across state lines

Our crew got back on the road on Tuesday, driving a couple hours and crossing the Utah/Colorado border.  H's folks were flying out of Grand Junction Wednesday morning and we thought that it might be more fun to go a day early, explore the area and stay overnight, rather than rushing through the two hour drive the morning of their flight.  Plus, Milton's first hotel stay!

 Lunch bunch

We drove to Fruita and stocked our cooler with sandwiches and beer, then continued on to the Grand Junction entrance of the Colorado National Monument.  Since dogs are not allowed on any of the monument's trails, we couldn't do any hiking.  But we could do the scenic drive under blue skies and the views did not disappoint.  

All smiles

After coming through the monument, we found ourselves once again in Fruita.  H's folks are down to drink beer so we went to the excellent Copper Club on Main Street.  We were going to sit on the patio to let Milton out of the truck for a bit but the bartender told us that he was actually allowed inside the bar (no kitchen).  As always, he was very calm and quiet and he stared at the bartender until she stopped by to give him a pat.

Fruita: where MTBing is king

Our hotel (Springhill Suites = dog-friendly) was right in the middle of downtown Grand Junction, which meant that we were able to walk to dinner.  We went to the Fiesty Pint, which has pretty good bar food and twenty-six beers on tap - including twelve self-serve handles, which I had never seen before.  We had veggie burgers, cauliflower tacos and really good hand-cut fries and our waitress was terrific.  On our way back to our room, Milton made friends with several people just by walking through the hotel lobby; a little while later, when we went back down to the lobby bar, he made more friends there.

We said our farewells at the sleepy Grand Junction airport the next morning and then, as H's folks winged their way east, we three went back to the Devil's Canyon trailhead in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area.  We did the exact same hike we did in May but this time, we did it under cloudless skies and sunshine.  It was really pretty and a very nice hike (Hike stats:  6.98 miles; 2:32 moving time/2:53 total time; 1,100' elevation) and we did not take any pictures.  We also, amazingly, had it to ourselves again, despite the pleasant conditions, and only saw two people out there (and Milton made friends with them).  I imagine it's pretty busy on the weekends though.  Hike finished, we hustled back to Moab just in time for H to get on a conference call for work before ducking over to Woody's for a pitcher of Full Suspension.

rewind: devil's canyon

H's folks went back home on Wednesday.  Since they were flying out of Grand Junction, H and I decided to break up the drive (approximately two hours each way from Moab) with a local hike.  It just started to rain as we hugged goodbye at the airport but we were committed at that point: we weren't going to be in the area anytime again soon so we were hiking no matter the weather.

Looking up into Devil's Canyon

We had brought Milton and were doing the dog-friendly Devil's Canyon loop in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area (in Fruita).  It had stopped raining when we arrived at the parking area but was still overcast.  After some quick organization, we started hiking at 10:15 a.m.

It started raining at 10:25 a.m.

This trail, the D3 loop, was absolutely gorgeous, even in the steady, soaking rain; it must be spectacular under sunny skies.  Cliffs, gorges, tons of green, lots of flowers and fragrant juniper trees.  We heard birdsong everywhere (until the rain drowned it out) and Milton scared up a rabbit.

The rain washed my hat clean; you could have wrung me out

I imagine that these trails are crazy-popular in good weather but we almost had the place to ourselves; we saw two girls on our way in and then a Denver school group of about fifteen 10-11 year old kids on our way out.  We felt badly for those kids because of the weather but their spirits seemed remarkably high, given the conditions.  Most of them wanted to pet Milton too.

So pretty, so green, so rain-soaked

After a steady but not particularly steep climb the whole way out, we got to the old cabin at the turnaround at about 11:35 a.m. and shortly thereafter, it stopped raining for all of twenty minutes.  All of the photos in this post were taken during those twenty minutes. 

Wet dog

Then it started to rain again, harder and with a cold head wind as we headed downhill.  We hadn't brought our ponchos so we were already completely soaked through but now I started to feel a little chilled.  We got back to the truck just before 1 p.m.  It was still raining.  Luckily, there was an open-side pavilion where the trail information was so we huddled under that to change into dry clothes.  Milton was soaked, shivering and filthy and as we toweled him off, he looked at us as if to say, "This is what you foolish people like to do?"  Believe or not, yes, it is!

View out the canyon mouth towards Fruita

We even managed a quick beer and then all piled back into the truck for the drive back to Moab.  I don't think we turned the heat down from HIGH until we got back to town.  I don't know when we'll get back to Fruita but when we do, and if the sun is out - or at least it's not actively raining - I would love to go back and explore that area further.

Hike stats:  6.93 miles; 2:22 / 2.9 mph moving; 2/42 / 2.6 mph overall; 1,030 feet of elevation

desert trip, part 3

Another sunny and cool morning in Fruita found us breakfasting at Camilla's Kaffe (open 7 days/week, breakfast and lunch only), then packing up our room and heading a little way out of town to the Kokopelli trail system.  The trail head was very busy with lots of MTBers buzzing around but once we got out on our trail - we did the Rustler's Loop - we saw no-one.  The trail was great: flowy and mostly hardpack, with fantastic views over the Colorado River.

