Grand Mesa Day 9: Just Playin'

Today we decided to spend some time on top of the Grand Mesa and see what there was to see. We found that most of the road that offshoot from Hwy 65 turn to gravel as soon as you are off the highway or shortly after you leave the pavement.

We started to ride out to the observatory, but less than a mile in, the gravel road deteriorated to the point that we decided to turn around and head back to Hwy 65.

We went to the Grand Mesa Visitor Center and asked the rangers about roads. They told us what we had already discovered -- most roads off Hwy 65 are gravel. Donna pulled her bike up to the lake and watched the fisher-folk. One guy was reeling them in as fast as he was casting. In the 10 minutes or so she watched, she said he must have pulled in at least four fish. And they were all more than 12 inches.

The longest stretch we found was just east of the Visitor Center. The road is paved for a few miles before it turns to gravel. So, Laura changed shoes and jumped on the back of my bike. We rode up the road for maybe a couple of miles or so after it turned to gravel. Finding a good spot to pull the bikes off and be able to step down to the water, we parked and spent a little time enjoying the view.

We found some pretty interesting flowers in the area, and one of the trees had a USGS marker on it.

As we were leaving, Laura decided it was a good day to hug a tree.

On the way out of the area, we discovered a little place that sells food, so we stopped for a late-ish lunch. They had a limited menu, but the food was excellent.

For $10 each, we were able to get a hot sandwich, fresh fries, and a cold drink. I had the BLT, and the bacon was absolutely delicious. Thick sliced, smoked, and cooked to perfection, that sandwich must have had at least four huge slices of bacon. We gobbled down our food, but still couldn't finish all of the fries. A hand-scoop of ice cream topped off the meal, and we were on our way back to drop Laura off at her car.

After we checked out a couple more roads that led to gravel, we headed back to the condo to pack for the ride home.

Grand Mesa Day 8: A Day at the Hot Springs

Everyone felt better and more rested this morning, so we piled into the car and headed to the hot springs in Ouray. The first stop was Blink Coffee in Mesa. Yes, it was the opposite direction from Ouray, but we needed an espresso fix. When we looked at the map, we could see that going over the Grand Mesa wouldn't take any more time to get to Ouray than going over US Hwy 50, so we decided to take Hwy 50.

We saw some pretty awesome rock formations along the highway.

The area between Grand Junction and Delta is pretty bleak, but south of Delta the landscape once again turned green.

We spent a while at the Ouray Hot Springs, and because only three out of the five pools were open, the water slide was still a work in progress, and the pool temperatures were a little low because of the construction, the admission cost was half-price. About the time we suited up and entered the pool, a cloud formed over the mountain and cooled the place off. Then a breeze came along, and really cooled us off. After a sufficient amount of sitting in the luke-warm water then cooling off when we got out, we got dressed and headed to the Ouray Brewery for lunch before heading back to Powderhorn.

The drive back was uneventful and we managed to get back to the condo by 7:30-ish, so it wasn't too awful late. We even got to see the sun set from our home away from home.

Tomorrow is our last day at the resort. We plan to go up to the Grand Mesa and see what there is to see. It will be a short day as we will need to pack and get ready for the trek home.

Grand Mesa Day 7: A Quiet Day

We had planned to ride to either the Black Canyon of the Gunnison or Ouray to the hot springs, but our long day yesterday wore us down, and we decided to spend the day in. Donna couldn't stay awake, and I think we broke Laura. I wasn't up to my best either, so we hung out and spent the day sleeping and recovering from the long hours.

Tomorrow we are going to carry on with the week we had originally planned -- either the Black Canyon of the Gunnison or Ouray, we'll decide in the morning.

Grand Mesa Day 6: A Visit With Friends

Today we rode to Paonia to see our friends Denise and her son Chris. We got a bit of a late start due to finding out that we had yet another bear break-in at home Sunday night.

This time it tore an air conditioner out of the window -- oh, and tore the brand new window, and the frame, right out of the wall. Needless to say it put a bit of a damper on the vacation. Thinking that we had everything taken care of -- the new BBQ is locked in the shed and the dog door is secure -- and the SoaB takes out the A/C. We got in touch with family and now our grandson is staying at the house. He reported a return visit by out unwanted guest Monday night. A warning shot caused it to retreat.

Consequently, we needed to make a few phone calls before heading to Paonia.

After the late-ish start, we geared up for the ride and Laura followed in the car. Two-and-a-half hours and a gorgeous ride later we landed in Paonia. It was good to see our friends, who we only really see on Facebook these days. Chris cooked a wonderful meal for us, then we headed out to his favorite fishing spot.

