Hellbent for weather (Colorado trip report)

[86Scotty]

....but we didn't know about this weather. Monsoon season in Colorado while the rest of the world is on fire? Who'da thunk it.

Well, back in a van and no time to get away for the first couple months but we finally escaped. Queue up Fastball's 'The Way' about here. The goal was to fly across the plains from Tennessee to the front range of the Rockies as quickly as possible, get in as much offroading, hiking and camping as we could with one week off and get back to work the following Monday. It mostly worked.

Day one: Home to Forrest City AR, 400 miles. It was her birthday and she didn't want to spend it all day in the car. She demanded freedom until noon while I whispered quietly to her several times "honey, take your time packing. We have plenty of time!" Ok, that's not at all what I said several times. Nothing like it. Eventually we knocked out the first leg of the trip to a Comfort Suites in a greasy spot in the road called Forrest City, Arkansas. There is no forest, there is no city. There was also basically no breakfast as we were told. Moving on....

Day two: I hate the plains in the summer. Drove 1000 miles. I think it's the third time I've done this. It's never what I would call fun but it is nice to be productive and easier to do with no kids in the car anymore. It's also easier if you are driving west during the summer and gaining an hour each day with the sun not setting until 9 pm. I've heard some people stop while driving across the country. I have never seen a need to stop between the Appalachians and the Rockies. We just stopped for fuel and Chili's. We hit Raton, NM about dusk and made for camp just west of Walsenburg CO. It was far from epic but it was cool and free of humidity and we had the 'lake' to ourselves. Slept like a rock and now ready for adventure.

Morning tea on an Aluminess box, that's livin'!
CO by K A, on Flickr

Oh, that's supposed to be a lake in the background ^^^.....back before the world dried up.

CO by K A, on Flickr

Day 3: Slowly made our way across hwy 50 bound for Owl Creek Pass/Silverjack Reservoir area with one particular campsite in mind. There are a million. I love this certain one. Stopped at Monarch Pass and hiked a few miles of the CDT that crosses there. Stopped for groceries and fuel in Gunnison, unexpectedly waited in construction for an hour or two along 50, made camp late afternoon. Low and behold my favorite campsite in the whole freakin' state was empty! The week before July 4th! Perhaps other people know how to check the forecast. We cooked steak in the light rain and wished we could have a campfire. Oh well.

Monarch Pass
CO by K A, on Flickr

Camp
CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

All good hikes start with a hearty breakfast.......said a guy who didn't probably didn't hike much, but it's vacation...
CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

[86Scotty]

Day four: Well, that started above I guess. Made breakfast, broke camp, headed to the East Fork Trail near Owl Creek Pass. This is a popular route to two of CO's 14'ers, Uncompagre Peak and Wetterhorn Peak. We did Uncompagre last summer from the Lake City side. ***Highly recommend! We had no plans to hike that much today but wanted to hike out to some unbelievable meadows we knew about on this trail. It also runs along the Cimarron River as far as you want to go. We got in about 10 or so miles and were glad to be out of the van and the rain for a minute. Sorry about all of the iPhone pano shots. I guess I like that setting but it can make one a little dizzy looking at them.

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

About those meadows....
CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

After this we had a late lunch and went on over the pass trying to get a cell signal and make sure the kids hadn't burnt down the house and more importantly needing to get a weather forecast. We sat in a torrential downpour at a gas station in Ridgeway and since everything other possibility was rained out we just went on to make camp at our next trailhead. Exchange between some guy from TN and the wasted youth running the register at the gas station. Me, "Hey, just the coffee. Weird weather out here this week. We come out here a lot and it never rains like this."
Him, "Yeah, it's like a monsoon or something coming through bro. You've got some seriously bad timing. It's supposed to be hella windy and raining for the next week".
Me, "Thanks! And a nice day to you as well!"

This hike, much anticipated, was the Blue Lakes trail up Mt. Sneffels out of Ridgeway. Plenty of off grid camping at the trailhead. We had an amazing spot right on the river but couldn't enjoy it due to the rain. I need an awning.

