try to find it if you're hungry for more. Overlooking the Colorado River valley west of Moab. April 15, 2000. |
| Riding notes, Amasa: 0.0 Exit parking, uphill on road N38 31.710 W109 35.705 0.6 Drop R off road N38 31.435 W109 36.096 0.7 Take air off ledge, turn right on DT 0.8 Cross creek N38 31.589 W109 36.080 1.1 Keep R at faint fork, up switchbacks 2.0 R at fork (L = tech connector to Jackson Hole) 2.6 L at fork (R = Buzzards Bluff) 2.8 Top of climb, for now N38 31.079 W109 37.115 3.0 Cliffside along Jackson Not-Hole |
3.5 Pass Portage connector, keep straight (R) N38 31.721 W109 37.678 (L=cliff scramble down into Jackson Hole) 3.7 Keep L at fork (R = Jackson ST) N38 31.761 W109 37.756 4.4 Keep L on Amasa (L = Pothole Arch trail) N38 31.876 W109 38.369 5.1 View - End of Amasa N38 31.678 W109 38.871 |
| Getting there: Head south on Moab's Main Street. When you
reach the McDonald's on your right, turn right onto Kane Creek Blvd. After
0.6 miles, go straight where the road seems to turn right (500 West).
Drive along the Colorado River about 5 miles until the road turns to
gravel, and head uphill about 2/3 mile. Watch for the "Amasa Back Parking"
area at GPS N 38° 31.329' W 109° 35.501'. Head further up the gravel road 1/2 mile, and
turn right onto the trail at the sign.
Chad Hunter shows a group of "Jeepies" how a real man handles a trail. |
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