The Kokopelli trail signs were very funny

We did just one circuit (about six miles) and then moved on to the third major Fruita trail system, Rabbit Valley, not far from the Colorado/Utah border.  The Rabbit Valley trails are mixed-use, having originally been established for dirt bikes and OHVs but with the addition of MTB access with the rise of cycling's popularity.  The singletrack is for MTBs and dirt bikes; doubletrack is for everyone, including ATVs and jeeps.  This means that the trails are a little more chewed up than those that are MTB-only.

Rustler's Loop view (Kokopelli system)

We did a combination of Trail #2 and the Kokopelli Trail, getting out to the state line and back, and passing tons of primitive BLM campsites.  The ride had nice rolling hills but a real mix of surfaces - hardpack, red sand, gravel, loose rock and slickrock.  Sand usually freaks me out but at this point we were riding through so much of it that I started to figure it out: shift down and keep the revs high, relax the deathgrip on the handlebars, stop holding my breath.

Rabbit Valley singletrack

It was also terribly windy, like, crazy windy and the blowing sand got in our eyes and mouths.  By the time we got back on a firmer gravel road, however, I was so grateful to be off the sand that I refused to complain about the headwind, even when it almost stopped me cold.  We had quick beers and sandwiches back at the truck, huddled down beside the wheels to keep out of the wind, and then continued west.

Sandy section

To mix things up just a bit, we took the scenic Route 128 to Moab, past Fisher Towers, through Castle Valley and along the Colorado River.  At this point (midafternoon), all the riverside BLM campgrounds were full; Moab itself was jumping, with NO VACANCY signs at most of the hotels on Main Street.  Made me glad for our reservations.

In another wash, this one rideable

We checked in at the Kokopelli Lodge (we figured this was our tenth time staying there!) and did our usual clean-up/do laundry/put together a plan for the next day before walking to the Moab Brewery.  It was super-busy as usual but we scored seats at the bar pretty quickly.  The bartenders were outstanding, managing the crowds with finesse and good cheer.  We ate (veggie burger and veggie burrito) and enjoyed our beers (Johnny's IPAs) and had a good time people-watching.

Route 128 is scenic all right

The day finished up with us adjourning to the chairs outside our motel room for one more beer whilst wrapped in fleeces, warm hats and wool socks.  That night's forecast was for 30 F and the temperature was falling fast.

Ride stats:  14.9 miles total (both rides); 2:05 hours; 7.1 avg. m.p.h., 23.3 max. m.p.h.

desert trip, part 2

It dawned bright, sunny and chilly in Fruita Friday morning and once we'd donned our fleeces and warm hats, we strolled back into town for bagels and coffee at the Aspen Street Coffee shop, located in a historic bank building.  By 9:30 a.m. we were at the southern entrance of the Colorado National Monument - a park H hadn't even known existed until I mentioned that I thought we should check it out.  Looming over Fruita and Grand Junction, this national monument is a quiet gem.  We had no idea that we would spend our whole day there, but we did.

Southern entrance to the CNM

First off, before we were even out of sight of the entrance station, we had parked at the Devil's Kitchen trail head to do some hiking.  We first did the Serpent Trail, the original monument road, twisty with switchbacks; then the out-and-back to Echo Canyon, which had a little bit of everything (sand, slickrock, a tree-shaded wash); and then the quickie up to Devil's Kitchen.  The Serpent Trail had a good number of people on it - it's so close to GJ neighborhoods that a lot of people come just for their morning exercise and then go home - but we amazingly had the other two trails to ourselves.

At the head of Echo Canyon

Echo Canyon trail

H at Devil's Kitchen

After getting our own exercise, we drove the monument's Rim Rock scenic drive (23 miles total) and stopped at almost every scenic turnout and trail head: Cold Shivers point, Red Canyon overlook, Ute Canyon view, Fallen Rock overlook, Upper Utah Canyon view, Highland view, Artists point, the Coke Ovens overlook (we did the one mile roundtrip out to the Coke Ovens features), Monument Canyon view, Grand View, Independence Monument view, Book Cliffs view, Balanced Rock view, etc.

Cold Shivers Point

Red Canyon

We also made note of several hikes, especially the Ute Canyon one, that we thought we might like to come back and do with more time. 

Looking up Ute Canyon

During our time around the drive, we found this sign (below) and were a little puzzled.  What's a half tunnel?  Wouldn't that just be a cave?  (And a zero tunnel would be a wall.) 

In actuality, the Half Tunnel is the site of a tragic construction accident in the 1930s, when nine men died during a collapse while building that portion of the road.  The NPS has a marker commemorating those lives lost.

Looking down Ute Canyon

The Coke Ovens from a distance

We didn't see many critters on our passage through the Colorado National Monument, lots of birds and one desert cottontail as we turned into the visitors' center.  We hit the jackpot, however, just as we went through the tunnels on our way out: a small herd of desert bighorn sheep, grazing roadside.  The park ranger indulgently allowed us to take some photos before politely urging us along - it was a bad place to be stopped on the road.  But, finally - bighorn sheep!

