MOAB, Utah - Take a camera to capture images of the amazing landscapes you'll see if you're headed to the mountain-bike Mecca of Moab, Utah, with Dale Arbour. Take plenty of sunscreen, too.

And, don't forget the ear plugs. He snores. The guys he went with on the high-desert adventure earlier this year encouraged him to set up his tent on the outskirts of the camp each night.

"I told them to read the directions (from the outfitters.), 'Bring ear plugs for people who snore,'" said Arbour laughing, a longtime cyclist who works at State Farm Insurance Cos. in Bloomington.

Arbour, who blamed the nighttime racket on a temporary cold, said the idea for the Moab trip came last year while he rode with a group of cyclists on a portion of the U.S. Crossroads Cycling Cross Country Tour of America. Arbour's friend, Gil Langley of Virginia, rode the entire 3,400-mile trek with other friends from the east coast. Arbour met them in Missouri and spent four days cycling to Champaign. Along the way, Tony Renaldi from Connecticut, told stories about riding in Moab. The group decided to go and invited Arbour.

Arbour, 60, began riding bikes for fitness when he lived in Virginia in 1990, long before the recent surge in cycling due to rising fuel costs.

He usually rides a recumbent, the kind of bike where riders look as if they're sitting on a reclining lawn chair with their feet stretched in front of them. He'd ride trails like the Washington and Old Dominion Trail that travels from Washington, D.C. about 50 miles before linking with other trails that eventually takes riders to Mount Vernon.

He's also ridden the Root River Trail in Minnesota, the Elroy-Sparta Trail in Wisconsin and the I & M Canal in Illinois with his wife, Linda, and groups from the McLean County Wheelers.

The area surrounding Moab in Canyonlands National Park was far different. Located just a few hours from the Grand Canyon, the high-desert terrain surrounding the 90-mile White Rim Trail is rugged. Plant life is scarce. Visitors enter at about 6,000 feet, drop to about 4,700 feet and then climb again. The route is a "V" that takes cyclists along the rims of the Colorado and Green rivers.

Over thousands of years, creeks carved pathways to the main river, creating steep cuts that must be conquered. At times, the only riders able to keep pedaling up the trail were the two guides from Magpie Cycling Adventures in Moab, Mike Holme, who owns the company with Maggie Wilson, and the cook.

Though visitors can bring their own bikes, the group Arbour went with rented double-suspension mountain bikes that included automatic sensors to boost tension on the shocks when power was needed for climbs and reduced tension to smooth out rough sections of the trail.

Rides averaged about 25 miles a day. The April temperatures averaged 30-40 degrees in the morning and rose into the 60s during the day. Don't attempt this in June, July or August when the mercury soars into three digits.

"Summers are brutal," Arbour said. "They don't run any rides."

Tours are scheduled through fall and winter.

Wind is another problem. Stiff breezes howled into the night when the group stopped, suddenly leaving nothing but silence and a star-lit sky overhead.

"The worst part was for me was I didn't have good sunglasses to protect my eyes, and sand blew up once in a while. I switched to motorcycle glasses for protection," said Arbour.

The trail was challenging, but Arbour felt safe.

"There were no real dangerous spots. Safety is number one," he said.

Parts of the route were "nice, flat and mildly hilly," he said. "It was kind of up and down, the eroded terrain of the rim. But where creeks came in, the hills were severe. Some you couldn't ride to the top. You had to push. If you were good mountain bikers, you could ride the whole thing. In fact, some ride the whole trail (90 miles) in a day. That's as fast as a Jeep can do it."

Nights spent under a canopy of stars were "spectacular." The tents weren't sound-proof and Arbour was awakened at night by shouts to "Roll over!" by one of the group who didn't appreciate Arbour's serenade.

They saw no snakes, no scorpions.

"It might have been too early for them," Arbour said. "I'm glad I didn't see any. I especially don't like snakes. They give me the chills."

They didn't see any bighorn sheep or deer, either. Birds were the only other living things they saw but for desert plants.

But the landscape was enough. The desert scenes stretched in every direction. The La Sal Mountains provided the backdrop in the distance.

"Looking down on it. It was majestic. Then going to the bottom, you're looking up at everything. That is kind of inspiring….It was, gosh, all the cuts the river has done…I feel in awe of the power of the water, the thousands of years it took to do this. But I don't feel small. I feel privileged to be there, to be able to get out there and see it. I shot over 700 pictures. You shoot like crazy.

"It was challenging, but it was awe-inspiring."

Arbour estimated the entire trip, including side excursions, cost about $1,500. He recommends going with guided tours. Magpie takes a converted pickup to carry water and gear. The guides tune-up bikes each morning and handle all repairs. Good preparation meant nothing broke down. Renting bikes removed the hassle and added expense of flying bikes there.

Leave No Trace methods are used to limit damage to the fragile desert environment. The NPS insists on permits for all overnight trips along the White Rim and warns during spring and fall, demand for permits often exceeds the number available.

Pack light, Arbour added. But don't forget the ear plugs.

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On the Web

Magpie Adventures: http://www.magpieadventures.com/

National Park Service at Canyonlands: www.nps.gov/cany/

Utah mountain bike trail information: www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/index.htm

Moab, Utah; http://www.moab-utah.com; http://www.moab.net/Tour_Guides_and_Activites/_Mountain_Biking