Tour of Western Colorado, Stage 4 (Paradox Valley)
An easy ride, short Cat 3 climb followed by long descent with incredible views of Paradox Valley and La Sal mountains on Utah side. Paradox Valley lies along the extreme western edge of Colorado, it measures 5 to 8 km wide and 40 km long. The valley was named in 1875 by geologist and surveyor Albert Charles Peale, after he noted that the Dolores River had a "desire to perform strange and unexpected things" in the area. Instead of flowing down the valley, the river emerges from a narrow gap in one wall, cuts perpendicularly across the middle, and exits through another gap. The valley and the surrounding plateau became an important source of radioactive materials, including radium and uranium. In 1913, the New York Times identified carnotite mines near Paradox Valley as the source of "the greatest radium ore deposits in the world".
Region: Colorado
City: Naturita
Distance: 26.12 km
Elevation Gain: 177 m
Elevation Loss: 271 m
Difficulty: 122 (Easy)
FIETS Index: 0.29 FIETS
Avg Grade: 1.49 %
Max cat climb: 3
Min elevation: 1539 m
Max elevation: 1764 m
Ride Category: Flat