The amusement park grounds in this case is the Grand Valley fenced in by the Bookcliffs, a cliff band of sandstone and adobe. Later, an out and back on The Fronted provides us with a great views of the valley. A fiery sunset over a beautiful meadow with a fast descent of the ladders off Chutes and Ladders marks our finale at this mountain biking dreamworld. For a change of venue, we pack up camp and head just west of Fruita to Loma. On trails like Horsethief Bench, Lion's Loop and Mary's Loop we find some radical descents and more singletrack with plenty of exposure over the Colorado River, so much so that at points I feel my energy bar resurfacing.
Every corner delivers a view and there are plenty of scenic stop points along the loops.
For the desert, Fruita is unbelievably green. For such an incredible mountain biking area, it's uncrowded. Watch out for the lizards.