Palisade Plunge MP 14.7 - 19.1

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 4.5-17 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 8017 - 9027 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 2 hrs. 45 mins.
Trailhead: Lands End Road
Fee: none
Attractions: Long downhill

This post covers a hike of the first 4.5 mile stretch of the Palisade Plunge trail that begins at the Lands End Road and ends in the Sink Creek drainage. The first couple miles of the trail mostly follows what was previously the Whitewater Basin trail. This portion of the Palisade Plunge starts out traveling through an aspen and pine forest with a mix of oak brush that transitions into pinion and junipers as the elevation drops. Near Cliff Lake Reservoir there are patches of chokecherries and redcurrants as well as willows and even one or two elm and cottonwood trees.

Granby Road

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 9 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 9,935 - 10,293 feet
Cellphone: 0-1 bars
Time: 4 hrs.
Trailhead: Island Lake Area
Fee: none
Attractions: Multi-use trail

The Granby Road is a multi-use trail located in the Grand Mesa National Forest near Grand Junction, Colorado. The trail begins across from the  Island Lake Day Use Area and near the Island Lake Campground. where it travels west across the south facing slopes of the Grand Mesa. After passing more than a dozen reservoirs the trail comes to an end when it meets up with the Greenwood trail at Little Battlement Lake. The Granby Road is an important access route for hunting, fishing and anyone making use of the other trails in the area.

Paradox - Taylor Flats

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 22.4 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 7648 - 8979 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 6 hrs. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Buckeye Reservoir
Fee: none
Attractions: All double track

The Taylor Flats Section of the 118 mile long Paradox trail begins near the Buckeye Reservoir north of the town of Paradox, Colorado and ends east of Moab, Utah along the Moab-Gateway Road where it meets up with the Kokopelli trail that runs from Grand Junction, Colorado to Moab, Utah. When these two trails are combined with the Tabeguache trail they form what is known as the epic 360 mile Grand Loop.

Paradox - Carpenter Ridge

Rating: 
One-way Distance: 11.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
MTB Skill level:
Elevation: 7007 - 8067 feet
Cellphone: 0-2 bars
Time: 4 hrs.
Trailhead: Q13 Road
Fee: none
Attractions: All double track

The Carpenter Ridge Section of the 118 mile long Paradox trail is located on a ridge above the Paradox Valley overlooking the communities of Bedrock and Paradox, Colorado. This section of the Paradox trail begins where the Red Canyon section meets back up with Q13 Road. From there it travels the length of Carpenter Ridge until it eventually reaches Buckeye Reservoir. Enroute it is connected to by many different side roads one of which drops off of the ridge and into Paradox Valley.