Beer in Utah

Back when we were planning the trip to Moab, everyone asked (for some stupid reason): "Can you bring beer into Utah?" The universal synonym of: "Please regulate me." Sadly we learned that you cannot bring alcohol in Utah. Sad because now that I know, I am a deliberate criminal. I'm not leaving my drinking supplies home. Fuck that! Needless to say, I broke the law. I don't know why those folks were compelled to even ask.

Anyway, several of us took beer, booze and wine. We also enjoyed the local fare. One thing about Utah beer...it is only 3.2% alcohol. We stopped at a brew pub and I had the sampler. It was the first time I was able to finish all ten samples. Beyond that, I drank quite a lot and discovered that I wasn't getting totally shitfaced. What a delight! I could drink two or three pitchers and still walk and talk. I love to sit around drinking beers after a long day of hard driving mountainbike action. What I don't like is getting so plastered that I might get arrested for public drunkenness. 3.2 Beer is the answer!

My last experience with 3.2 beer was Lucky Lager. It tasted like water and wouldn't get you drink no matter how much you drank. Well folks, it's the 20th century and now 3.2 beer has grown up. They had delicious Pilsner, Lager, Amber Ale, Bock, Porter and Stout...all with an alcohol content of only 3.2%. Perfect for the true beer connoisseur. It is after all, the taste, isn't it? I mean really, if it's the alcohol content you're after, you may as well drink vodka.

Let's hear it for 3.2 beer!

Slickrock bike trail!

First off, there's nothing slick about it. Slickrock is a series of mammoth stones heaving up out of the ground Just outside of Moab Utah. There is a lot of lore about it. The first person we spoke to was a search and rescue worker and he told us: "whatever you do, don't go to Slickrock."

They've painted lines along the suggested bike route. Sometimes the route looks like it's going to send you over the handlebars, but it 'usually' doesn't. If you just follow the dotted lines, you'll make it. It took me three and a half hours to make the 10 mile circuit for an average speed of 2.37 miles per hour. I rode most of the way, but I also left more footprints than I care to admit.