Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, CO

We needed to go back to Subaru in GJ for maintenance related issues and decided to combine it with two days of road biking. Had heard so much about the phenomenal road, and mountain, biking there, but with a 3 hour drive, there needed to be another reason to make the trip.

While car in the shop, we explored downtown GJ on bikes and were impressed.  First stop a recommended bike shop who were more than helpful on routes/trails. Lunch in cute salad bar - Cafe Sol - and then headed down the bike trail parallel with the Colorado River and I.70. Then disaster struck - or nearly did !  An off duty GJ cop failed to stop at a stop sign where the bike path had right of way over a pedestrian/bike crossing.  Result: I was hit square on, me and bike sent sprawling. Fortunately nothing , apart from bike and helmet, broken and merely bruised and shaken. Said off duty cop couldn't have been nicer, was mortified by his carelessness, and loaded us and our bikes into his pick-up truck, taking us back to the bike shop we had been in a few hours earlier.  An hour or so later, bike was repaired , new helmet bought ( all at expense of cop ), and we were on our way back to collect Subaru and drive to Best Value motel ( Indian management, inexpensive and top notch ). Dinner downtown still feeling a bit sore and shaken, but after a good night, we were in the car by 6.30 headed for a breakfast cafe in Fruita at bottom of Colorado National Monument.  The rest described in captions beneath.

Mary with my bus driving colleague John Carlin at the Town clean-up day

The cycle path down the Colorado River bu Grand Junction just before the fateful incident

Anyone who knows me is aware that religion and I parted company some time ago, but Mary still reckoned I should be giving thanks to someone. So here I am.  To the mountains ! And the bike shop !

Celebrating surviving Provencale style !

getting ready for an early start to Colorado national Monument the next day

Entering the park - start of a 38 mile circular route and 3,000 foot ascent

...and really getting into it

Trying to get into stride

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Looking North to the Colorado River basin

Defies nature surely ?