Desert bighorn sheep!

It was nearly 5 p.m. when we left the monument and we were in need of refreshment.  A quick stop at Kannah Creek West (a newer brewpub, somewhat awkwardly placed outside of downtown Fruita in a strip mall) for beers and chips and salsa tided us over.  We got back to the motel, cleaned up and then walked to the park in the center of town for Fruita's last Food Truck Friday.  It was after dark and many of the trucks had started to sell out of stuff but we managed to procure a hummus wrap and a batch of handcut fries to share while live music played up on stage.

Grand Junction from the scenic drive

After eating, we checked out the other "downtown" brewpub, Suds Brothers (originally from Evanston, Wyoming).  It was big and pretty busy but didn't seem to attract the locals that the smaller Copper Club did, just down the street.  So we went back to the Copper Club for a last beer: the bartender remembered us and said welcome back.  The place was hopping but a local couple sat with us and introduced us to about half the bar, including the head of the Fruita Chamber of Commerce and his wife.  When we got invited to a wedding the next day - to which our new friends thought they might bring a hot tub - we felt right at home.

Independence Monument

Hike stats: 8.58 total miles; 3:11 moving time at 2.8 avg. m.p.h.; 1,600 feet of elevation.

desert trip, part 1

As any semi-regular reader of this blog knows, H and I try to get away to the Moab area a couple times a year, if we can manage it.  This fall, we managed it and even went a little further afield as well.  Fruita, Colorado, is becoming known as a mountain-biking destination - like Moab, before Moab became what it is today - so we thought we'd go check it out for a couple of days.  It's just across the Utah/Colorado border, about an hour from Moab, so it just seemed like a good idea.

18 Road Trails below the Book Cliffs

We got up early enough that we arrived in Fruita around 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning.  We found our motel but since it was far too early to check in, stopped in at the Over the Edge Sports bike shop for trail maps.  This was a great bike shop, well-stocked and with super-friendly staff who seemed more than happy to give recommendations for trails, brewpubs and restaurants.  There are three main trail systems in Fruita: 18 Road, Kokopelli and Rabbit Valley.  We intended to give each at least a try to sample what was out there; 18 Road, the closest to town, seemed perfect to start.

On Prime Cut

It took about twenty minutes to get out to the 18 Road trails, first driving through tiny Fruita, then ranch land, then out on a washboarded dirt road through BLM land.  The MTB trailhead is just before the turn-off to the BLM campground (primitive sites with outhouses, no water and no shade) and when we got there, it was fairly busy for a Thursday midday.  There is ATV/dirt biking available on other nearby BLM trails but the 18 Road system is just for MTBs.

So windy that I thought I'd get blown off this ridge

Despite the activity in the parking lot, we scarcely saw anyone once we got out on the trails.  We started uphill on Prime Cut (easy), then went across Frontside (moderate), looking for Western Zippity to make a big loop.  We missed a turn, however, and ended up trying to ride (but mostly pushing our MTBs) down a narrow gully.

In the gully

The gully was technically rideable - just not by me, although H did manage a fair bit of it.  We came out on a dirt road and, with a couple of short climbs, found ourselves back in the campground where we were able to get on the wonderful, flowy Kessel Run to return to the parking lot.  We both agreed that we could have ridden Kessel Run all day, with its hardpack surface and gently-banked corners.

Chillin' in the parking lot afterwards

After that, we ended up hanging out in the parking lot for more than two hours, talking with a #vanlife dude, a group of Quebecois guys out celebrating a fiftieth birthday, and Katie, whose husband was doing the 29+ mile Edge Loop.

It's like it was made for us!

Back in town, we checked into the H Motel (a little small and scruffy but clean and just off Main Street).  We cleaned up and during the two block walk to town, decided that we really liked Fruita.  There are lots of very cute little homes and much of the main street (which is only a couple blocks long, really) is original, preserved buildings, with historical plaques and photographs everywhere so you can see what it used to look like.

The shower was actually huge

Dinner was at the best and busiest place in town: The Hot Tomato Cafe.  We scored seats at the small bar and had local IPAs with a delicious Bob Steve pizza (spinach, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and tomatoes, but sans cheese).  We chatted with the bartenders and other patrons, including one young woman who noticed H's Sunday River brewpub t-shirt and then confessed that she was a Saddleback girl herself.

Outstanding pizza

When we'd finished, we then got happily distracted by a free open mic night at the Cavalcade community performance space.  There were both adult and high school performers, playing solo or in groups, on drums, electric and acoustic guitars, saxophones and mandolins.  Everyone took it very seriously - from the musicians to the sound guys to the audience members - and it was absolutely delightful.  After listening to several performances, we continued down the block to the Copper Club for a couple of their beers before continuing back to the motel.  First impressions:  Fruita is great!

H uses pedals like that second tap

Ride stats:  8.3 miles; 1 hr. 22 min.; 6.1 m.p.h. moving average (there was a lot of hike-a-bike in that gully); H's max speed 21.8 m.p.h.