These trips are all within 50 miles from home
For a quick ride we just discovered a place that is close to home. We just go down Highway 50 to Land's End Road exit and go up and putt around there. The first time we took that road we explored Purdy Mesa. It's a peaceful area , except for one very crazy dog.
If you do decide to take this road on your Harley, please, PLEASE, be on the look out for the three legged dog at the Kannah Creek/Purdy Mesa intersection. I was looking up towards the Mesa admiring the nice spring day when all of a sudden I heard a dog barking and felt something attached to my leg!!!!! As you could imagine it was quite a shock and I started to scream like something out of a horror movie. I never did see this dog, but Larry got a good look at him and said he was missing a leg. Since then I have been extra cautious and keep an eye out for my rabid little friend.
This is an excellent ride for people who live in Grand Junction to go on after they get off work as it is close to home.
 | If you haven't checked out the link to Colorado National Monument now would be a good time to do so. We enter on the east side (Grand Junction) and go as far as the Glade Park turn off. There's a tunnel that we go through and Larry always revs up the scoot...it sounds incredible!! |
Last summer some friends invited us on a picnic up at the Mud Springs Campground. The whole way up we were keeping our eyes on the ominous looking clouds headed our way, hoping they didn't mean anything. Well..we soon ran into not only pouring down rain, but hail and there was lightening happening awfully close. When we finally found our friends we were drenched - as we were walking to the picnic table Larry started calling me "Mud Flap" as my entire backside was covered in mud!
Another short trip we take is the Debeque (pronounced Da-beck) cutoff. To access this road we head east on I-70 for approximately 20 miles and turn off on the Grand Mesa/Powderhorn exit. We follow Plateau Creek to almost the Collburn cut-off, where there is a paved road and a small sign saying to Debque.
There's not much traffic on this road...it's got a section that looks like you're on another planet!!!! The landscape is what you would imagine Mars to be like...there's a hill with mines in it...the rock is reddish colored and there are all these huge boulders littering the area.
When we reach Debeque we just take I-70 back home.
A lake on Grand Mesa
We just took our second trip over the Grand Mesa. Last time we went over was last summer....It's now the end of June and when you get up on the top of the Mesa it is downright cold. At the very top the elevation is 10,800 feet above sea level. We took a leisurely trip (actually all of our trips are leisurely), stopping a few times to warm up, but not for long because of all the mosquitos. I grew up in Alaska and I thought we had a mosquito problem there, this compares quite well with the unofficial "Alaska State Bird"!!
We accessed the Mesa from the 1-70 side and down the Cedaredge side. The views coming down were spectacular, the San Juan Mountain range is approximately 70 miles to the south, the Elk Mountain Range to the southwest about 40-50 miles. Upon reaching Cedaredge we stopped at a little campground/snack bar place and sat outside and relaxed. Then it was onward to home, back through the "Stinkin' Desert" between Delta and Grand Junction.
 | Rifle Falls is located about 50 miles west of Grand Junction. You exit I-70 at the Rifle exit and head north towards Meeker and just follow the signs. You go past Rifle Gap Reservoir and once you arrive at the park you just follow the short trail to the falls.
It's pretty there and quite relaxing. There are a lot of paved roads intersecting the main road that we'd like to explore some day. It's a nice drive through the countryside - there are quite a few ranches and farms. |
Click on any title below for another page
[Main Page] * [Unaweep Canyon] * [Silverton] * [Dallas Divide]
[Moab 1997] * [Moab 1998] * [Quick Trips] * [Links]
Sign My Guest Book
View My Guest Book
Click coyote to send us some mail
© 1997 - present
Favorite Harley Rides
Web Design by GrumpynAM
