Gunnison River and Grand Mesa

[roverrocks]

Dec. 8, 2013 cold and snowy beauty of the stark windswept desert, Gunnison River and Canyon, and massive towering Grand Mesa northwest of Delta, Colorado. Click on pictures to enlarge.

 

[roverrocks]

Gunnison River and Grand Mesa Cont.

More stark frigid beauty in western Colorado on Dec. 8, 2013.

 

[unabashedpraise]

Beautiful! What were the temps like?

 

[1leglance]

Wow it looks so different with the blanket of white fluffy stuff....and no nice from my warm workspace.
Don't think I would enjoy being out there but glad you did so I can check out the pic

 

[roverrocks]

Beautiful! What were the temps like?

It was around zero with a light but very chilling wind. I had slow moving cold fingers in trying to use my camera.

 

[Finlay]

Nice photos. Very well done.

I was coming back to GJ from Telluride yesterday and took the long way over the mesa. It is gorgeous with a new layer of snow on it.

 

[roverrocks]

Nice photos. Very well done.

I was coming back to GJ from Telluride yesterday and took the long way over the mesa. It is gorgeous with a new layer of snow on it.

That drive over Grand Mesa is a most beautiful one. Any idea on how much snow is on top? In my younger days I did a lot of XC skiing up there mainly out of the County Line Parking area. Winter sports are fun up on the Mesa especially knowing that the billion summertime mosquitoes are are dead and stiff under the snow.

 

[Finlay]

County Line was packed yesterday - all that fresh snow on a weekend and all. They've got at least 2-3 feet up there already. More where it has been drifting. I've got some pictures - when I get home from the 9-5, I'll get them posted up.

 

[SmoothLC]

Great pics - one place I need to get to some day!

 

[grogie]

My parents use to live in the area for a dozen years and for some reason I never visited the Grand Mesa? Thanks for sharing the pictures. And wow... looks like the one time residents of that cabin had an awesome view. I love idea of living in a remote place like that. The cabin just needs some paint and shutters.

 

[roverrocks]

My parents use to live in the area for a dozen years and for some reason I never visited the Grand Mesa? Thanks for sharing the pictures. And wow... looks like the one time residents of that cabin had an awesome view. I love idea of living in a remote place like that. The cabin just needs some paint and shutters.

I've often wondered about the history of that Gunnison River cabin/house and the lonely tough people who once lived there. If only the rotting boards could talk. I've looked down on that cabin dozens of times in all seasons over the years. Intriguing isolated place. I need to do some research at a local historical society. Probably wasn't near as lonely a place many many years ago as the railroad runs along the eastern bank across the river. Used to be little communities associated with the railroad down in the canyon bottom such as Bridgeport. The RR was an important link from Grand Junction to the north and Montrose, Ridgeway, Ouray, and San Juan mines to the south. The RR line in the canyon bottom is still used today

 

[Finlay]

Here are some pics from up on Grand Mesa last weekend.

The snow wasn't too deep on the approach.


Someone went off the road though - the snowbank is a good 24-30 inches high.


The snow and the trees reminds me a great deal of Northern Minnesota





It's piled high enough that the dog could concievably walk from the bank onto the outhouse roof.


Poser truck shot for the halibut.

 

[Finlay]

The nice thing about getting out there right after a snowstorm is how few snowmobiles have marred the pristine snow.





As compared to this :


Crappy shot, but despite the haze you could see quite a ways.



Low clouds as I descend into the Colorado River valley. That's Powderhorn Ski Hill there.

 

[roverrocks]

Very nice pictures of a great flat topped mountain: Grand Mesa. Thanks.

PS: Was that a Subaru off the road or what was it? Must have been coming down the steep snowy grade way too fast.

 

[Finlay]

Thanks! I have a crappy little point and shoot, but it works well enough.

Definitely a Subaru, Forester, I think. Near as I can tell from the marks, he hit the brakes in the curve and lost it. Traction wasn't that bad - it wasn't icy - but he didn't have any room to recover in. There was a sheriff there already - I never would have seen the car otherwise.