Summer 2006
Our cute little house. However the heat and lack of water has pretty much taken the green grass (weeds) and turned them brown. But its still quaint.
Notice my potted plants. Lavendar, blueberry bush, raspberry bush, jasmine and strawberries. Trees in the yard are primarily Aspen (the do not naturally grow at this altitude) and Apple tree's.
View atop the Mesa, halfway betweem Mesa Lakes (9800 ft) above, Powderhorn (7000 ft) below and the town of Mesa (5600 ft.) within the Valley. In the distance of the photo near roughly aiming to Land End (the highest flat top plateau in photo) is Grand Junction and its bookcliffs, which are dwarfed in size. The view at Lands End is amazing. You sit at nearly 11,000ft above the basin of Grand Junction and Delta. When in Grand Junction you don't really realize how the town is primarily slammed against the Colorado River. The river irrigates the Valley keeping it relatively green and occasionally lush in Palisade. But beyond the City borders pushed up to the shale cliffs of the Bookcliffs is desert. Not a single plant just sand dunes, coal leaks and crumbling shale rocks. Plateau Vally...this photo is absolutely beautiful, Grand Junction is one ugly town. lol
Mesa Lakes Resort facing some of the cabins tucked away between the newly blooming Aspens'.
Mesa Lakes Resort +9800 ft.
Island Lake
Jumbo Lake, Mesa, Colorado- Jones doing what he loves......swimming. In photo you may see some fish swimming around him. The lake is stocked with trout to the extent that you see them everywhere, including next to the shore.
Mesa Lakes, Mesa, Colorado. Jones playing in the Lake. Resort is open all year round. It becomes extremely popular in the winter as Powderhorn lies about 5 miles below but the resort in known for cross country skiing, snow mobiling, skiing, snowboarding. Spring thru Fall is known for hiking, mountain biking, camping, hunting, swimming, fishing, and wild life viewing. Common animals seen are ground hogs and chickmunks searching for seeds and nuts from patrons. Its actually very cute as their people friendly. But probably not a good idea to feed them as they lose their ability of self sufficiency, primarily during winter as food is lacking. Oh ground hogs can be vicsious little creatures especially if you come across two males during mating season. They are known to fight to the death as we so happen to witness personally. It was actually a disturbing site and we felt helpless to save the other.
Island Lake, Mesa, Colorado
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Dinasaur National Monument in Utah
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Elephant Toes found further down the trail within Dinasaur National Park, Utah. Across the road near this monument there are additional pictoglyphs on the hillside. Its a hike but huge pictoglyphs that are untouched lay on a cliffside. Most known is a lizard and men hunting.
Green River @ Dinasaur National Park. The coolest part of this National Park is the geography. Apparently hundreds of thousands of years ago the tetonic plates shifted upwards where as the actual river jetted upwards. When you look at the mountains in this area, including Blue Mountain you can actually see an old river bed. The area was lush with life and had a marsh like atmosphere. It now is nearly a desert. Fossils are found in that old river bed. The new river is an adjustment to the shift, it still carves and meanders different routes creating incredible rock formations and envailing fossils. Which would actually take some work to locate unless you are extremely lucky to stumble upon. Warning this area can get really hot in temperature. Even April / May the temperature was in the upper 80's. Summer is a totally different monster. So if you go take tons of water, sunscreen and covering of your skin.
Fossils found at the Visitor Center @ Dinasour National Park- Utah side of National Park. This is the only exposed area of dinasaur bones within the park. Excavation began in the early 1900's when a hiker came upon a "giant lizard" the land was then excavated for additional 40 years roughly.
Pictoglyphs @ Dinasaur National Park - Utah
posted by Lori Ball @ 1:41 PM
