Day 4 - Delta to Grand Junction to Moab |
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I pass by where I stayed last night -- Delta, Colorado -- then head northwest. | ||||||
A Blake Airport pilot told me to fly the Gunnison River to Grand Junction. Good advice.
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A scenic river run: nice, easy and fun to fly. | ||||||
The sun was over my shoulder. Perfect.
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Approaching a little canyon action. | ||||||
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Notice the railroad track right along the narrow strip between river and butte.
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The rather good size town of Grand Junction, Colorado. It has a towered airport. | ||||||
The area southwest of Grand Junction has lots of interesting rock formations and canyons. | ||||||
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Grand Junction is where the Gunnison River feeds into the Colorado River. This stretch of the Colorado until it joins the Green River used to be called the Grand River but in 1929 the State of Colorado voted to change it the name. More on this subject later. Regardless, at Grand Junction I got on the Colorado/Grand River. | ||||||
Canyon walls are starting to get bigger. | ||||||
But then I emerge into a valley.
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Then back into a canyon.
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Another big valley. | ||||||
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Believe it or not, this entire stretch of the Colorado/Grand is not a National Park or anything. Just regular country. | ||||||
I reach the town of Moab. Ahead, the Colorado/Grand continues on into the Canyonlands National Park. But I turn northwest to check out Arches NP. Two years ago, on my Green River flight, I stayed overnight in Moab. The Canyonlands airport is about 18 miles northwest of Moab so you need to rent a car.
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