Vegas to Grand Junction, Colorado

Sunday, May 2, 2009- Vegas-St. George-Grand Junction Via 15 north, then 70 East -520 miles, 9 hours
We left about 9:00 in the morning, after a breakfast of bagels and fruit, coffee, a shower and some talk. We took the # 215 around the city to # 15 North, which we will be on for about 4 hours before we hit #70. We actually go through a bit of Arizona after exiting Nevada before heading into Utah. The ride is pretty interesting, desert like, with mouitains off in the distance through most of Nevada, though it has some scruib and Yucca. Though not many towns. When we get in to Arizona, it gets prettier, and we go through a Gulch called Virgin River, about nine milew long, between these enormous rock canyons, a really spectacular ride. As we get to Utah, and through the canyon, the rocks have turned more red, mostly in this particular canyon. We ente Utah and the town of St. George, a pretty modern city, with lots of amenities. As we head north from there, the mountains are on either side of the road,, off in the distance, most rocks, with snow on the top of those to the West, not East. There is scrub off the road, mostly green, but the mountains themselves have little if any vegetation. It’s also quite windy, and off in the distance, we saw clouds settling on tops of the mountains, which might mean some rain or sleet up ahead, as it will be colder in the mountains. I know some snow was predicted in this areas earlier in the day when it was colder. After St. George, there is little development, as its quite hilly and rocky, though an occasional town appears off in the distance. We hope to make Grand Junction by 7:00 as we leave an hour, making it a 9 hour trip.
Just as #15 turned into #70, and headed East, we ran into sleet on the roads, snow off on the fields and mountains that surrounded us. It would sleet for ten or fifteen minutes, the road foggy, the vistas gray and stormy and then it would clear up a bit; then begin again. We stopped at the world’s slowest Mc Donalds, where not only did the food come slowly, the packer seemed unsure, packing and repacking. It took us twenty minutes, waiting behind four people
We then headed East, on the 100 mile run of no gas/accommodations, from Richfield to Green River, a spectacular ride through the San Rafael Swell and San Rafael Reef. On both sides were spectacular orange canyons, rock formations, then valleys and farmlands initially in Richfield. There were various vistas where ;you could stop and see look at the spectacular workings of nature, much more impressive than any city man could make. We did get some sleet in the mountains, and at one time, we were at 8000 feet, and stayed there fro quite awhile. Both sides appeared uninhabited for at least 50-60 miles, as it was just canyons, rocks, ravines, and vistas off between the canyons. Nothing much could live in these areas unless you were prepared, and I saw not evidence of water, rivers, or anything like that. In fact, what appeared to be snow in some areas was really salt marshes, which we never expected. To0wards the end, as we neared Green River, the land flattened a bit,with more greenery, low lying shrubs,,some trees that look like olive trees but I am As Anurse were not. We did get some sun after the sun and sleet, which lit up the canyons, turning the gray to orange.. About 15 miles from Green River, we began to descend, a long winding with amazing vistas off to left and right, flat topped mountains, on one side, with little green, toward the north, and on the south side, more shrubs and trees. We could see off toward Green River, huge mountains, perhaps 30-40 miles in the distance, or so it seems. I never realized how desolate Eastern Utah was, nor how spectacular in many wa;ys., multicolored, from the orange, to gold and brown, and gray or white, depending on the sun. As I am writing this, we are still descending from the mountains, perhaps 4/5 miles, down into a valley, which will lead I assume to Grand Junction where we hope to spend the night, The ride down, the views on both sides, are amazing, again huge mountains of rock, with tips that seem almost sculpted but are the work of nature. At times, huge rocks, like those of Sisphus, pose on the edge of mountain tops, making one wonder how they stay steady. I can see between rocks, a narrow passage way down into the valley and can glipse on either side, rocks, perhaps 20 feet on each side of the road, rising above us, making oen wonder how these roads were ever made by engineers.. I will have to revise m estimate, and the road downwards has to be more like ten to twelve miles. We finally seem to have arrived on level grown, but there are still rocks, slate, and some scrub on either side, though still no signs of civilizations. The road now winds through a much flatter areas, thought fifty or sixty miles away, I can see the huge mountains, looming like watchtowers. And the land appears almost desert like as we wind our way into Green River, a verys sandy soil, with a bit ao green grass, as if not much could live off this lands. It almost looks like a huge grazing ranch, stretching 30 or 40 miles off in the distance, as I pass a few cows, but see no farms or ranches or human life. Off to the other side, just as huge, I see a few cows off in the distance, making one wonder how they are rounded up. Off to my left, probably also off to the East, I can see snow covered mountains, probably the beginning of the Rockies.

We arrive in Grand Junction, a major town just off of #70, the largest I assume between #15 and Denver, or so it seems. The landscape is most flat topped mountains, on both sides, off in the distance, with small green leading from the homes or farms up to the mountain sides. It’s somewhat lunar, at least the mountains are, not very green, mostly rock, a bit of scrub. Off in the distance, we can see snow capped mountains, what must be the Rockies. We get in about 7:00, have our ritual of mannies, and I go out for Burger King. We end up going to bed around 9:30 as there is little on television.