1. Lunch Loops Trails
This is a huge network of
singletrack trails just a couple of miles up from the center of Grand Junction. Super well maintained, lots of signage, plenty of parking, and even an outhouse in the parking lot. On both of the days I walked there, I only ran into 3 other humans and one other dog. The pups were able to romp off-leash with no worries of crossing a road or bothering other hikers or riders. There are (at least) two ways to access this network - I used the
Little Park Road Staging Area, but it seems like most people use the more convenient (and more crowded?) Monument Road trailhead.
The first day, the pups and I did the Gunny Trail to the Gunny Connector.
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| Great views of the plateau all along these trails. |
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| Plenty of moles for puppies to dig up! |
The second day we walked here I forgot to turn on my watch, so there's no track. Aaaaand....I left my phone in the truck, so no pictures either. Took a totally different route, and the pups had just as much fun!
2. Pollock Bench Trail
This was our big hike with the whole pack. There was some elevation gait at first, but then the trail wound around the top of the plateau with only small ups and downs. When we started, it was foggy and grey, but then the sun came out and the colors exploded. The photos just can't do it justice.
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| Finn: "I'll sit for another dumb photo, Mom, but I won't look at the camera!" |
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| As the sun started to come out, the colors just popped. |
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| Pictures just can't do the enormity of this landscape any justice. |
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| The trail went all around that rim that you see on the left. |
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| Almost done - the trail circled this entire rim. |
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| Way down there in the Valley is Fruita. |