Remember when I said we got a late start? By the time we reached the reservoir, it was getting late and we only had time to have a drink, a chat, and fight off the mosquitoes. The day was slipping away and we still needed to ride back over the Grand Mesa to Powderhorn. Chris was having car trouble, so he stayed with his car at the lake to see how the fishing was (I think he's addicted to fishing). Denise squeezed in the back seat of the car with me (we didn't bother to schlep everything from the car to the condo, it's a bit of a hike) and we headed back to Paonia to pick up the bikes.

By the time we reached the top of the Grand Mesa, the sun was getting low in the sky. Laura managed to grab a picture of us as we rode into the sunset.

By the time we started down the north side of the Mesa, the sky was blazing.

We made it back to the condo a little after 9:00 PM, much later than we had anticipated, but we had a great day. It was good to see friends, but we realized that not one of us took a picture until we were heading back to our home away from home.

Tomorrow we are planning to go to either Ouray or the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we'll see what the morning brings.

Grand Mesa Day 5: Over the Top

Today we took a big loop around the Grand Mesa. After leaving the resort we turned south on CO Hwy 65 and drove along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. The road up from Mesa and Powderhorn needs a little work, which is ongoing, but the view is gorgeous.

The Grand Mesa is the biggest mesa (flat-topped mountain) in the world, covering around 500 square miles, and has more than 300 lakes and reservoirs dotting the landscape.

Since we were in the car, we decided to take the road not traveled on motorcycles -- gravel -- and took the scenic route around the Mesa. We pulled over before the road re-joined CO Hwy 65 because the view was so amazing.

After getting back on Hwy 65, we decided to take the loop around through Delta and back up U.S. Hwy 50 to Palisade and visit a few of the Colorado wineries.

Before leaving Delta, we stopped at a biker bar called Hoolies and had a bite to eat. The food was good and the staff was excellent. On the way up to Palisade, we looked at our maps to see what the best route would be -- and discovered that the area has almost 30 wineries. And that is just the Grand Valley wineries.

Our first tasting was at the Meadery of the Rockies. They offered five free tastes and we could get more for a buck a taste. They were good enough that I bought a bottle of the Cherry 'n Honey.

The next two places were related to the Meadery -- St. Kathryn Cellars, and Talon Wineries. St Kathryn Cellars produces lighter, fruity wines, while the Talon Winery produces the traditional grape wines. The gift shops had some interesting items, including some locally produced jams and jellies. I had to get a small jar of jalapeno jelly. Having never tried it before, I was surprised at how good it is.

Our final tasting was the DeBeque Canyon Winery. This tasting room only offered four samples, but you can also purchase more for a buck a taste. By this time, we were pretty tasted out, so it was time to stop by the local grocery store for food for the week, then back to the condo for the night.

Tomorrow we will visit our friends Denise and Chris in Paonia.

Grand Mesa Day 4: Lazy Days and Sundays

Our first full day on the Western Slope was a lazy day. The closest we got to leaving the resort was making a grocery list and thinking about going into Palisade to fill the pantry. We never made it that far. 

This weekend was the chair lifts started running for the summer downhill bicycle season. While not as many people downhill bike as downhill ski, the mountain was fairly busy today. Yesterday was the first day of the season and it opened with an event that lasted well into the evening. We didn't see any of the competition, but we heard the crowds during the awards ceremony last night. 

Today had us climbing up to the Powderhorn Pub for lunch, followed by a ride up the ski lift to the top of the mountain. 

The view was spectacular. 

We spent the rest of the day recovering from the trip here. We put things away so the place isn't so cluttered. Naps were the order of the afternoon, and we took advantage of being on vacation. 

Tomorrow we go into Palisade and check out the winery scene. We might even stop by the Meadery, but that might wait for another day.

Grand Mesa Day 3: Into the Heat

After spending the first couple of days hoping that Donna's battery would hold a charge, she finally broke down and went to the local auto parts store. Borrowing the shop tool set, she pulled the battery and replaced it. A quick trip to the local coffee shop and we were on our way to Douglas Pass (This site has more pictures).

The views were spectacular. As we started the climb, the road narrowed down to just the road, the shoulder was the white stripe. The road itself was pitted and damaged, and combined with the steep grades the ride a little more technical than it should have been. More than once, I had to think fast when coming around one of the many twists and turns. The road was particularly pitted with "alligator skin" near the summit. And whoever thought it would be a good idea to put a cattle guard at the summit -- on the turn -- obviously does NOT ride a motorcycle.

