MOAB -- When former Moab resident Dick Wilson conceived the Slick Rock Trail 30 years ago, he planned it for motorcycles, not anticipating mountain bikes or the impact the trail would have on this southeastern Utah town.
Since then, it has become one of the most famous mountain bike trails in the world. Over the weekend, at least 400 Lycra-clad gear heads decended on Moab to celebrate three decades of pedaling across scenic sandstone domes as part of the annual Canyonlands Fat Tire Festival.
Activities Saturday included a bicycle parade and the Slick Rock Poker run in which riders collected red, white and blue chips planted along a course on the trail. Guided trail rides were offered, from the easy "mellow tour" to the most difficult "hammerhead tour." Professionals who showed up for the Moab Rim Downhill race were ferried to the top of the bonerattling course for the first time by the Moab Skyway chair lift that opened earlier this year connecting the town with the summit of the rim.
Wilson, a longtime motorcycle enthusiast, designed the 12-mile trail north of Moab because he thought it was some of the most beautiful country he had ever seen, and he wanted to "share it with all the world." He convinced the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to build it, then moved away shortly after the trail's dedication in 1969, not knowing he helped lay the foundation for the town's
tourism boom.
"The last time I saw Moab, the town was in the throes of the uranium bust," says Wilson. "Mountain bikes didn't even exist back then. Now the place has exploding growth and bikes are all over the place."
He says he is proud to see the "Slick Rock" name play such a vital role in the community's economy.
"It's on restaurants, buildings, businesses. I've seen it on billboards and in advertising all over the place," said Wilson, who traveled from his California home for the celebration. "The town seems to be prospering, and I'm told the Slick Rock Trail had a lot to do with that. I think it's great."
Established in 1984 by the owners of a Moab cycle shop, the Canyonlands Fat Tire Festival has had a history of booms and busts - like the town. From the start, the event was seen as a way to boost the economy as well as to show off the spectacular scenery surrounding Moab. Some years the event has drawn almost 1,000 cyclists, while other times it has been less than 200.
About 400 showed up for Saturday's festivities including Paolo Bertelli, a native of Italy who traveled to Moab with a friend to attend the festival.
"Riding here is very different than Italy," he said. "The views, the technical trails and the size and space are unlike anything else."
Moab resident Jim Ryan was at his third festival. "It's a good time," said Ryan as he peddled around with his dog, Maico, named after a German motorcycle company. "I've met a great bunch of people from all over."
The festival concluded Saturday with the traditional Mountain Bikers Costume Ball. Event organizers moved the extravaganza to the Elks Club Lodge small this year, which was a bit of a disappointment to some hardy drinkers because the facility is too small for the traditional "chug-a-lug relay."