There is a very beautiful place in western Colorado only about 5 miles from Utah but to drive to Utah it is an 80 mile drive. Look it up on the map. It is just south of Grand Junction. I was on a motorcycle trip when I found it. I was riding with an old friend from Prince Edward Island, Canada.
It was a beautiful day and the trip is on a road seldom traveled. Route 141 is an off-the-beaten-path kind of road and on the 95 mile stretch there aren't any other towns. I am a firm believer of wearing the safety equipment to stay safe on the road.
This was one of the most scenic rides I have been on.
Farmland and canyons.
My bike, BMW 650GS.
Clear sky.
Very green, lots of rain.
Looked like a great Diner but it was closed.
Small quiet town.
Gateway has a large resort that is all stucco and looks brand new.
As you can see there were very few visitors.
I did not stay over night but I want to go back and stay someday.
Notice the mountains in the back ground.
We stopped for lunch and were the only ones in the restaurant.
On down the road.
It wasn't hot that day so it was a great ride.
The route followed the Dolores River south.
It was easy to stop and take photos since there were no other cars around.
It is not often you can find a place that has not already been found and crowded. This was a great find.
Along the road south of the town of Gateway we came upon a sign that told the story of the hanging flume. This is a way to get water from the river to the ground high above the river. The flume would get water from the river far upstream and gradually as the river dropped, flowing downstream, the flume ran along the canyon wall dropping at a slower pace so the water was still flowing down hill but it appeared the flume was climbing the canyon wall. Eventually the flume carried the water to a distant place down rive but at the top of the canyon wall. The farmers there would then have water from the river far below. This was in the day before electricity to pump water.
The flume runs along the rocks half way up from the river to the blue sky. It is not all there but you can see the wood flume hanging on the rocks.
It is unusual to see and fences to keep visitors from falling in, so be careful.
Lots of unspoiled rock.
Lots of streams feeding into the river. We stopped to rest at this one.
We were the only ones at the rest area and you could camp there too.
Lots of birds made it so peaceful.
Hope you get a chance to visit Gateway someday. I know you will enjoy the ride and the scenery. Look it up on a map and get an idea how remote it is.
Happy Trails!
