18 Road’s Zippity Do Da is a classic Fruita ride. It is the most difficult trail in the North Fruita Desert and technically it’s not very technical, however, it presents serious challenges for "up and coming" riders. There are 2 very steep sections that should only be attempted by riders that are comfortable with riding Joe’s Ridge and or Slickrock in Moab because these section are STEEP. 18 Road is all about speed so get out here if that’s your thing. In this ride, I’ll take you along Primecut climb to Frontside, then we ride the hell out of Zippity Downhill. This is Outdoor Gold’s Mountain Biking Gold preferred way of riding Zippity.
Unlike other trails in the Grand Valley that mostly ride on the hard Entrada Sandstone or the dense Morrison Formation, all of the 18 Road short loops reside on the barren Mancos Shale. The Mancos Shale is a basically a sea bottom mud that lacks compact rocks on the surface until you change rock formations at the higher elevations (Mesa Verde/Iles Sandstones) that overhang the area. Basically, you can expect loose dirt on occasion as well as unrideable conditions when muddy.
Seasons: 18 Road can be ridden between March and December until the first snow. In winter, the trail can be ridden during a hard freeze in the morning, otherwise, it’s not a good idea to ride any of the trails. Once March arrives, 18 Road begins to thaw and dry. From the valley bottom the trails might look clean, but looks can be deceiving. The vegetated areas of Pinion Pine and Utah Juniper can hold the mud for an extended period of time. Once 18 road dries, the ground in the early season can be extremely soft and sponging until April. Not to mention bumpy cow tracks. Crowds can be extreme and by June, the cedar gnats will be present until late July. In long gaps in rain, the trail can get pretty loose. On Zippity, occasionally during the monsoon season, you can expect washouts and stormwater damage. Don’t be afraid to walk these sections when conditions aren’t ideal, however, without trail damage it is a not a good idea to walk to the trail at all if the trail is not damaged. Walking is not good for these soft dirt slopes.
Getting there: the hardest part of riding 18 road. From US HWY 6&50 you cannot access the trails from the actual 18 road trails. The most popular option is to drive thru town to 17 ½ road (Maple St.) drive north of town to N 3/10 and turn east to 18 Rd. My favorite option is to drive to Colson and access 17 road, drive north of town to N 3/10 road and cut across to 18 road. OR take 6 &50 to 19 Road north to M road and then drive north on 18 ½ road which basically transitions to 18 Road.
MTB Project: Zippity www.mtbproject.com/trail/273209
Primecut www.mtbproject.com/trail/271471
Check out
Ruby Canyon Cycles: www.rubycanyoncycles.com
Cycling Western Colorado: cyclingwesterncolorado.com
Renew Chiropractic: www.renewjunction.com
Loki Gear: www.lokiusa.com