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Coal Creek Basin: Switchback Trail to Shirttail Point

After Work Adventures | Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Although we didn’t get to go backpacking on the Grand Mesa late last month like we had hoped, now that the Lands End Road is open I figured I’d head up after work this afternoon to hike a short loop above Coal Creek Basin from the Switchback Trail to Shirttail Point. Last summer I had hiked down the Palisade Plunge Trail to Otto’s Wall from Shirttail Point but was turned back by an incoming storm, so I was looking forward to returning to this part of the Grand Mesa. This hike turned out to be a nice little 5.5 mile loop with about 900 feet of elevation loss and gain that was perfect for when the temperature in the valley below is just too hot for hiking after work.

Otto’s Wall: The Palisade Plunge at Shirttail Point

After Work Adventures | Monday, July 15, 2024

Today I spent all day up on the Grand Mesa for work as we inspected three of the City’s largest dams with a drone. The project took us most of the day and since we finished around the time I would usually be heading home form work, I decided to stick around for a while to get a little hiking in on a segment of the Palisade Plunge Trail before I headed home for the evening.

Stinking Desert National Monument

After Work Adventures | Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Even though it was a little bit warmer out today than yesterday, I thought it would be a good time to head out after work so I could drive and hike to the top of a couple easy highpoints and overlooks located in the desert between Grand Junction, Delta, the Grand Mesa and the Gunnison River, and maybe even catch the sunset before heading home. This is an area that longtime locals affectionately (or maybe it’s not so affectionate) call the Stinking Desert. I’ve heard stories from long before my time living in Grand Junction about how an official-looking sign for the Stinking Desert National Monument would show up along the highway during holiday weekends, and I’ve always thought that would have been funny to see, so I’m going to honor that unofficial National Monument with this little Trip Report. Welcome to the Stinking Desert!

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Grand Mesa Colors

Fall Colors 2015
Color Sunday | Sunday, September 27, 2015

Since I had only spent the day in the San Juan Mountains on Saturday, Diane and I decided to drive up onto the Grand Mesa for a few hours to check out the fall colors up there on Sunday afternoon. We took the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway via Plateau Creek to the Land O Lakes Trail where we stopped and went on the short hike to the overlook.

Tag: kannah creek

Coal Creek Basin: Switchback Trail to Shirttail Point

Otto’s Wall: The Palisade Plunge at Shirttail Point

Stinking Desert National Monument

Grand Mesa Colors