The view on the downhill side was spectacular!

I would have liked to stop and take more pictures, but this stretch of highway didn't have many pullouts, and the most of those were either on the opposite side of the road, or came up fast and I had enough time to think "there went one." Traffic was fairly light, so we didn't feel much pressure as we rode.

Of course, once we reached Loma, we needed to stop and remove the extra layer we put on for the pass. While we were stopped, we checked directions to our final destination and saw that we will be a bit off the beaten path. The Powderhorn resort is a few miles past the town of Mesa and 25 miles from Palisade. I see a winery tour (or two) in our future.

Our latest digs are really nice. It's upstairs (isn't it always?) so the views are pretty amazing. We have two balconies -- one off the living room, and the other off the downstairs bedroom.

Tomorrow we will explore our new digs and probably go in search of a grocery store. This place is pretty remote, so it looks like we might be eating in more than eating out this trip -- and that's not a bad thing.

Grand Mesa Day 2: Walking with the Dinosaurs

Today we rode to Dinosaur National Monument. None of us had ever been to Dinosaur National Monument, so this was going to be a treat. We didn't know what to expect, so we stopped at the Visitor Center on the Colorado side of the park. A short film of the history gave us a little insight, but as with most things, you have to see it to believe it.

About a 30-minute drive from the Visitor Center, we arrived at the Quarry Visitor Center and looked around at the exhibits. While we couldn't hike the Fossil Discovery Trail (it was closed because of storm damage earlier this year), the Quarry Exhibit Hall was open, so we hopped on the shuttle and looked at the wall of dinosaur bones.

About half the length of a football field, the wall is a half-finished archeological dig site. The excavation lasted for some time before it was decided to let the people come to the dinosaurs. More than 1,500 fossils are exposed to view on this wall, and it is pretty amazing to see.

After checking out this amazing fossil wall, we went and looked for the petroglyphs. They are the lesser-known attraction of the monument, and are no less spectacular.

We spent a little time checking them out then headed to our hotel in Rangely. And what trip would be complete without at least one complication. This year it was our lodging reservation. Unfortunately, the place we had booked only had a single queen bed, or two single beds. Of course, we could always pay for two rooms. Er, no. After a phone call, we moved to one of the other hotels in town.

Tomorrow, we head to our home away from home for the week.

Grand Mesa: Day 1

This year our trip is different than usual. The original plan was for the four of us (Laura, Lin, Donna, and me) to leave Saturday, blast up the Interstate to our destination and meander home. Well, that part of the trip fell apart when Lin blew out her knee and will require a knee replacememt. She can hardly walk, let alone hold the bike up. So, this year it is just Laura, Donna, and me.

We left Fort Collins bright and early this morning. By the time Donna and I got to Laura's, had breakfast, gassed up the bikes, added air to tires as necessary, and started up the canyon, it was 9:00-ish. That's a pretty early start for us.

The day was almost perfect. Except for the wind, the weather couldn't have been better for a bike ride. Traffic was mostly light, so we didn't have to pull over too much to let some of the folks in a hurry pass us by.

Another big difference this year, is that Donna and I invested in a Bluetooth headset system. We were able to talk to each other, something we haven't been able to do before. Being able to share our observations as we rode was kind of neat. It added a bit of depth to the ride that I've not experienced before. Hand signals work to communicate the basics, but talking to each other sure reduces the chances of miscommunication. Now we just need to get the chase car (Laura) hooked into the loop. As I write this post, Donna and Laura are working on finding an app that will work. It doesn't sound like they are having much luck.

We arrived at our Kamping Kabin (yep, we're at a KOA) a little after 4, way earlier than usual. I guess it's because we didn't have to pull over as much to add or remove clothing like we ususally do. The temps must have been in the upper 70s to low 80s along our route, no complaints from me.

So, we pulled in front of the Kabin we were assigned and, lo and behold, it's one we've stayed in before -- Sundance Kid.

After we got settled in, one of the managers came by and asked if we had stayed here before, and indeed, we have. A few years ago, we stayed here -- in the same cabin even. I guess we're memorable, because he came over to say hi and welcome us back.

Tomorrow we visit Dinosaur National Monument on our way to Rangely. A short trip, but it sounds like it could be a long day. We'll see how it goes, we'll be riding close to the latest Colorado burn area. Luckily, the fire is contained and the highway is back open. Can't wait to see the sights.