Four Corners Trip Ideas...

[shil]

Based on forecasts and schedules we'll be heading west the first week of June.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and advice! Much appreciated!

[Sport-Touring]

[stew71]

Based on forecasts and schedules we'll be heading west the first week of June.

Thanks everyone for your ideas and advice! Much appreciated!

Death Valley in June = FREAKING HOT. We went through DV last May and hit 111 deg for about 50 miles. You have been warned.

Sounds like a good ride overall.  

[k0guz]

You've covered all of the good spots in your itinerary; have a great trip and enjoy our part of the country.  

Along Route 141 from Grand Junction south to Ouray, plan on an hour or two to visit the Gateway Auto Museum, which is one of the best classic car museums in the world in a most unlikely location; then about 20 miles south, stop at the turnout for the hanging flume.

We visited Cedar Breaks NM in late June a couple of years ago.  It's at 10,500' and still very snowy and cold.  Quite a contrast to the desert.

[JimWilliamson]

then about 20 miles south, stop at the turnout for the hanging flume.

Interesting!  I just spent ten minutes with the web site and google maps - satellite and street view - looking for any trace but didn't see anything. Do you have a map coordinate for the turnout? Is anything left aside from bolt holes in the rock face?

[blakebird]

Is anything left aside from bolt holes in the rock face?

First time I rode that road in '98, was on a road trip when I lived in Las Vegas. When we stopped in Naturita for a cool drink one of my buddies asked if I saw the flume.
I missed it that time, but on later rides thru there after moving to Colorado I made a point to find it.

http://goo.gl/maps/OnmXc

some good pictures on the Googlemap link, and at this blog

[JimWilliamson]

Interesting - thanks.

There was an "away from the river" side of the road pull off somewhere on 141 that had a fresh water catch basin with a hose.  This might be the spot (the brick water catch is built into the side of the hill - back in the trees - IIRC). I took a good drink - no issues.

http://goo.gl/maps/42qZW

[k0guz]

If you're coming south from GJT to Gateway, it's hard to miss.  After several miles of riding in the bottom of canyons, you go over a small pass then come down to one of those OMG moments when the ground drops off to your right into a steep canyon with no guard rails.  The speed limit drops to 25 mph, and you are not likely to want to go much faster.  About halfway through there's a pulloff with a large interpretive sign on the right.

We rode that route last year and it still looks like Blakebird's picture.  There was an article in the Grand Junction newspaper that the state historical society had gotten a grant to stabilize what was left, and they were wondering if the workers today had the same nerve as they did when the flume was built.