Make the Ride Through Unaweep Canyon Before Cycling Season Ends
Now's the time to make the ride, or drive for the non-motorcycle crowd, through Western Colorado's Unaweep Canyon. The view is magnificent, the road is excellent, and the destination is top notch.
Find a way to squeeze a two-hour trip into your schedule, and make this ride. Grand Junction to Gateway Canyons Resort comes in at roughly 45 minutes travel time. Google Maps puts the drive at 1:03, but that seems to be a bit inflated. Upon reaching Gateway, you might as well enjoy a great meal at the resort or one of the local restaurants.
There are plenty of opportunities to get off the bike and walk around. During my last trip through the area, the creek was completely dry. That was a bummer, but not a big one.
If I may, I would like to make a special request. The ride comes with tons of twists and turns. The bends in the road are actually part of the appeal. With this in mind, however, please take it easy. If you come up on a curve and you see a warning sign saying "Slow Down 45", please take it literally. Those signs aren't there just to be pretty. Right off the top of my head, I can name two friends of mine that hit those curves going way too fast and didn't recover. Some of the drops are significant.
It's only going to get colder so don't put this ride off any longer. If you find yourself faced with a shortage of motorcycles, then pile the tribe in the car and head south. This drive is often overlooked, even by those of us who are fully aware just how awesome it is.