Midwinter isn't the usual season to visit Canyonlands National Park, and the crowds don't begin to arrive until well into March or April. The view from Murphy Hogback as the White Rim Trail descends in switchbacks to Soda Springs Basin. But after 45 minutes of moving snow and hauling rocks, we were on our way again. During the spring and fall, dozens of cyclists traverse the White Rim Trail each day. Its 100-mile length is something of a yardstick for backcountry endurance.
Summer can be hot, too hot for biking.
With daytime temperatures often surging into triple digits and watering holes nonexistent, mountain bikers tend to head for higher ground, leaving the White Rim Trail to the dust devils and air-conditioned SUVs. A few hardy souls tackle the entire trail in one grueling day of nonstop pedaling. Our plan was to cover the route at a more leisurely pace that would stretch into three days. Without denying these riders their hard-earned bragging rights, Canyonlands is best appreciated at a slower, more reflective pace. A wild and desolate place that defies adequate description, this rugged country is magnificent and stunning.