Grand Mesa  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Elevation:  10,000' Page Views:  11,723. Good page? (1 like)    Administrators:  Jesse Zacher, Ben Mottinger, Leo Paik, John McNamee, Frances Fierst, Monomaniac, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Alex Garhart on Jul 3, 2012 Make this area a Favorite What's New  Printer View Add Area  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed 91° | 57° 90° | 57° 84° | 57° 82° | 55° 77° | 46°

View of the western edge of the Palisade Lobe.

Description 

Grand Mesa is a prominent, east-west landform capped by hard, volcanic basalt. The original basalt field may have had a surface area of up to 750 square miles, but due to extensive erosion, the present-day remnant is about 53 square miles. This remnant has a "Y-shaped" outline, with Crag Crest on the east forming the stem, and the Palisade and Flowing Park lobes forming the branches. Thickness of the in-place basalt ranges from about 600 feet near Crag Crest to less than 200 feet on the western tips of the lobes.

In general, the basalt is highly fractured and climbable buttresses are rare. However, occasional large volcanic flow events deposited layers of basalt up to 70 feet thick, creating steep, featured walls with amazing rock quality.

Reference: Cole, R.; Weston, K. Geological Society of America Meeting Abstract (2007).

Getting There 

The Grand Mesa is most easily accessed from Grand Junction by driving east on I-70 to Exit 49 and heading south on CO Highway 65. The drive time is ~1 hour.

To access the western edge of the Palisade Lobe and the Land's End Area, it is recommended to drive south from Grand Junction on US Highway 50 ~13 miles, past the town of Whitewater, and head east on Kannah Creek Road. Follow the signs to Land's End, ~18 miles. The drive time also ~1 hour.

The Classics

Featured Route For Grand Mesa

Bioturbation 5.11-  CO : Grand Junction area : ... : Paleosol Wall

This route is a variation of Topographic Reversal.Climb the 1st 35 feet of Topographic Reversal up to the hands roof, and traverse left using a tips crack (red C3) and slabby feet to a 1.0-1.5" splitter through the roof. The splitter protects well with #0.5 Camalots. Work your feet up, reach out to an unlikely jug at the lip of the roof, and climb the jugs above to a 2 bolt anchor. This might feel a little stiff if you're short....[more]   Browse More Classics in CO