Vernal, Utah: Making Great Singletrack Even Greater

This group of experienced trailbuilders included a group of Utah Conservation Corps workers, Canadians on a Utah vacation, a Wyoming high-school student and local Vernal residents.
The group built a 550-foot long reroute of a steep ascent affectionately known as Red Puke Hill. A name for the new mellow bypass has yet to be decided.
Kevin Christopherson tests the flow of the new trail section and then grabs his trail tool to refine one of the turns.
The Vernal area trails have the most creative trail names Nat and Rachael have seen in their travels. Sunday's group ride on Retail Sale was excellent and named wittily by Altitude Cycles owner Troy Lupcho for the trails' tendency to break bike parts and result in the trails' namesake.

When people think of mountain biking in Utah most think of Moab, Park City or Gooseberry Mesa. In the coming years, Vernal could easily be high your riding to-do list. Vernal has the amazing geology, paleontology and rich cultural prehistory that has made Utah well known. They also have hundreds of miles of singletrack flowing through the desert landscape within minutes of downtown. Many of these trails are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Nat and Rachael Lopes spent a perfect September weekend working with BLM's Recreation Specialist, Dan Gilfillan, riding locals riding trails, assessing sustainability, teaching methods of trailbuilding and user management and helping Vernal take the next step in enhancing their trail system.

A first step for any growing trail system is to establish a signage plan. Currently, a ride in Vernal would be difficult to navigate comfortably without potentially getting lost. Nat and Rachael suggested roadside signage to direct people to appropriate trailheads, trailhead signage with the trail names, and along-the-trail signs at trail junctions. Signage is a great way to make a mountain bike ride more safe and fun. Signage also helps draw new mountain bikers into the sport. It can offer information on what trails best suites a bikers abilities, directional suggestions to offer the most fun route, and environmental information on how to best preserve the natural ecosystem.

To learn more about individual rides in Vernal go to http://www.altitudecycle.com/ and click on 'Trails'.