Grand Mesa

We just found out about Grand Mesa - a national forest just 45 minutes from our house, right here in the middle of the desert. We spent the night at Spruce Grove and hiked the Upper Loop of Crag Crest, about 7.5 miles after our detours. We ran into some unexpected rain so instead of hiking the lower loop we hitchhiked back to our car. Luckily we got a ride from a nice stranger. It was great to get back into the forest, hike around backcountry mountain lakes and see the stars.