Black Canyon Part II, Return to Grand Junction

In which Moominmama checks out the North Rim of the Black Canyon before returning to Grand Junction and the Colorado National Monument...

Moominmama's stay near Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park confirmed her preference for being in canyons as opposed to on their rims. But my stay near the South Rim seemed incomplete if I didn't also visit the North Rim, the more rugged of the two sides.

Unlike the more popular South Rim, the north side lacks the many fenced-in overlooks. A visit to Exclamation Point (great name) on the North Rim is an opportunity to stand at the very edge and look down, knowing a misstep could be fatal.

Aside from this bit of thrill-seeking, Moominmama preferred the one twisty road that took her down to water's edge, where the Gunnison flows fast and cold -- no swimming but a bit of foot dangling permitted. 

Moominmama also enjoyed watching the artistry of fly fishermen, with their ribbon-like casts over the water. Sitting on the rocky banks, I also got to see fish leap into the air, twist and splash. If whales and dophins can leap for fun, why not trout?

The closest major community near Black Canyon is Montrose, and Moominmama drove into town for shopping and to visit the library. This statue in the entrance of the library captured my fancy. And the sunny atrium was  a welcoming entry.

After Black Canyon and Montrose, Moominmama returned to the Grand Junction area just over an hour away. This is my wintertime home, and I'll be signing a lease this week to rent my landlord's little bungalow for another winter when he goes to Mexico.

I'm also fixing a tire, getting a haircut, collecting accumulated mail and visiting with friends from Koinonia, my little church community here in town. One of the joys of this visit was being able to jump in and help with a food distribution through a great group called Solidarity Not Charity. 

There are aspects of community and community service that I miss on the road, though I remind myself that kindness is something that can be distributed anywhere. 

Last year, during my early summer swing through the Grand Valley, I stayed at a state park. This year, I decided to reserve a campsite on the Colorado Monument. While it's a magnificent location, it's incredibly exposed to what's already a brutal sun. 

I've not been out hiking as yet, so here is a photo of one of my favorite Colorado National Monument trails from this past winter! The mound in the distance is called Liberty Cap.

If I can get up and out early enough to avoid the worst of the heat, I'll try to get in a hike before I leave the area. 

From here, my travels point to Wyoming and the Big Horn Mountains in the northeast. It's not an area I've even driven through, let alone stopped to see. So really looking forward to that adventure! 

I will likely skip posting next week so I can finish my chores in G.J. and get to my next adventure. Also hoping my northward trek will take me away from 90-plus temperatures, but I may have to wait 'til the Canadian Rockies before I really get relief! 

I'll leave you with a final Black Canyon photo, which gives you a better idea of why this geographic feature earned national park status. It's hard to see in its entirety, but this is as close as I came to capturing the canyon from the North Rim.





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