ATV Adventures: Riding the Poverty Trail at the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree
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- Riding a beautiful section of slick rock on the Poverty Trail at the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree.
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- Negotiating a section of slick rock on the Poverty Trail at the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree.
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- Waiting in line for a turn down a slick rock chute on the Poverty Trail at the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree.
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- The proper way to handle an off-camber section on the Poverty Trail at the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree.
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- Lynn Blamires
Extreme rides are not for me
The name of the trail is Poverty and it is listed as an advanced ride. The next category up is listed as extreme with a note to expect some body damage. The advanced category is extreme enough for me.
A spotter was needed for an off-camber section
Jamboree officials knew I had been on this trail before, so they asked me to ride in the middle of the pack and spot for riders should the need arise. There is a place on this trail that is off-camber, but if you approach the rock straight on, it takes the tippy part out of the equation. Two machines tipped over on this section in the pre-ride.
Turn south by the bison ranch
The trailhead for this ride is the first turn south past a large bison ranch on the road to Zion National Park from Mt. Carmel Junction. The staging area is a half mile from Highway 9.
The sandy track runs through pine and juniper trees
The ride begins at an elevation of about 6,100 feet and runs on a sandy track through pine and juniper trees. We took a side trail to a viewpoint overlooking the canyon we were about to drop into. We could also see where the Virgin River runs at the bottom.
The slick rock challenges begin
Back on the main trail, we began our descent. That is when the real ride and the slick rock challenges began. The trail hugged the canyon walls as we worked our way down the side of the mountain, negotiating steep and uneven sections of the trail.
An experience with slick rock
Slick Rock is anything but slick. You won’t believe the traction your tires have on the surface. That factor alone is one of the main attractions of the Moab trails. I was with my grandson, Mark, on the Hell’s Revenge Trail. I was following him when he stopped at a rock face that went almost straight up. I was looking for a way around it when he shook his head and pointed up. Again, I followed him, thinking I was going to die. I didn’t, but I couldn’t believe I didn’t fall off that rock face. My ascent was so straight up that my cell phone fell out of the dashboard pocket. I thought it was gone. Stopping was not an option. Once you start a climb like that, there is no stopping until you reach the top. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found my phone on the floorboards.
There is a variety in the sections of slick rock
Every section of Slick Rock is different on this trail. Some sections are short and steep, while others are long with beautiful red and white swirls in the rock. At one point, I could see the machines in a line ahead of me waiting their turn to drop down a chute in the trail.
Well-placed rocks helped with off-camber section
We came to the place where the two machines had rolled. We didn’t need a spotter because the jamboree officials had placed rocks in a pattern that showed the angle of attack to handle this section. On the way back, when I took this section, it felt like my machine was standing on end with the nose down when I dropped off the edge.
Rock Canyon overlook
We took another side trail that brought us down to an overlook of Rock Canyon, where the East Fork of the Virgin River flows. We were about 1,300 feet below our starting point of this ride. I could hear the river, but because of the greenery in the canyon, I couldn’t see it.
Seeing Red Rock country in its majesty
I have talked a lot about the technical parts of this ride without mentioning much about the scenic beauty of this country. We were not far from the boundaries of Zion National Park and we were seeing Red Rock country in its majesty. It is truly amazing.
The third overlook
This was the second leg of this ride. We came back to the main trail and continued to our third overlook. Due west of this point is the Park. To the north, we could see beautiful white cliffs. To the south was Poverty Flat, the namesake of this ride. I know if I were trying to exist in this country, I would be living poorly.
What goes down the trail must come back up
The next challenge was to get back to our starting point, meaning we had to climb everything we had come down. Riding back on the same trail is like taking a new trail because you are seeing what was behind you before.
Finishing a 28-mile ride
We climbed back to our staging area, finishing a ride of about 28 miles. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and take a chance to see this amazing country.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.
