Zion National Park/Gooseberry Weekend

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1 WATCH THE VIDEO Zion National Park/Gooseberry Weekend LENGTH: 3 Days / 2 Nights ACCOMMODATIONS: Camping FITNESS LEVEL: Intermediate For up-to-date pricing and dates, please visit our website. This fun-filled weekend is your ticket to the amazing vistas and backcountry riding around Zion National Park! We have created two great itineraries one for spring & fall, and one for summer - to get the most out of the amazing trails in the area. In summertime we avoid the scorching heat below, riding at higher elevation at Brian Head before descending into Zion. In spring and fall, we approach Zion from the south, riding Gooseberry Mesa s fantastic slickrock perched above panoramic scenic vistas. Trip Amenities Cell phone service is unreliable. Spring & Fall Trip Camping on this trip is in primitive campsites with no running water and pit toilets. Summer Trip First nights camp is primitive, second night is at an improved campsite with running water and flush toilets. There are no shower facilities on either trip, but solar showers will be available. Meals Most dinners and breakfasts on this Inns tour are in local restaurants except when in Panguitch Lake and Duck Creek, where your guides prepare dinner and breakfast for you. Picnic lunches are prepared each day by your experienced guides. Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 1

2 Spring & Fall Zion Backcountry Weekend Tour Day 1 Gooseberry Mesa After meeting in St. George, our shuttle takes us to the Gooseberry Mesa Slickrock trailhead. We ll set up camp, eat lunch, and go through a quick orientation. After lunch, we head out onto Gooseberry s comprehensive network of slickrock and singletrack. These trails are incredibly scenic with views of southern Utah s Grand Staircase and Zion in the distance. Your guides will customize the weekend s routes based on the groups technical and fitness levels. There is something out here for everyone, and the scenery is second to none! Total Mileage miles Inn/Camp Gooseberry Mesa Terrain Mixture of slickrock, singletrack and doubletrack, No Van Support Day 2 More Gooseberry or the Jem/Guacamole Trail Today we ride the foothills of Gooseberry Mesa on the Jem and Guacamole trails. Jem Trail is a fast flowy singletrack while Guacamole Trail has a mix of slickrock and rock features. Both of these purpose built trails network through classic desert scenery with Zion National Park as your backdrop! After our day of amazing riding we shuttle back to our camp atop Gooseberry Mesa. Total Mileage 8-25 miles Terrain Mixture of slickrock, singletrack, and doubletrack Camp Gooseberry Mesa Day 3 Zion National Park Get ready for Zion National Park s most aggressive hike, Angel s Landing. Gentle switchbacks give way to a challenging climb as we near the hike s apex. A final scramble brings us to breathtaking 360 views of Zion. After our hike, we ll enjoy lunch and shuttle back to St. George. Total Mileage 5 miles hike Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 2

3 Summer Zion Backcountry Weekend Tour Day 1 Brian Head to Duck Creek After meeting in St. George, we ll travel to Brian Head Resort for a light lunch, introductions, and a pre-trip meeting. Our riding adventure begins at Brian Head Peak where we descend down the exciting Lowder Ponds and Right Fork Trails. This singletrack descends 2,800 feet, with some minor climbs mixed in. After regrouping at the bottom, we ll descend once again. We lose 800 vertical feet over 17 miles as we carve through forests of ponderosa pine, fir, aspen, and spruce trees enroute to Tippets Valley. Tonight, our camp will be at Te-Ah, overlooking Navajo Lake. Total Mileage miles Terrain 80% Single-track, No Van Support Camp Te-Ah, Navajo Lake Day 2 The Virgin River Rim Trail and Navajo Lake A ride on the Virgin River Rim lets us experience some of the freshest cut singletrack in the West. The trail has challenging climbs and switchbacks, but you will be well rewarded with incredible view of Zion from the Red Cliffs area. A 3-mile descent takes us back to Navajo Lake where ll we ll rest and enjoy a hearty guide-prepared lunch. After lunch, we ll complete the Navajo Lake Loop. This aspen-forested singletrack is a fun 12-mile loop around the scenic shoreline. Total Mileage miles Terrain 100% Single-track, No Van Support Camp Te-Ah, Navajo Lake Day 3 Zion National Park Descending from Navajo Lake, we ride through the backcountry to Zion National Park on logging roads. The first 15-mile section is an excellent 3,000-foot descent. A short shuttle ride will take us to the blacktop at the East Entrance of Zion National Park. This stretch of road must be one of the prettiest in America. We ll ride through Zion and have lunch in the park before shuttling back to St. George. Total Mileage 30 miles Terrain Jeep Road and Pavement Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 3

4 The Basics State: Utah Duration: 3 days/2 Nights Type: Camping Airport: Las Vegas, NV Mileage: Spring/Fall Miles, Summer Miles Elevation: 3,000 11,300ft Season: Spring/Fall MEETING INFORMATION Location: The Crystal Inn Address: 1450 Hilton Dr, St George, UT Time: 10:30am (MST) * We will return to St. George around 4:00pm on the last day and Las Vegas around 6pm. OPTIONAL ADD-ONS Round-trip shuttle from Las Vegas to St. George: $75 The shuttle will leave from the Element Hotel* in Las Vegas, (Summerlin), at 7:30am on the first day of the tour. This hotel is located next door to our world class tour center and bike shop. Element offers a free breakfast and an excellent rate for guests of Escape Adventures. *Single Supplement is available. Ask for pricing. BIKE RENTALS We offer Santa Cruz and Specialized bikes. Please click for more information. Learn more about our rental gear on our website. Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 4

