Today would be a day of exploration. The plan was to make a loop along highway 65 through portions of the Grand Mesa National Forest. Our route would take us through the small towns of Mesa, Colbran, Cedaredge, Delta and back to Grand Junction. Before setting out, we had no idea it would be some of the most scenic country we would ever see.
In retrospect, there is almost too much to tell and words cannot adequately describe the sights. Pictures don’t do it justice either, although you are encouraged to look at the photos associated with this log entry. There are a few highlights that I’ll try to describe here.
The top of Grand Mesa is high — well above 10,000 feet. We approached the mesa from the north and the aspen were already starting to change color. Much of the road was flanked by stands of bright yellow aspen separated by deep green pines. At the top of the mesa, there were hundreds of lakes. This is no exaggeration. In any direction, the terrain is rugged, remote and unforgiving. Even with clear skies and a bright sun, the air was cool.
On top of the mesa are several gravel roads used by hunters. Taking one of these roads, the views off the edge of the mesa seemed to go on forever. We stopped at one of the lakes and talked with the only guy in the campground. He had been fishing the entire week. We also stopped to talk with one of the park rangers. One thing is clear: if you are into outdoor activities, this is one of the places you want to visit.
After descending the south side of the mesa, we passed through the town of Delta. The rest of the trip would be along the same road, US-50, we took to reach Grand Junction.
We were tired from the trip and decided to stop for dinner at an Olive Garden. After fueling the Jeep, we returned to the coach.
The rest of the evening was spent reflecting on the experiences of the day and preparing the CHFC financial statements. All in all, it was a was a great day full of wonderful sights.