The Grand Mesa, according to wikipedia, is the largest mesa in the world with an area of 500 square miles. The day starts arid, high desert of Grand Junction and will probably be hot. Climbing up to almost 11,000 feet it could get quite cold on top of Grand Mesa. There is very little in the way of services on the route and we'll need to carry a lot of water. This is another part of Colorado I have never had the opportunity to travel through so I'm excited to experience it on my bike. I'm nervous about the length and the possibilities for altitude sickness, but I plan to take lots of water and stop when necessary. No SAG wagon for me. The route is supposed to be incredibly scenic, winding through narrow canyons and under sheer cliffs with views of Utah and Colorado from the top of the mesa.
The climb is going to be long and relentless. Almost 20 miles of 4% grade and up with close to 10 miles of 6% plus. The only good thing about all that climbing, besides the amazing views, is that the downhill is going to be awesome (better change my brake pads out before I pack my bike up). Have a look at the elevation profile (click for a larger, readable version):
To see the actual route we will be riding, take a look at the approximate route for day two on MapMyRide.com. From there you can also get a KML for Google Earth and watch a fly by (using Google Earth)
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