Trail Guide: Mountain Biking Moab’s Iconic Captain Ahab

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Captain Ahab is a bucket-list ride for many mountain bikers visiting Moab. It’s personally one of my favorite trails for its brilliant routing, a multitude of alt-lines, incredible views, and puzzle-piece features that may take a few attempts to nail.

But Captain Ahab is definitely not for everyone. If you’re considering riding this trail, be sure to read through this post to make sure it’s a good fit and you know what to expect.

If you are up for the challenge of hoofing it to the top (and it is a climb), though, and then pin-balling your way back down along slickrock rollers and rowdy rock gardens you’ll have a blast!

Getting to the trailhead & where to park

Captain Ahab is located in the Amasa Back trail network south of Moab. To get there, take Kane Creek Boulevard near Chile Pepper Bike Shop and follow the road along the Colorado River for about 5.5 miles. You’ll see the Amasa Back Parking area on the right.

There is a bathroom and a large parking area with access to the Amasa Back Access Trail, which leads to the HyMasa Climbing Trail.

There is no cell service in the parking area, but you should get service higher up.

If you’re lucky, you’ll be treated to a base-jumping show on the cliffs behind you as you get ready to ride!

What to expect on Captain Ahab

Captain Ahab is full of surprises. Some are fun, like little drops and alt-lines. Others will have you cursing like the plentitude of short, punchy ups when you’re in your hardest gear.

There’s a little bit of everything on this trail from flowy slickrock sections to rock rolls, big drops, and steep rock gardens.

Here are a few things to expect on your ride:

Trail Traffic

Captain Ahab is one of the most popular trails in Moab, so if you’re riding in the peak fall season around October, expect to share the trail with a lot of other riders. Personally, I think it’s kinda fun to ride with a crowd because the energy is high and you can cheer each other on!

You will probably also see Jeeps and OHVs on the doubletrack portion of the HyMasa climb. Drivers are usually pretty good about giving riders space and the right of way, but don’t assume they will stop for you.

Rocks. Lots of them

Captain Ahab is full of rocks. There are smooth stretches of red slickrock, a variety of rock drops, chundery rock gardens, built-up rock ‘waterfalls’, rock rolls, you get the point.

There’s very little dirt riding on Captain Ahab, it’s mostly the hard stuff.

Technical Riding

I would say that Captain Ahab is a black-rated trail with a few doubleblack features. It definitely requires good bike handling skills, confidence, and endurance.

I can’t say that there’s one crux feature, but rather a string of technical rock gardens and a half-mile stretch at the end that I personally think is the hardest due to the exposure, tight squeezes, and punchy climbs that require quick reactions and the right gearing.

Multiple Alt-lines

Just like The Whole Enchilada, Captain Ahab has a ton of different alt-lines and line choices that make the riding engaging and different every time you ride it.

There are blue dots painted on the trail that will guide you through the most approachable lines, but if you keep your eyes open you’ll see plenty of other routes, some of them manageable, others best left to the pros.

If you have multiple days in Moab, Captain Ahab is a great trail to ride twice so you can scope out the ‘bonus’ features on the way down.

I don’t shoot video, but here’s a clip of BKXC riding down Captain Ahab

How to ride Captain Ahab

The full Captain Ahab Loop is only about 8 miles total, but unless you’re super fit and used to the punchy climbs of Moab, it’ll feel a lot longer. Most of the climbing is done on HyMasa which is a mix of doubletrack and singletrack. The climb is ‘blue’ on TrailForks, but personally, I think the first mile or so has some of the hardest features on the whole trail!

Below is the best way to loop Moab’s Captain Ahab (in my opinion). I also give a shorter loop option if you don’t want to do the full loop.

Trail breakdown

Hymasa Trail

Starting at the Amasa Back parking area, take the Amasa Back Access Trail to the Cliffhanger Jeep road. This section can be super sandy, FYI. There’s a short stint on the rocky doubletrack and then you’ll see the entrance to HyMasa on the right.

HyMasa is a mix of doubletrack and singletrack with lots of punchy climbs and rolling traverses all the way up to the start of Captain Ahab.

Upper Captain Ahab

You’ll pass the halfway sign for Captain Ahab (see shorter route below) and once you get there, it’s a bit more climbing to the top, but you’ll be glad to know that the worst is over. HyMasa turns into Upper Captain Ahab and the last uphill push is mostly on grippy slickrock. Put it in granny gear and let it spin.

Now it’s time to descend, right? Wrong. After dropping in, you’ll quickly find that Upper Captain Ahab actually still has quite a bit of climbing, and to be honest, it’s pretty frustrating. A lot of the pitches are super punchy and steep and come up fast. If you have trials skills, you’ll do well. There are some really cool rock features, though, that give you a taste of what’s to come on Lower Ahab.

Lower Captain Ahab

Lower Captain Ahab is where things start to get flowy and rowdy(er). There are tons of alt-lines, but if you just follow the painted lines on the slickrock, most of it is manageable for experienced riders. There are drops, punchy ups, tight squeezes, and never a dull moment. Scout lines before you hit them and take your time because it’s worth every minute!

The last quarter mile of Captain Ahab is probably the most technical with steep exposure on the right and lots of rocky features that roll well but can be intimidating on the first go.

Lower Ahab spits you out at the junction of the HyMasa climb and from there it’s an easy roll back to the parking area on Amasa Back Access.

How Hard is Captain Ahab?

In other words, who should (or shouldn’t) ride this trail?

Captain Ahab is a very technical trail with some high consequences if you crash. I’m sure the local hospital has seen many riders straight from Ahab.

It is not suited for beginners or even intermediates. You’ll need substantial bike handling skills, confidence to roll steep features, and a good amount of endurance and stamina to pedal to the top.

If you’ve ridden Porcupine Rim, Captain Ahab is pretty on par with the techy features on lower Porcupine Rim as you near the river.

Alternative Ride Option

If you want to ride the Amasa Back trails, but aren’t up for Captain Ahab, many riders simply do HyMasa as an out-and-back. I’ve never ridden down HyMasa, but it seems like it would be a fun descent and I’ve definitely encountered people coming down as I was pedaling up.

This could be a great option if you have different levels of riders in your family or group and some want to do Ahab and others don’t.

Simply pedal up HyMasa together (and even to the peak of Upper Captain Ahab), and then take your respective trails back down – HyMasa or Ahab. Everyone will end at the parking area.

Best time to Ride Captain Ahab

October is definitely prime riding time in Moab when the temps are in the 70s and the skies are bright and clear. But you’ll also be sharing the trails with a lot of other riders, especially on weekends.

Other good times to ride Captain Ahab are late spring (March & April) or late September. You can ride Ahab in the summer but expect super hot temps and a blazing sun overhead, so bring lots of water.

Always check the weather and forecast before heading out on any rides.

What to bring on your ride

In addition to the mountain bike pack essentials, here are a few of my gear recommendations for riding Captain Ahab:

• A full-face helmet (I’m always glad to have one on Captain Ahab)
• Knee pads
• Salt tabs (I think these make such a difference)
• 2-3 liters of water
• First aid kit (you won’t need it until you do)

Related posts:

• A Complete Guide to Mountain Biking in Moab, Utah
• Trail Guide: Mountain Biking the Whole Enchilada in Moab
• 5 Top Mountain Biking Destinations in Utah

I hope this post helps inspire your first ride down Captain Ahab in Moab. It’s one of my favorite technical trails and one I get excited about riding again and again. If you ride Ahab, leave a comment below and let us know what you though!