My story of shame and fear.

[Rain Man]

I think some of you will be with me on this, so I will share it.

I'm staying at a hotel in western Colorado, and it's a lot more like Utah over here than it is like Colorado.

So my hotel has a massive butte behind it, or maybe it's a mesa. I don't know. Here's what it looks like.

Story continued in subsequent posts.

[Demonpenz]

in

[Hammock Parties]

Did giant earthworms burrow from the cliffside and terrorize the guests?

[mlyonsd]

Let me guess, 20 girls in the hot tub with no guys around and they just watched Magic Mike after reading 50 Shades of Grey? And you ran away scared and frightened.

[Ceej]

Where are the Serbian chicks?

Or was it Slovenian?

[Rain Man]

Okay, so the top of this bluff is really high, and it's miles long.

I start thinking, "there's got to be some way to the top". I have a free day tomorrow, so I start looking to see if there's a trail. Usually big stuff like this will have some sort of break where a trail winds up it.

Sure enough, I see this on some Palisade tourism site:

http://www.palisadetourism.com/recreation.php?faqs_id=4

Mount Garfield

HIKING: For those seeking more adventure than a leisurely stroll, you’ve got Mount Garfield northwest of Palisade. This bold promontory in the Bookcliffs has an elevation of 1,900 feet from the roadway.

Hikers have a choice between two paths that lead from the same trailhead. Take Palisade Exit 42 and turn south for a short distance. Turn west on 37 3/10 Road and travel for about 2 miles until G 7/10 Road. Go through the I-70 underpass and park.
There you’ll find the Gearhart Mine Trail, which detours to an old uranium mine and tramway. This trail is 1/2 mile longer than the Mount Garfield Trail, which is about 2 miles.
Both trails have steep ascents. To access the top of the escarpment, you’ll find a gap in the upper cliff face about 1/2 mile east of the summit. This is a strenuous hike but the payoff is great with stunning views of Palisade and the Grand Valley.

A third option to hike Mount Garfield in Palisade is to hike from the backside at the Coal Canyon starting point. This trail has a steep ascent but not as much as hiking from the front. To get to the trailhead, drive east of Palisade on I-70 and exit at the Cameo exchange (Exit 46). Cross the Colorado River and drive past the power plant 1 1/2 miles to a signed entry gate. This trail requires high-ground clearance and is only open from May 30 through December 1.

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Okay, so the top of this bluff is really high, and it's miles long.

I start thinking, "there's got to be some way to the top". I have a free day tomorrow, so I start looking to see if there's a trail. Usually big stuff like this will have some sort of break where a trail winds up it.

Sure enough, I see this on some Palisade tourism site:

http://www.palisadetourism.com/recreation.php?faqs_id=4

Mount Garfield

HIKING: For those seeking more adventure than a leisurely stroll, you’ve got Mount Garfield northwest of Palisade. This bold promontory in the Bookcliffs has an elevation of 1,900 feet from the roadway.

Hikers have a choice between two paths that lead from the same trailhead. Take Palisade Exit 42 and turn south for a short distance. Turn west on 37 3/10 Road and travel for about 2 miles until G 7/10 Road. Go through the I-70 underpass and park.
There you’ll find the Gearhart Mine Trail, which detours to an old uranium mine and tramway. This trail is 1/2 mile longer than the Mount Garfield Trail, which is about 2 miles.
Both trails have steep ascents. To access the top of the escarpment, you’ll find a gap in the upper cliff face about 1/2 mile east of the summit. This is a strenuous hike but the payoff is great with stunning views of Palisade and the Grand Valley.

A third option to hike Mount Garfield in Palisade is to hike from the backside at the Coal Canyon starting point. This trail has a steep ascent but not as much as hiking from the front. To get to the trailhead, drive east of Palisade on I-70 and exit at the Cameo exchange (Exit 46). Cross the Colorado River and drive past the power plant 1 1/2 miles to a signed entry gate. This trail requires high-ground clearance and is only open from May 30 through December 1.

Oh, you're afraid that uranium will screw with that metal plate in your head.

Could be good, could be bad. Maybe super powers if all goes right.

[Rain Man]

I say to myself, "Okay, I'm in. I'm going to hike up this thing." Sure, it's 1,900 feet up, but it's a two-mile hike. I just did the Leadville Heavy Half-Marathon last Saturday, which was 3,000 feet up and 15.5 miles, and last Sunday I hiked up Mt. Royal, which was a 1,500 foot climb in 1.5 miles. No problem."

Here's a picture of the hike up Mt. Royal last week. It was strenuous but pleasant. I am envisioning this, but with a little more height and distance.

So I go to the hotel store and I buy three bottles of water, some cheese crackers, some Fritos, some cheese, and some cashews. I emptied my computer backpack, put my goodies in it, put on some running shorts and shoes, and I was off to find the trailhead.

[Zebedee DuBois]

I see roads diverging in the wood.

[Rain Man]

So the apricot BMW does a little bit of four-wheeling, and I get out to the trail head.

I was hoping for some trees, but I can deal with it. It's kind of hot. I can't tell where the trail is, but figure it probably switchbacks up somewhere behind those big jutting cliff thingies.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Zebedee DuBois

I see roads diverging in the wood.

I took the one more traveled in that case.

[Ceej]

Starring Rain Man, due in a theater near you in 2013.


DELIVERANCE 2!

[Zebedee DuBois]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

I took the one more traveled in that case.

and that has made all the difference.

[Rain Man]

Yup, I'm in the right place. I start walking through the desert.

[Zebedee DuBois]

I'm hoping this story includes a scout troop of some kind.