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North Soda Trail: Adobe Creek to PT 7412Adobe Creek to PT 7412

North Soda Trail: Adobe Creek to PT 7412

North Soda Trail
Sunday, November 20, 2016

This afternoon I headed back into the Book Cliffs to hike to the summit of an unnamed peak above the Grand Valley. I’ve been trying to spend more time in the Book Cliffs this year (Mount Lincoln, Main Canyon, Tellerico Trail) and wanted to try and get back there one last time before the winter weather really sets in for the season. While the trail I hiked is most commonly referred to as the North Soda Trail (it eventually connects to the North Soda Road on top), I’m going to refer to it as the Adobe Creek Trail since it follows the creek for over a mile and then stays completely in the Adobe Creek drainage as it climbs to the top of the mesa.

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Colorado National Monument PhotosColorado National Monument Photos

Colorado National Monument Photos

Thursday, September 22, 2016

After work I grabbed my hiking gear and started heading out to Rabbit Valley so I could hike to another summit in Mesa County, but as I was driving west on I-70 I noticed the sky was much cloudier and darker out that direction and I was concerned about the weather I would encounter. It appeared that the edge of the storm system moving through the area was over Fruita and Grand Junction and it looked like I’d have better luck closer to town this evening. So when I reached the Fruita exit I decided to get off and head up into the Colorado National Monument instead. The clouds and sky were nice for a few photos during my drive through the western portion of the park, plus I still got a little hiking and exploring in. Here’s a few photos from the evening.

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Grand Mesa Fall ColorsGrand Mesa Fall Colors

Grand Mesa Fall Colors

Fall Colors | Wednesday, September 21, 2016

I made a last minute decision after work today and went for a drive up onto the Grand Mesa to check on the fall colors this evening. It turned out to be a good call since the colors were looking pretty good. I slowly made my way up the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway to Skyway Point and then explored the old Grand Mesa Road and a few other backroads in the area while I was up there until after sunset. There’s not really much else to say about this short evening excursion, so here’s a few photos that tell the story for me.

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Lower Main Canyon in the Little Book CliffsLower Main Canyon

Lower Main Canyon in the Little Book Cliffs

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

I was originally planning to hike to another summit in the Book Cliffs after work this evening, but based on the weather forecast I decided to change my plans and went hiking through Main Canyon within the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Area instead. This turned out to be a good choice since I got caught in a couple of fast-moving storms that produced plenty of lightning while I was in the canyon. I ended up hiking almost 4 miles up Main Canyon from the trailhead and then returned the same way, making it back to my Jeep shortly after sunset. I will definitely have to return to finish up the last mile or so in the canyon some other time.

CONTINUE READINGLower Main Canyon in the Little Book Cliffs
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Big WashBig Wash

Big Wash

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Recently I’ve been trying to get out on more hikes in the evening after work before the days start getting too short for that. Today I was looking for something close to home without too much elevation gain and settled on hiking up Big Wash which is located a short distance up Plateau Creek from I-70 along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway. Big Wash drains part of the west side of the Grand Mesa starting up near Chalk Mountain and joins Plateau Creek just upstream from the Colorado River. It turned out to be a nice easy canyon hike with a trickle of water flowing through the canyon. While the water was nice to listen to as I hiked, it made for some very slick mud. I had to hop across rocks through many parts of the canyon to avoid the slippery mud. There were a couple of easy obstacles to scramble up and bypass, I just had to make sure to avoid the poison ivy at one of the bypasses. The hike ended at an overhanging waterfall inside a large wet alcove. I didn’t see a way around it so I turned around and headed back down. Here are a few photos from the short hike.

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