5 CAMPING RENTALS Three-man tent with fly and ground tarp 30 degree sleeping bag Camp Pillow (BYO pillowcase) Self-inflating ground pad Bringing or shipping your own gear? See our shipping policy. WEATHER You will be riding and sleeping at elevations over 7,000 ft for the first 4 nights of this trip. Weather predictions in this area are often unreliable due to the elevation, so it is best to be prepared for cold evenings and inclement weather. Please use the following locations when checking the weather online: Panguitch, UT (Day 1) Duck Creek Village, UT Springdale, UT WHAT SETS US APART? Our People: Our guides are the best in the business! Trained personally by the owners, our guides understand the areas you ride and the safety of the group. Our Commitment: We don't just preach environmental awareness, we live it! We recycle 90% of our waste, run our facilities with solar and wind power, and we are the world's 1st carbon-neutral outfitter. Our Food: Our guides lovingly prepare meals for the trip with an emphasis on fresh, local and organic foods, ensuring you have the fuel you need to ride, and a delicious meal at the same time- including dessert! Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 5

6 Specific Trip Tips Las Vegas, Nevada, is the closest city with a major airport and car rentals. We recommend that you fly into Las Vegas and drive or take our shuttle to St. George. Visit our Las Vegas departure page on our website for more information, directions, hotel listings and more. Please arrive in Las Vegas or St. George at least 12 hours prior to your departure time in order to have time to rest before the tour. Use our Pre-Trip Information Center for packing lists, how to prepare, FAQ and more! TRIP COST INCLUDES: Two guides, all meals starting with lunch on the first day through lunch on the last day, except dinner on day 5, which is on your own, support vehicle, snacks, first-aid, bike maintenance, community gear, and a souvenir shirt. Gratuities to local restaurants, hotels, transportation, and additional activities mentioned on this itinerary are paid by Escape Adventures. If you engage in an activity that is not part of this trip as outlined, then you are responsible for tipping. TRIP COST DOES NOT INCLUDE: Airfare to and from our departure point, lodging before or after the tour, rental bike, or gratuities to Escape Adventures guides. Tips to the guides are given at your discretion and based on the quality of your experience. We suggest 10-20% of your trip cost to be divided between the guides. Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 6

7 Cancellation Policy If you need to cancel your tour reservations, for any reason, our cancellation policy is as follows: Time Frame: Up until 45 days prior to trip departure Refund Available: Refund of what you paid minus a $100 processing fee per person days prior to trip departure Refund 50% of payments minus $100 processing fee per person days prior to trip departure Refund 15% of payments minus $100 processing fee per person 14-0 days prior trip departure no refund available In order to keep our tours affordable and provide proper notice to our lodging partners, we must adhere to this timeline, no exceptions. After our refund deadline has passed we cannot provide a refund for any reason, including circumstances beyond your control such as weather-related travel delays, family emergency, or injury. There is also no partial refund if you arrive late to your tour, or depart early. Insurance agencies however, offer a full or partial refund in many circumstances if you purchase travel insurance to cover your tour. Payment in full is due 45 days prior to trip departure. Travel Insurance We encourage you very strongly to purchase travel insurance to protect against extenuating circumstances such as illness and injurybelieve us, they do come up! We have a special arrangement with TravelGuard insurance so that you may purchase reasonablypriced travel insurance at the same time you place your tour reservation. For a detailed description of the TravelGuard policy we offer, visit our website or call ask about product Transfer Policy Multi-day tours only: If you would like to change to a different tour or departure date after signing up, we will be happy to transfer you on a space available basis up until 45 days prior to your tour. Please provide your transfer request in writing - is sufficient. Please note, a $25 transfer fee will be deducted from your previous payments for each transfer, and if you later choose to cancel your tour, the cancellation deadlines will apply to the date of the originally scheduled tour. Does not apply to ½ and full day tours in Las Vegas or Moab. Tour Confirmation Escape confirms tours 30 days prior to tour departure; prior to this time, tours may be cancelled due to low enrollment. After your tour is confirmed, it will not be cancelled for low-enrollment, but in rare cases may be cancelled due to weather, government intervention, unsafe trail conditions, or any other reason that would affect the quality of the schedule tour or the safety of its participants. If we are forced to cancel your tour, we will provide a 100% refund and work to add you to another trip that works for you. If you need to cancel your multiday tour for any reason, your request must be in writing - is sufficient (no phone cancellations will be accepted). Travel Plans We advise you to avoid non-refundable flights and other travel arrangements, and are not responsible for the costs of such arrangement in the event your tour is canceled. The travel insurance offered in conjunction with our tours covers the cost of your tour, but does not cover additional costs such as travel to and from your tour departure location, and hotel stays prior to or following your tour. Please consider purchasing additional insurance coverage if you have non-refundable travel arrangements. For additional information please do not hesitate to call one of our experienced trip planners, and visit the Pre-Trip Information section of our website. Please call Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pacific time. Bryce and Zion National Parks MTB - page 7