Colorado National Monument
Fruita, Colorado
Hello. Sorry it's been a couple of days. I got into Grand Junction about 3-4hours late. I went to the post office to get my stuff and did some odd ball stuff. Mostly, I'm stressing about NOT being able to cash the money order Jackie sent me. I left for Moab with no money. I decided to make the trip a little longer and ride through Colorado National Monument.
Wow! I rode through the park really late. The temp was getting cool and an almost full moon lit the way. I climbed to approximately 6600-6800 feet. Colorado Monument park road is essentially a climb up and then a beautiful ride on a plateau. Absolutely incredible. This is by fare one of, if not thee, most beautiful National Park in the lower 48.
I glad I did not ride around it just because the route was shorter. After climbing and suffering with from the elevation difference, I was astounded by the deep canyons, the lighting & rock formations. I finished the ride by moonlight. The sky was so clear that the near full moon illuminated the road perfectly.
This picture was taken in the early morning hours. However, now all you bike and gear geeks can blow the image up big and look at the gear. For those wondering what the red circular disc is inside the straps of my pannier, it is a Granite Gear butt pad that doubles as a frisbee.
I ended up stopping around midnight in the park and camping. I was the only person in the park. I had no tent. I did have my sister send my 30 degree sleeping bag because it was smaller and lighter for the solo part of my trip. I slept on the picnic table and pretty much left all my gear on the bike. It was October, and my 30 degree bag was at is limits. My water bottles had just a hint of ice on this morning. Looking back now, I realize this was the first night I had spent camping alone in over 2 months.
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