#PortalTrail #2020Hightower Have you ever lost it on a trail? Let me know in the comments below. Need new gloves? Gloves I use: bit.ly/2BV5Miv - Use code JCTRAILS18
When I first started watching I was like, why is a guy with rookie skills even on this trail? Then it became obvious he does have pretty good skills he is just not an idiot. Much respect, thanks for sharing!
I rode the Portal Trail solo in September of 1994, still one of my favorites. No one can truly understand how scary it is without experiencing it. I always use to ride with the words of Dirty Harry on my mind, "A Man has got to know his Limitations"
@@JJaguar333 I had a GT RTS full suspension back then. Yeah, it may not have been as advanced as today's bikes, but it rode great for that era. I eventually cracked the frame and GT replaced it with a newer Team frame with a Noleen piggyback coil shock. I rode that bike from 1996 to 2002 when I found the seat tube cracked.
I don't know if I've lost my cool but I definitely nope out of things if I'm sure the risk/reward isn't there. Some folks may call it cowardice, I prefer to call it wisdom of older age lol
@@jctrails I thought about my reply some more and while it's true I don't think I've lost my cool on a trail, I've also never ridden a trail like that before. I'm comfortable in saying I would hae probably walked a hell of a lot more than you did.
Hey man, be proud of yourself for knowing your limits and not pushing it. This video should be top of the chain for any MTBer, or anyone really. Good for you, ride on!
That wind sounded ridiculous. I've riding for 20 years and done my share of scary shit, but I can assure you I'd be walking some of the same sections you did. No need to be a news story about falling off a cliff. Epic scenery
Portal Trail is a HIGH WIRE act. Narrow, exposure, tech, wind. You made the right call walking some of those sections. Better to be alive and ride another day. Thanks for taking us along.
Dude, mad respect! That is some crazy exposure....and that wind! Good on you for keeping it rubber side down and enjoying a beer at the end of the day.
Great job and nice to see the “realness” of exposured, techy trail riding instead of of clips of people pinning something like this (mostly pros), making the trail look “doable’. So, I appreciate sharing the “realness” of a trail like this where safety and good judgement call is paramount. Need more clips like this to keep certain trails in honest perspective. BTW, you rode a lot of the trail well too.
We had a friend on our group that hiked most of upper portal. The upper section is not technical but the exposure can't break many mentally. The lower section is possibly the most technical trail that I've ever ridden.
Moab will school ya. Once you lose your confidence its all over. Plus it wears you out. Better to walk sections (I did many times) and live to ride another day. We always said even if you walk/hike-a-bike its still mountain biking! I found that stuff i could ride on my home trails (Front Range CO) I would hesitate on in Moab, there was that mental aspect of the drop off, plus not knowing the trail very well. I think I rode most of the classics in Moab in the early 2000's, and because I wasn't "afraid" to walk my bike on some sections, i am here to type about it. GREAT JOB and video.
Major props for posting a great, honest video. I've done everything on Mag 7 except Portal...don't know that I ever will. You said it...no shame is right. Kinda surprise your crew left you behind with it being your first time & considering the conditions (crazy winds) & risk factor.
As I get older expectations on myself are less and less and the ride is less frustrating and a hell of alot more fun man, one way or another your the adventurer and you will get through it and preferably in one piece
That was awesome! You live to ride another day that all that matters . No need to be hero on that trail. I would have done the same thing maybe more hiking. Lol
Nope, no shame man! Better to walk it than risk it, especially if you're not feeling it and considering that wind. Portal's hard enough without wind like that. Sometimes you just have to unpucker. ;) As someone that's been riding for over thirty years, no matter how good a rider you are, there are times the trail and/or conditions humble you, other times you humble yourself by being wise enough to not push it too far. As the saying goes, the mountain will always be there.
chuckled when you said just feel like a goon. I totally feel your angst on this one. Got my ass handed to me at Sentir du Moulin Quebec just like that. Stuff you know you can otherwise ride if it were in our back yard, that exposure though😬Great job man. Can't wait to scare the crap out of myself there next year😁
I'm deeply afraid of heights, but the views of this trail looked so great on YT that I decided I'd park by the river and hike up it (not nearly good enough on a bike to attempt it). When I got to the point where you guys regrouped and saw how narrow that section of trail was I couldn't even bring myself to walk across it. The GoPro really doesn't do it justice, I got woozy just looking at it. Kudos to you on your skills (and judgement).
