Round Trip Distance: 0.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 4800 - 4854 feet
Cellphone: 3-5 bars
Time: 15 mins.
Trailhead: Tabeguache/Lunch Loop
Fee: none
Attractions: Short loop w/views
Ali-Ali-Loop is located in the Lunch Loop Trails System in Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins off of Coyote Ridge and makes a short loop around a lower mesa that overlooks the Holy Cross, Clunker, and Holey Bucket trails.
Ali-Ali-Loop connects to the Coyote Ridge trail in two places. This post begins at the northernmost connection near the Miramonte trail.
Starting out the trail bounces over some exposed boulders.
The trail quickly finds its way to the edge of the little mesa.
Down in the valley the Clunker trail can be seen coursing around the valley below Miramonte Rim.
The trail remains pretty easy as it continues around the point of the mesa bending southward as it goes.
Down below on this side of the mesa a group of riders can be seen in this photo nearing the end of the Holy Cross trail.
The trail is tilted slightly uphill as it turns west back toward Coyote Ridge.
As the trail finishes up it transitions from technically easy to moderate for mountain bikers. For hikers and trail runners it is just more of the purdy stuff.
The best reason for mountain bikers to go around the loop in the other direction is a mass of rock that comes up as the trail finishes. It isn't all that hard to power over for intermediate to advanced skilled level riders. Some people like the challenge and feeling of accomplishment that features like this present.
The Ali-Ali-Loop trail dumps back out onto the Coyote Ridge trail directly across from where the Ali-Alley trail begins. Ali-Ali-Loop gets a lot of use from hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers. While the trail is relatively easy by itself it is located over a mile from the trailhead so it takes a lot more effort getting to it than it does to do it. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab your bike or 'Take a hike'.
