Tag: Colorado National Monument

Mountain Biking in Fruita with OutdoorFamilies.com

In October my mountain family forayed into new territory. Mountain Biking. You’d think we’d be mountain bikers already, I mean we live ON a mountain. Although we have mountain bikes (Mountain Dad has a pretty nice one) we’re not what I would consider mountain bikers, mostly because it’s hard to ride single track with a kid on training wheels and two tots in a trailer. However, I was determined to change that with a trip to Fruita, Colorado.

Most people haven’t heard of Fruita. It’s a suburb of Grand Junction if that tells you anything of its size. The ones who have heard of Fruita probably know about it because of Mountain Biking. It’s world renown because of its great terrain, proximity to Colorado National Monument and the annual 18 Hours of Fruita Fat Tire Festival. 

Our Mountain Family camped in the North Fruita Desert. It’s a BLM campground that serves as a base for trails like Zippity Do Da, Chutes and Ladders, and Kessel’s Run. Although the camp is bare bones – pit toilets and no water – it’s location for riding the trails is great.
Overall our trip wasn’t great. Mountain Dad fell on his bike and broke a rib, Big E had a meltdown riding on the paved Colorado Riverfront Trail (which doesn’t actually go by the river in Fruita), and little G refused to try out her balance bike. I had fun on the Pumps, Bumps and Rollers trail and was proud of myself for trying out something new, but the majority of the Mountain Family would’ve rather thrown mud balls in the river.
Along with trying out a new activity, I was also trying out a new look. The Wheel Clever shirt by Club Ride Apparel. I was given this piece to review by the online store OutdoorFamilies.com. They have a wide selection of gear for outdoor adventurers.
When I first received the Wheel Clever shirt I was in for a big surprise. It’s described as lightweight but I didn’t expect it to be see through. The fabric is thin, which is good for something breathable to wear over spandex, but I was expecting something a bit more substantial. Maybe in the darker color it would seem different.
Looking at it in the package I didn’t really like the shirt, but after wearing it while biking I changed my mind. The sly bicycle wheel pattern is really cool and I also liked the thumb holes and hidden pocket. The small zippered compartment is big enough for a car key and maybe a credit card, don’t expect to fit a phone in there. The incorporated reflective accents are a nice touch as well. 
It’s a well designed long sleeved shirt that looked cool, protected my fair skin from the sun and allowed me to not feel near naked in skin tight spandex. Do I think it’s worth $64.95? Not with plastic snaps and the snag holes that appeared after just a few wearings. Do I think it’s a good shirt? Yes and I will definitely wear it again.
Pros
  • Cool bicycle wheel fabric 
  • Lightweight, long sleeved
  • Comfortable
  • Could wear biking or in public, great cover for spandex
  • Secret Ninja pocket 
Cons
  • Snaps and thin fabric seem cheaply made
  • Price – $64.95
This post is part of my Wednesday Gear Review Series. Thanks to OutdoorFamilies.com for providing the Wheel Clever shirt by Club Ride Apparel. All opinions are my own.
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Coke Ovens Overlook Trail, Colorado National Monument, Colorado

On our recent visit to Colorado National Monument, the tots and I explored the Coke Ovens Trail along with an old friend, author Renee Collins, and her daughter. The trail is about 0.75 mile round trip, and was relatively easy, the only rough spot being some switchbacks just after the Upper Monument Canyon trail head.

Coke Ovens Overlook Trail connects with several other trails in the Colorado National Monument system. Along the way, Big E pretended to be a jedi, randomly making light saber sounds toward juniper trees, rock cairns and his sister. We chose this trail because it was short, relatively flat and featured a fenced off viewing area at the end, where the tots could all climb and play two year old hide and seek in safety.

The quick descent featured several sharp switchbacks, which I knew would be tough on the way back up, but were fun on the way down. The view was amazing with red rock and juniper as far as the eye could see. Everything was great until we tried hiking back out.

Little g hated being wrestled into the hiking pack, but since nap time was rapidly approaching, I knew hiking uphill would only be miserable if she tried to walk on her own. I wasn’t expecting Big E, my normally avid trekker, to make such a fuss about the hike out either. Every curve of the trail brought more complaints.

“Why aren’t we there yet? Where’s the car? I’m tired. Carry me mom.” When we left for the trail I had expected good exercise, beautiful views and a little fun. I hadn’t expected to slog uphill for ten minutes to a chorus of complaints.

Luckily the hike ended quickly and we all went out for lunch to celebrate. We needed it.

Coke Ovens Overlook Trail
Length: 0.75 mile
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Tips: Don’t go with cranky kids.

Otto’s Trail, Colorado National Monument, Colorado

Colorado National Monument rises above the cities of Fruita and Grand Junction, Colorado, a plateau above the plains. Rim Rock road winds through the monument, passing beautiful rock formations on every side. The entire 23 mile loop is popular with cyclists, but my tots and I weren’t there to ride – we wanted to hike.

I was impressed with the number of kid friendly hiking options (short and flat) in Colorado National Monument. The first trail we chose was just one mile east of the Visitor’s Center. Otto’s Trail is a fun, quick hike to a beautiful overlook area of Pipe Organ and Independence Monument rock formations. My tots and I were there along with my old friend and author Renee Collins. The wild west setting in her debut novel Relic was inspired by the desolate beauty of Colorado National Monument.

The hike was only half a mile there and back. The only difficult part of the trail was that near the overlook area, if you or your tots stray too far off the trail you’ll drop off a cliff and plummet dangerously to the rocks below, you are walking on the top of a plateau after all.

When we reached that area, Big E refused to hold my hand, of course, but instead of tying him to me, like I wanted to do, I tried to trust that my four year old would know enough to stay away from the edge. Little g was more easily managed since I could pick her up and haul her myself.

Otto’s Trail in Colorado National Monument was fun, quick and relatively painless. Plus the views at the end were amazing.

Otto’s Trail Info:
Length: 0.5 miles round trip
Time: 45 minutes, less without tots
Tips: Don’t let your kids fall off the edge.