Waiting for a Moab Sign?
Try the 24 Hours of MOAB
Every year, thousands gather to watch and record video of the most exciting off-road bicycle race in the world.
Watch the video, "24 Hours of Moab - Off-Road 2008".
As we know, the Anasazi, Pre-Puebloans or The Ancients, depending on which name you wish to apply, vacated “The Far Country” now known as Moab, Utah by 1350 CE. Between 650 BC and the time of their departure, they took the time to leave visual messages for us to find and enjoy. Whether their art took the form of pictographs or petroglyphs is not important. What is important to us in our current time is that they were both visually and artistically oriented.
The term “starving artist” simply could not apply in
their environment. Only after sufficient hunting and gathering to see
them through the winter, did they have time to create their
painstakingly incised rockart. Experts estimate that each pictograph
may have taken several weeks and several separate processes to complete.
From 1350 CE until now (2008), is 658 years.
Although the exact number of years is not important, it is important to
see how we, the new stewards of Mother Earth are treating both Gaia and
ourselves.
Not five miles from my first visit to the unique and previously undocumented rockart of Johnsons On Top mesa, lies the 24 
Hours
of Moab off-road bike race. After viewing the first hour and the last
hour of this unique and unparalleled bicycle race, I came away with
enough memories to fill a lifetime. In fact, the unusual and intense
24-hour racing format lends itself to new energies and activities. If
you read my previous article, you know that I was on a mission to track down Dax Massey and Dean Miller, the two and only members of the Bach Builders Shake & Bake Duo Pro mountain bike racing team.
Hours
of Moab off-road bike race. After viewing the first hour and the last
hour of this unique and unparalleled bicycle race, I came away with
enough memories to fill a lifetime. In fact, the unusual and intense
24-hour racing format lends itself to new energies and activities. If
you read my previous article, you know that I was on a mission to track down Dax Massey and Dean Miller, the two and only members of the Bach Builders Shake & Bake Duo Pro mountain bike racing team.Having checked the race website for live race results both late last night and 
"early
this morning, I knew that Dax and Dean were well on their way to a
category win in the 24 Hours of Moab and an overall category win for
their five-race season. Whether by design or by circumstances, these
men are elusive. Not only had I missed them on the racecourse
yesterday, but again today. Just after the race ended at Noon, I
enquired about them at the scoring table. The gentleman there told me
that they came in before Noon and did not need to go out for one more
grueling fifteen-mile lap.
"early
this morning, I knew that Dax and Dean were well on their way to a
category win in the 24 Hours of Moab and an overall category win for
their five-race season. Whether by design or by circumstances, these
men are elusive. Not only had I missed them on the racecourse
yesterday, but again today. Just after the race ended at Noon, I
enquired about them at the scoring table. The gentleman there told me
that they came in before Noon and did not need to go out for one more
grueling fifteen-mile lap.
Determined
to see them and congratulate them on their win, I waited the two and
one half hours until the awards ceremonies began. Since there was
nothing else to do while waiting for the ceremony, I mounted the four
flights of stairs that ended at an observation deck almost thirty feet
in the air. There, Suzuki Motors, the corporate sponsor of the 24 Hours
of Moab provided an unparalleled view of the Behind The Rocks area and the La Sal Mountains.
The only furniture on the deck was six massaging lounge chairs. What
better way to relax and meet new friends than when everyone is "relaxing
to a near-professional level massage in the great outdoors? Thank 
you to Suzuki Motors for supporting the 24 Hours of Moab in such a great way.When they came to unplug the massage chairs, I made my way downstairs to the
awards ceremony. Around 3:00 PM, Dean and Dax came to the podium to
accept their Moab and series championship trophies on behalf of their
sponsor, Bach Builders. Engrossed in capturing the scene on my Sony
MiniDV video camera, I had time to take only one still shot.
Six hundred and fifty-eight years after the Anasazi
vacated Moab area without a trace, so too did Dean and Dax. The Anasazi
left us with enduring artwork for all to enjoy. Dean and Dax added to
their reputation as the best single-speed, Duo Pro mountain bike racers
in the country, if not the world. Congratulations to 
Dean and Dax. With luck, I will catch up with you again, at the 2009 24 Hours of Moab.
Dean and Dax. With luck, I will catch up with you again, at the 2009 24 Hours of Moab.
By James McGillis at 11:41 PM | | Comments (0) | Link
