05-May-2009 -- Wow, that was fun!

One of the most enjoyable things about the Degree Confluence project is that it helps you learn new things. In this case, I got to learn about Colorado's "Grand Mesa" - the largest mesa in the world.

I was on a mountain biking vacation in nearby Fruita, Colorado, and decided to take a day off to do some confluence hunting. This confluence point looked fascinating: It was at high elevation (about 9800 feet), but was close to a paved road. So off I went.

On the Grand Mesa, I was able to park 0.57 miles from the confluence point. At this time of year (early May), the whole area was covered with snow, so I ended up having to trudge through ankle-to-knee-deep snow. This, along with the extreme elevation, made this a somewhat strenuous hike, even though it was very short (just over 1 mile round trip). Fortunately, the temperature was mild; probably in the 40s Fahrenheit. Along the way, I saw several animal tracks - perhaps a fox.

The confluence point lies within an Aspen grove. It would be fun to revisit it in the summer, without the snow cover, and with the trees covered with leaves.