Grand Junction’s 2018 Year End Report – Things Are Looking Good

As 2018 drew to an end, I thought it best to climb Mt. Garfield one more time to get a better perspective. From that vantage point, things look really good.

Nothing helps you to see clearly like a birds-eye view from atop Mt. Garfield. From there, things make sense.

Lucky for me, my hike took place a couple of days before the snowfall on December 31. Even at that, there were some slippery slopes on the east side of the rim of Mt. Garfield. Those spots are in the shade 24/7 in the winter, and get pretty slick.

First things first – the flag looks great. As luck would have it, I ran into the person responsible for placing the flag at the summit. Per his request, he will remain nameless. He came up to check on things. If nothing else, 2018 came to a close with the American flag flying high.

Looking over the valley, I couldn’t help but think 2018 was a pretty good year overall. Yes, there were a few rough spots.The state endured record droughts and countless wildfires. There were, of course, a number of tragedies across the state in 2018. Unfortunately, there’s not much anyone can do about that.

How about 2019? Well, my method is about as scientific as a groundhog sticking its face out of its house to predict the weather. I climb my 48-year-old chubby butt up the side of a mountain and take a look at the valley. To my knowledge, I possess no psychic abilities or ability to predict the future. Regardless, you kind of get a feel for things when looking at the valley from that point of view.

For no particular reason, I honestly believe 2019 will be excellent. Yes, we suffered droughts in 2018, but as 2019 rolls in, we have more snow than we know what to do with. Negative temperatures will happen tonight, but that’s life in the Colorado mountains. At least we have snow.

Here’s to 2019. It’s going to be a fantastic year. Don’t take my word for it. Wait a couple of weeks, and make the climb up Mt. Garfield. Before long the trails will be more manageable. When you make it to the summit, take a look over the valley and make your own predictions for 2019.