Don’t forget to spring your clocks forward this Saturday evening, or you’ll be an hour behind the competition in the Moab Desert Dash Sunday morning, March 11.
The Desert Dash will lead participants through various activities within the city of Moab. It will lead winners to a long list of prizes provided by Moab guiding services, restaurants and more.
Folks of all ages are invited to partake in this free, non-motorized, team adventure race through community spaces in the city of Moab between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., followed by prize distribution.
The challenge is presented to teams of two to three people by Wild SOL Retreats, with the intention of “(inspiring) locals to get outdoors and explore new limits within their city limits.”
“As working members of the community it can be hard to get outdoors everyday and participate in the activities we love,” said Tiffany Moyer, owner of Wild SOL Retreats. “But these public spaces allow us to recreate with our friends locally and also meet other people who share the same passions. I’ve seen some of these spaces really bring the community together.”
Josh Beaudoin is a professional athlete and one of several event contributors and prize sponsors, stationed at the Desert Dash at the slack park destination off 500 West.
“Since moving to Moab I have found nothing but a positive community that supports one another in all types of activities,” he said. “The environment that Moab creates has allowed me to push creative limits of slacklining and teach and share it on so many levels.”
Beaudoin says he is excited to meet new people, to provide a challenge, and to be inspired by the progress he anticipates seeing at the slackline station.
Moab resident Michelle Griffith is a certified acroyoga teacher who began co-teaching weekly acroyoga “jams” last year. Griffith is also donating a one-hour private acroyoga class as a prize option for winners.
“I wanted to donate because I know a lot of people can feel intimidated coming to a class when they don’t know what they can do,” she said. “But it’s such a supportive community that I’d love to help get anyone who’s interested into it.”
Moyer herself recently experienced the bike park off 500 West for the first time after five years of residency in Moab.
“I’m not a mountain biker, but I finally tried the pump track and it was actually really fun,” she said. “(I’d always) avoided the park because I thought it was too hard, but it really had something for all levels.”
Moyer says that’s how most of the public recreational spaces are built; for people of all different experience levels.
Teams will set out from the Helipad warehouse at 239 W. Center St. to collaboratively tackle the Desert Dash map of challenges.
“The locations and tasks were chosen for the purpose of connecting participants to self, community and nature, which is the larger mission of Wild SOL Retreats,” Moyer said.
The Desert Dash also incorporates engaging with sculptures and murals around town, the CommuniTea Garden, the musical installations at Rotary Park, the installations and landscape of Lion’s Park and more.
Prizes include in-kind services from MC’s Healing Arts, the Moonflower Coop, Fresh Moab Coffee, Sabaku Sushi, 98 Center, Wild SOL Retreats, Moab Canyon Tours, Paddle Moab, Sam Shryack of Rim Tours, Eddie McStiff’s Restaurant & Bar, and the Moab Grassroots Music Exchange. Wild SOL Retreats would like to thank the Resiliency Hub, the Helipad and the diversity of local volunteers who are making the event possible.
“We are really excited that many of the local guide companies and private instructors have stepped up to offer prizes for this event,” Moyer said. “This is important for the greater mission of the event, which is to inspire individuals to get out and connect to the sacred spaces of the wild.”
Adventure race on March 11 to take participants through community spaces
“This challenge is intended to bring attention to the opportunities we have every day right in front of us.”
When: Sunday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Helipad, 239 W. Center St.
Cost: Free. Teams of 2-3 people must sign up at wildsolretreats.com; space is limited to 20 teams
Information: 435-315-2533
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