Behind the lens of a GoPro, smushed into two dimensions, the White Line looks—serviceable.
But view it from afar and—well I’m I’m being generous when I say it looks sketchy
as f—
I scoured message boards and comment threads everywhere to see what you want to know about
the White Line, and there’s one question that keeps popping up most.
Has anyone every screwed this up?
The answer is yes, and we’re going to get to that.
But in case you’re unfamiliar with this insane looking feature, we should start with
a little refresher.
The White Line is in Sedona Arizona, and no it’s not a marked trail that people are
supposed to ride.
It is what it sounds like—a line.
Sedona is known for its exposed sandstone formations, and indeed many of the trails
there, traverse off camber sections of cliff.
If you’ve ridden anywhere in the desert, you’ve probably experienced this in some
form.
But the White Line is different in that it’s an absolute spectacle.
From the right angle it looks ridiculous, which is why it makes for a great YouTube
video.
There’s a good chance you’ve seen some or all of these videos.
Some are expertly shot and feature veteran riders traversing the line with no hesitation
at all.
Others chronicle the experiences of first timers.
My buddy Phil rode the White Line last year on a very windy day.
It was one of the scariest videos I’ve ever seen.
But even Phil’s harrowing experience gave me a case of the GoPro effect.
That is to say, it wouldn’t be that bad in real life.
Eric Porter took me up to the white line, and things didn’t start
out well.
My tires were pretty dirty, and I didn’t realize how much skill and concentration it
would actually take to traverse the off camber section.
Your tire pressure needs to be dialed.
There are also creases in the rock which multiply the sketch factor.
Fall against the rock, and you can hold on for sure.
Fall away from the rock and, experience a violent tumble into the ravine.
I’ve never been afraid of heights, but unlike standing at the edge of a building this was
a little more engaging.
And the sketchy off-camber section is just an appetizer.
The real moment of truth comes when you’re faced with this 180 degree turn at the end.
I’m the most experienced I’ve ever been on a bike, so I’m keenly aware that things
can and do go wrong.
Overcook this rock roll, and die.
Go OTB, and likely die.
Lose traction, and experience a high likelihood of die.
Watching from below us on Chicken Point, was an audience of tourists in pink jeeps, who’s
guides had stopped to treat them to the rare sight of people actually being up here.
Faced with stage fright and a terrifying cliff, I decided it would be better to just watch
Eric do it and live to ride another day.
So you may be wondering, what happens if you do manage to botch this maneuver?
Simon is a mountain bike coach and Sedona OG.
According to him, nobody has died on the white line yet, but a few have come close.
From some angles you can see another hump which as Simon put it, is possible to tree
frog on to should you start to tumble.
But yeah after that it’s a cliff and die, all of the die.
I’d love to say that walking away from this maneuver was a sign of growth and maturity
on my part.
A new wiser Seth, complete with good judgement.
But after watching Eric do it…
After riding down to the lower shelf, it’s pretty easy to get back as it’s mostly flat.
On the second lap, took Eric’s advice and focused more on the micro shelves in the sandstone.
That time, we both cleaned it and it seemed a lot less scary to me.
But should you view the white line as a kind of bucket list item that you absolutely must
do, I can give you more than one reason to sit it out.
First of all, the locals won’t be impressed at all.
I almost vomited listening to Simon talk about white line plus, which is another 20 feet
higher and much more difficult to clean.
There are also countless lines out in the desert that are much harder and more dangerous.
The White line is also, not as easy as you think.
I thought it was just going to be a high consequence chest puffing contest, but it’s actually
tricky.
To make matters worse, you’ll have an audience.
So if like 30 or 40 people watching you as you stand at the edge of a cliff makes you
a little nervous, maybe sit out the White Line.
Also consider the cost of failure.
Even if you survive they’ll send you a large bill for the helicopter rescue you will likely
need.
Finally, it won’t look all that scary on your GoPro, not compared to real life even
slightly.
So although it looks positively amazing from afar, the White Line is no reason to travel
to Sedona.
Instead go there for the countless miles of incredible trails, great views, awesome food,
and good people.
Although, I should be one to talk.
Thanks for riding with me today, and I’ll see you next time.