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Baby Steps Loop The Baby Steps Loop is a fun ride that forks off the Klondike Bluffs trail. It's part of the Klondike Bluffs trails complex. It features some long stretches of slickrock riding, narrow desert singletrack, and fun boulder-rocking downhill singletrack. The loop is 15 miles if ridden from the official trailhead, or 20.5 miles if you start from the highway. Total climbing is around 1200 vertical feet. With the narrow track and loose trail sidewalls, plus some technical features, I'd give the trail a rating for upper-intermediate to advanced riders. |
| View west as we finish a mile of great downhill singletrack. Original singletrack review April 2006, updated for the loop ride in May 2009. Ride description updated for new trails November 2011. All photos by Bruce. |
| First, should you ride from the highway parking, or drive to
the official trailhead at the fence? Many riders park just off 191 and
pedal to the trailhead. Out-and-back on the gravel road adds 5.5 miles. I
think there's little point in starting from the highway parking lot. Drive to the alternate
trailhead. Rather than adding "dumb miles," save your time and
legs for a second trail.
Section of smooth slickrock as we climb east. The lower trail is marked with rockpiles on the sandstone. Higher up, there are paint spots on the sandstone. |
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This first uphill part of the Baby Steps singletrack can also be used as a longer, more technical climb to Klondike Bluffs. Elevation change for that ride is 900 feet. There's some up-and-down on the singletrack. The trip to Klondike and back via Baby Steps is about 14 miles, 12 if you descend via the official Klondike Bluffs trail. View of the La Sals from a high point on the singletrack. The terrain slopes gradually uphill towards the Bluffs. |
| From the trailhead gate (2.7 miles from US 191) cross the cattleguard
and go 0.8 miles on Klondike Bluffs. Turn left on doubletrack. About 0.9
miles later, fork right uphill to begin the counterclockwise loop. Shortly
after the turn, you'll enter a long slickrock climb. The trail is marked
by little rockpiles.
Trail view early in the singletrack. The shoulders are soft, so you'll dig in and dump if you don't control your riding line. There are a few rock hazards that require good handling skills. All photos April 2006. |
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Proceed up through a slickrock area. Keep straight past the EKG
Trail fork. A short distance after the trail becomes dirt
doubletrack again, you'll fork right onto singletrack. (You'll see some
tire tracks going straight; ignore them.) Follow the singletrack until it
drops onto sandstone, marked with white hash-marks. Turn left (right
connects to Klondike Bluffs). The trail will alternate between rock and
doubletrack.
In many areas, rock stunts keep things interesting. While there's a lot of open-rock riding, other sections have barriers that force the rider to take a specific line, with tight turns and stunts. |
| As you climb a tiny hill on doubletrack,
watch for the singletrack branching off on the left. There will be some
technical sections here. After a couple of miles, the singletrack will
dump you back onto the same doubletrack you were riding earlier. Turn left
and continue until the doubletrack meets the Klondike Bluffs trail. Turn
left uphill. 0.1 mile later, continue straight for the Baby Steps loop. (If
you're headed to the Bluffs, turn right. Park Boundary = N 38° 48.13' W 109° 41.67')
Here's a cute section. Plaster your body onto the frame -- you can ride under this tight squeeze. |
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If you decide to pay a visit to Klondike Bluffs, it's about a mile to the Arches National Park border. You'll have to leave your bike at the park boundary and hike a half-mile hike to the overlook. To continue with the Baby Steps Loop, grind up and over the hill. Drop down a steep descent toward a broad valley. At the dirt-road intersection on the valley bottom, turn left. Plunging down the east side of the mountain. |
| Cruise the speedy dirt road for about 1-1/4 miles, then fork
uphill at the intersection. What goes down must come up, and you've got
about 300 vertical feet to gain back. There will be a "sucker
summit" after which you'll climb some more. If you're pooped, the Little
Salty trail heads downhill here. Stay left on doubletrack to finish
Baby Steps.
After a high-speed cruise down the valley, it's time to climb back up the hill to get to the top of the singletrack. |
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As the doubletrack turns on the west end of the mountain,
you'll spot Baby Steps singletrack on your left. Another singletrack
straight ahead is the Mega Steps trail, an
alternate route downhill.
Hop on the Baby Steps North singletrack and get ready for a great ride. Navigation is straightforward: go down. The trail rocks and rolls over sandstone outcrops in the Salt Wash formation. The singletrack starts smooth and fast, then gets steeper and more technical. |
| When you're almost to the bottom, you'll cross the EKG
trail. Keep downhill. At the bottom of the singletrack, turn left on the
Copper Ridge road. About 1-1/2 mile later, you'll pass the fork where you
started uphill. Care for another go at the loop?
A rider descends the rolling technical sandstone. |
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| Riding notes for the loop, from upper gate: 0.0 From upper parking, east over cattleguard N38 46.417 W109 42.735 0.8 Fork left on DT Copper Ridge Road N38 46.997 W109 43.072 1.7 Fork R on ST Baby Steps South N38 47.545 W109 43.603 Climb through slickrock area 2.1 Straight uphill (L = EKG) N38 47.741 W109 43.285 2.6 Trail veers R, N 38° 48.02' W 109° 42.88' 3.5 Slickrock, fork L following marks N38 47.958 W109 42.584 (R = connect to Klondike) 3.9 L on ST, N 38° 48.28' W 109° 42.69' 5.1 Back at DT, fork L N 38° 48.41' W 109° 42.77' 6.1 Fork L to join Klondike trail N38 48.578 W109 42.373 |
6.2 Keep straight N38 48.656 W109 42.260 6.6 Keep R and descend N38 48.817 W109 42.085 6.8 Fork L in valley N38 48.811 W109 41.871 8.2 Fork L and climb hill N38 49.310 W109 43.045 8.8 Top of hill, R on DT (L = Little Salty) N38 49.102 W109 43.371 9.9 Fork L onto ST downhill (St = Mega Steps) N38 49.480 W109 43.797 10.8 Cross EKG, keep straight N38 48.964 W109 44.612 11.1 Fork L on DT Copper Ridge Rd N38 48.804 W109 44.837 12.1 Straight (L= Little Salty) N38 48.180 W109 44.195 13.0 Straight (L=Baby Steps) N38 47.545 W109 43.603 13.9 Stay R on DT N38 46.997 W109 43.072 14.7 Back at parking |
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Getting there: Starting at the Colorado River, drive 15 miles north from Moab. Look for a turnout on the right. There will usually be cars parked there. GPS N 38° 44.452' W 109° 44.037' Go through the gate and drive 2.7 miles. Keep left at the fork. At 2.8 miles, park your car at the gate and begin your ride. Riding resources for the Baby Steps Trail: |
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