Pierce Kettering and his Ibis Exie USA take on six iconic Southern Utah mesas in a one-day mega ride.
The sandstone mesas between Hurricane and Zion National Park in Utah are famous for their slickrock trails and beautiful Southwestern scenery. They’re also known for punishing “mesa miles,” packed with steep, punchy slickrock climbs followed by chunky, techy descents. Fifteen mesa miles in a day is a lot for most people.
Note – All Photos courtesy of Photo-John Facebook @photojohnphoto and Instagram @photojohnphoto
Enter Pierce Kettering, Sales Manager of Over the Edge Hurricane and the most affable endurance athlete you’ll ever meet. He can hammer out 100-mile rides without losing his chill vibe and warm smile. He also has a big love for the legendary trails of Southern Utah. But is it “6 mesas, 119.24mi with 11,381ft of climbing in one day” big? He also did it on the Ibis Exie x-country bike!
Stats: 119.24 mi, 12:39:54 hours, 11,381 ft
Pierce’s weapon for his Monster Mesa feat was the Ibis Exie USA, a 100mm cross-country race bike. It’s a choice that stands out when most people ride the Hurricane Mesa trails on trail or enduro bikes with 120mm to 160mm of suspension, burly tires, and long, slack geometry, especially for trails like Flying Monkey and the Grafton DH. Some riders still choose freeride/downhill bikes for Grafton and Monkey. Pierce’s choice of this ultralight, short-travel XC bike says a lot about his technical skills and the Ibis Exie USA’s capabilities. We certainly don’t recommend taking the Exie on those trails unless you’re Pierce.
“When I told [people] I was planning to knock [all six mesas] out in one day, they questioned the logistical probability of that happening . . . Local Steve Dann (who has suffered through many single-speed, Type-2-fun days) told me he didn’t think it was possible.”
Pierce started at the JEM trailhead in the center of all the mesas at 6:36 AM, climbing up the paved road to Hurricane Mesa before dropping into Flying Monkey, a trail known as a warm-up for Rampage riders.
On to North Rim to the Point on Gooseberry Mesa, back to South Rim, and then Gander Trail east to Grafton Mesa, where he took on the infamous Grafton DH, followed by an ascent on Crybaby Hill dirt road to Wire Mesa.
Mesa trails may not have many big climbs, but the many small-but-punchy climbs are like death by a thousand cuts
Only one mesa remained—Little Creek. Embracing typical mountain bike irony, the mesa with “Little” in its name is the longest, most challenging part of the ride. The jeep road approach is long, and it was really hot. The weather in early October should have been perfect for a big mesa endurance ride, but an unexpected heat wave brought 100-degree temperatures, and conditions were not ideal.
“When I was on the main loop out at Little Creek Mesa . . . I could see every single mesa I had ridden up to that point. To observe the landscape unfold throughout the day and to be able to view that landscape during sunset after a huge day in the saddle was truly spectacular. I also hallucinated a life-sized petroglyph-style sheep looking at me from behind a bush.”
Just after 8 PM, after about 13.5 hours in the saddle, braving intense heat and hallucinations, Pierce pedaled back into the parking lot at the JEM trailhead.
“I felt shelled, crushed, yet euphoric, and like I spent my day doing some real-world, real-life stuff. It’s days like these that make me feel like I am exactly where I need to be doing exactly what I should be doing.”
Pierce Kettering and his Ibis Exie USA take on Southern Utah’s Smith Mesa, Guacamole Mesa, Gooseberry Mesa, Grafton Mesa, Wire Mesa, and Little Creek Mesa in a one-day mega ride.
Visit us at Over the Edge Hurricane, and we’ll answer any questions. We welcome more endurance mountain bikers to ride the Hurricane/Zion area!
Do you think you’d be up for the Monster Mesa Challenge? Download the Monster Mesa route at https://www.strava.com/activities/12561291197
Follow Pierce on Instagram @pierceing_
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