We ended up riding out the next day, on account of getting to our reserved campsite at Labyrinth — a beautiful if barren shelf of dirt and shale overlooking the banks of the Green River — by about 2 in the afternoon, much earlier than expected.

We'd have stayed, but remember that part about the shade.

We pedaled up the Mineral Bottom Trail to get to the top of the rim and the end of our ride. After 85 miles, it's a steep mile-and-a-half ascent that reminds you that there's a price to pay for visiting desert paradise.

Kent hopped in the truck to drive up the climb, and we let him.

Least we could do.

How to get there: The White Rim Trail is located 35 miles southwest of Moab and 300 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City, while heading south toward Moab on state Highway 191, take the west turnoff to Canyonlands National Park (state Highway 313) and proceed to the Island in the Sky Visitors Center just inside park boundaries.

For camping permits: Applications may be downloaded from the National Park Service Web site at www.nps.gov/cany. Camping permits are $15 per night. Fax the completed application to 435-259-4285 or mail to National Park Service Reservation Office, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532-3298.

Reservations for 2010 will be accepted on and after Monday, July 13, 2009. All applications postmarked or faxed July 13 will be put into a lottery. For the best chance at securing permits in the spring and fall, the Park Service recommends being flexible with dates and campsites. For more information, see the Web site or call 435-259-4351.

Commercial tours: A number of companies guide multiday mountain bike tours over the White Rim (and take care of getting the permits). The oldest is Rim Tours of Moab (800-626-7335, www.rimtours.com). Ask for Kirstin.

e-mail:lbenson@desnews.com