Telluride to Moab Hut to Hut

Riders taking part in the San Juan Hut System’s Telluride to Moab bicycle tour are in for an epic adventure. Expect to be treated to the 14,000-foot, snow-capped peaks of the San Juans, the 100-mile-long Uncompahgre Plateau, the awe-inspiring canyons of the Dolores River Valley, the rugged La Sal Mountains rising high above the red plain deserts of Moab, and the surreal red-rocked canyons and mesas of Moab. Save for the few singletrack trails that spur from the main route, the trip from the one-time tent-city of Telluride to the outlaw-town of Moab is more a test of stamina than of mountain bike handling skills. Riders travel for seven days, mostly along U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management roads in the Uncompahgre and Manti-La Sal national forests, staying in a different hut each night. Situated along the route, these huts stand anywhere from 13 to 38 miles apart and include all the comforts of home. The six huts are equipped with eight padded bunks, a propane cook stove, propane lights, a wood-burning stove (except for the Gateway and La Sal huts), firewood (usually), and kitchen facilities. Although there is no running water, all huts include a water supply for drinking and cooking. The hut is stocked with dry and canned goods, some fresh fruit and vegetables, spices, drinking water, and sleeping bags.