With the fear of heights I have I would have been plastered against the hill calling for rescue. Totally paralyzing with that wind. Great job not falling on what you did ride.
Awesome ride guys! It does not look so hard on camera, but I know first hand that it is 3x harder than it looks. I am pretty sure I would have walked a lot more than you! Epic ride! Big thrill! and no one got hurt. Can't beat that!
Totally spot on that trail is insane. Looks like "Trail development" cut out the boulder where several riders perished. Lot of hike a bike sections...but you got braggin rights now.👍🍻🍻🍻🍻🚴♂️
This was a great vid man, super rad trail system. I thought of driving down this weekend from Denver but its 11 hours and I don't have the time to do the driving. I'll have to make it out to do this one for sure. Looks like the Hightower took care of business!
It's a mental game. Some days I'll send 15-20' drops with confidence, other days... nope, not feelin it. The worst thing you can do sometimes is push it on a day your not feelin it. The best thing about calling it, is it's the best excuse to go back... the trail ain't goin anywhere. Exposure doesn't really bother me, but I've seen many people lock up especially on this trail. Have you seen my drone footage? kinda shows how crazy it is...
I ripped this trail a few years back, I loved it! I’ve been dreaming about it ever since. But it is no joke. If you haven’t ridden it before, dismount where the signs recommend, no need to be a hero!
hearing you say you were feeling 'mentally cooked' makes me feel better about not going hard on myself. just yesterday i was riding so sloppy on the trails and just couldnt get into it, but kept pushing with my body trying to get into m groove. im going to try and improve my pace
I have done a few 24 hr races on a 4 man team and its really the mental aspect that gets you in the end. It will be 3:45am and you will approach a technical section with your little headlamp and it takes everything to keep your shit together to get to the bottom. Sometimes you literally lose the ability to care if you crash or not.
Watching this video caused my canon and two ammo to shrink and quickly went up to my tummy. Just like the turtle head went back into its body. Oh, my a hole also shrunken so little I would have trouble pooping tonight. Holy shit, that was scary. I wouldn't even attempt to walk the trail. I would freaked out due to being afraid of heights.
Wow...no way! beyond scary as shizz... glad you finished safely and took no chances. With the wind blowing like it was...it is terribly dangerous and deadly. ugh amazing video.
So, there ARE places where we do not have to take our MTB's. Especially when there is no joy of abandon, of letting go, and straight out enjoying the ride. The wind alone, in these open stretches is relentless enough. All for the survival beer at the end?
I was riding the Portal my first time many years ago when I encountered a stranger just in front of me. He dissapeared from the trail leaving me to wonder where the heck he went. The vultures revealed his position a few days later, 400 vertical feet down from the top crux. Guess he wasn't smart enough to walk the appropriate section. I don't mean to sound flip, but when you are playing for keeps it really is stupid to foolishly bet your life just so you can say you did something.
JC TRAILS I couldn’t even walk that trail. Sucks the bottom looks so fun after the exposure part. So many great one liners in this vid. I was cracking up.
5:04 that was probably the sketchiest part I rode. But outside of that, if you get off and walk on the parts where the signs tell you to walk, it's not all that bad. Lower Portal is where the most technical stuff is, and there's no exposure at that point.
After riding some serious exposure in Sedona (Highline and Hang over) I get what you went through. It's all about vision; keeping far ahead and don't look down. That wind looked brutal though...
This had me grinding my teeth the whole video! Love your channel brother! I’m a beginner and was wondering what your thoughts are on the Fezzari wiki peak?
I don't think of Portal as an especially super technical trail, but one wrong move and death. I've walked a bunch of those exposed sections. One of the scariest (dumbest maybe) things I've ever done was take my 16 year old son, who is a fantastic rider, down Portal. He just doesn't get that you can crash on stuff that is well below your skill level.
At 3:28 (right where you stopped) i got hung up on a rock and fell left into that tree. The exposure didnt bother me honestly. But going mach 1 after the overlook through all the massive chunk, THAT was stressful.
Was the sign still there about people dying on this trail? I did it several years ago and when I walked my bike I made sure the bike was on the outside of the trail! Didn't want to have my handlebar touch the cliff and send me. Well done showing common sense on the narrow parts.
