Intergalactic Pilot's Kokopelli Trail ExpeditionPhotos by Dubba. Text by Pluto Pilot. In early April 2003 three pilots embarked on a quest in true Lord of the Rings style. Their mission: To bring the Intergalactic simplicity of singlespeeds to the cursed freeride capital of the world, Moab (MORDOR). The pilots, Kevin "Monkey" Stein, Brandon "Dubba" Dwight, and Dan "Pluto Pilot" Vardamis rode their singlespeed craft mountain bikes from Fruita, Colorado to Moab, Utah on the legendary Kokopelli Trail. This 140-mile trail crosses barren desert, badland canyon terrain and mountain peaks with no towns in between and limited water. The pilots were completely self supported, and didn't stash anything in the desert beforehand, meaning each had to carry a 35 pound pack with the bare essentials. During the trip the three encountered 50-plus mile per hour winds, sub-freezing nights and blizzards in the La Sal Mountain Range. This is the story of their quest. |
