Moab Happenings Archive
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CYCLING HAPPENINGS July 2020


Article courtesy of Rim Tours Mountain Bike Adventures 1233 S. Hwy 191, 435-259-5223

A New Frontier
By Franklin Seal,

The Covid-19 pandemic has altered the world for everyone. Work life, home life, recreation, travel — no aspect of our lives has been untouched. Those changes are far from over, yet slowly, some things are now returning and all of us are adapting to our new “normal.”

Nowhere is that truer than here at Rim Tours. During the covid lockdown of April and early May, we used the break to design new protocols to keep our guests and guides safe during the pandemic. Beginning in mid-May, following state and national re-opening directives, our tour operations resumed. Tentatively, at first, then, by the end of May with the National Parks re-opening, the phones started ringing for new reservations after 2 months of mostly cancellations. Visitors are excited about experiencing the outdoors by mountain bike and the feedback we’ve received is appreciation for the steps we are now taking to make this activity as safe and rewarding as possible.

New tour protocols at Rim Tours:
We are asking that guests drive their own vehicle and follow the guide to the trailhead to minimize extended close/indoor contact between guests and their guide. For the majority of our day tours, this will entail a drive of between 10 to 20 minutes from town.

For guests riding at Dead Horse Point State Park, the drive from town takes about 40 minutes. Since Dead Horse is very close to Canyonlands National Park, this is a great opportunity to explore Canyonlands without repeating the longer drive up to Island in the Sky. If you choose this option, be prepared to bring food and water as there are no food services at either park.

If driving yourself is not possible you are welcome to ride in our van. We will require that you wear a face covering while in our vehicle and whenever you are close to the guide or other non-family guests and your guide will do the same. Also, we will not fill our vans to capacity but rather create space between guests and staff that aren’t family members. You do not need to wear a face covering while riding your bike. When signing up or inquiring about a tour, let us know whether you will drive your vehicle or get in our van.

Other steps we’ve taken to ensure maximum safety for our guests and staff:
• Each guest will certify their current health status
before the tour.
• Hand sanitizer/hand washing available to travelers and staff.
• Social distancing maintained throughout
experience.
• Gear/equipment is washed and sanitized
between use.
• Transportation vehicles sanitized between use.
• Guides required to regularly wash hands
• Rim Tours’ staff are participating in regular virus testing with the local hospital and to date all tests have been negative.

We feel that we truly are in the new frontier of adventure travel and outdoor recreation and we are meeting the challenges of this time with a positive attitude and the desire to continue to provide a quality experience for guests and our staff.

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