Highway 141 - Gateway CO

 Today was a tour on highway 141 which heads South into a land of Canyons and the Doloris River. We made it as far as Uravan and then headed back. The road starts with granite and other hard rock type mountains. There are some climbing walls in this area. We talked to a climber in the parking lot of Mother's Buttress. Interesting guy who's father was a park ranger and worked in Southern Utah and parts of Colorado. His father knew Edward Abbey, the author of Desert Solitaire, who was an Arches NP ranger. We stopped at Unaweep Canyon and did half of a very nice 4 mile RT hike that went up toward the top of the canyon. Then at the town of Gateway the mountains turn to red sandstone and changes to a Utah like look. We stopped at a few picnic areas down by the river. Also some Petroglyphs at mile marker 88. These were a different type that were carved into the rock. There was also a historical site where they had built a long wooden shelved water flume (pipe) to bring water to a mine. Finally we stopped at the Gateway Trails Trailhead which is right next to the very nice Gateway Canyons Resort. Nice trails that circle around a spectacular area.  The area is red rock mountains that reminded me of monument valley. Great views everywhere on this road!

Remnants of the flume water pipe structure;