This is what happens when you put your hand around a scalding hot piece of black metal when it's 97 degrees in Grand Junction. Here are a few things to be cautious of when it gets this hot in Western Colorado.

Last Monday, I thought it would be wise to do a set of pull-ups at my gym. In this case, the pull-up bar is located outside. It's metal and features a stylish black paint job. Being a fairly intelligent human being, I practiced a little caution and touched the metal to see how hot it was.

Apparently, I'm not that intelligent after all. It seemed to be a reasonable temperature. Needless to say, I grabbed a hold and proceeded to do a set of pull-ups.

Yes, my hands hurt a little while performing the exercise, but it wasn't an issue. They always hurt when doing pull-ups. The bar features knurling, and as a result, is abrasive. Upon completing the exercise I looked down and voila.... my skin had peeled off.

I lost a chunk of skin on my palm (no fap jokes, please) and skin on several fingertips across both hands. This wouldn't have been all that bad, but I had rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday nights. I play the giant bass, the kind you see in an orchestra. In a word... pain.

My contact with the hot bar couldn't have lasted more than 14 or 15 seconds. Imagine a dog's paws in contact with the black bed liner in the back of a truck. How about a dog's paws on the burning blacktop of a city street? Imagine a kid going down the slide at the park. It's more than hot out there. Depending on the surface, it can absolutely brutal.

According to wiki.answers.com, sun-baked asphalt can get hot enough to cause 2nd-degree burns. Please take a moment to test a surface before making contact. Please do a better job than I did on Monday with the pull-up bar.

Grand Junction is expecting a high of 103 today (Wednesday, June 27) and a high of 101 tomorrow. With any luck, temps will cool down to 93 by Saturday.

More From ESPN Western Colorado