CO by K A, on Flickr

Day 5: Up bright an early to catch this hike before the afternoon rain. Clear day but everything soaked. No pancakes. This hike is no joke. 2k or so elevation gain in the first couple miles. Unbelievable though. It's one of the most popular hikes in Colorado and I had never heard of it before she read about it recently. If I had known this I probably would not have wanted to do it, which would've been a mistake. It's busy but we were there on a rainy weekday so not too bad.

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

At the lower lake (there are 3)
CO by K A, on Flickr

At the upper lake looking up at the summit of Mt. Sneffels. We will be back to bag this summit but it wasn't in the cards that day. It's another couple thousand vertical feet to the top and the weather was moving in fast

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

Picnic looking down at the lower lake
CO by K A, on Flickr

Well, as expected the rains did come and we were soaked to the bone by the time we got back to the van. It was a hilarious slippery, soggy, miserable parade of hikers running down the mountain. Mass exodus. Good times.

We dried out and decided to head to Telluride for pizza and beer. We did run Last Dollar Rd. over instead of the highway and it never disappoints

CO by K A, on Flickr

Note to weary travelers, the campground in Telluride has fresh water and token showers, just park by the bathhouse. There is never any staff around to ask or deny permission. Shower token machine is out back. I share this because unless you get a room we have found no showers anywhere near here, especially since covid. Also, few places to fill your water.

We headed up to Alta Lakes to camp. Not memorable, kind of run down. The ghost town and mining ruins up there are great though!

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

[86Scotty]

Day 6: That ghost town first thing that morning, then Ophir Pass and another short hike up there.

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

The rest of this day was spent driving south on 550 to Durango where we shopped, ate, drank and fought the neverending crowds at City Market. You know, the stuff you do in Durango.

Day 7: First we moped a little at having to head home soon, then we aired down and decided to see what this AWD van is capable of. Spoiler: It's capable of a lot, more than we did, but I would really like a low range T case.

Durango north to Silverton, aired down and headed up to Animas Forks to give Cinnamon Pass a go. Not bad, really. Should've tried Engineer but we never had run Cinnamon. People in side-by-sides give you weird looks at the top of Colorado passes when you are in a van or your Subaru. I really enjoy this.

CO by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

Then one of the biggest highlights of the trip, which most CO folks already know about but I had never even heard of it, American Basin. Unbelievable. Wildflowers for days. Pics don't do it justice.

CO by K A, on Flickr

American Basin by K A, on Flickr

CO by K A, on Flickr

The rest of this day we slowly rolled down the east side of Cinnamon Pass towards lake city. Had a nice picnic mid afternoon and aired the tires up one last time. We hit the road east and called it a decent way to spend a week.

Until next time.....

[Fitz]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING THIS.
It's been a couple of years since I have been back in CO. Covid killed off last year's planned CO trip, time to start planning....

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by Fitz

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR POSTING THIS.
It's been a couple of years since I have been back in CO. Covid killed off last year's planned CO trip, time to start planning....

Absolutely Fitz. There's no place like the CO high country to us. I would advise you to wait until school starts back to go though.

[marret]

Awesome, report and photos, Eric. Short and some wet weather, but looks like a great time.

Glad the van is working out.

I know exactly what you mean about beelining straight out west in the summer. Made a mistake not doing so my last trip.

Thanks for posting.

[Scalf77]

Eric, Great report, thanks for sharing.

-greg

[daveb]

That's some nice...fantastic looking area Eric. Wow

Great report, thanks.

[GunniLuv]

Hey Eric. I live north out of Gunnison. Wish I’d known you were headed this way. I’d have warned you about Hwy 50. They’re going to have that shut down for this summer AND NEXT. Major pain for the Gunni folks that have to go to Montrose regularly.

And yes, June 15 is the unofficial start to monsoon season. Rains many afternoons. As you found out, get your activities in in the morning. We didn’t get any monsoon rains last year and it was tinder dry with complete fire bans. Sorry you found out the hard way.

If you head this way again hit me up. Some amazing hiking around Gunnison and Crested Butte.

[b. rock]

Enjoying CO more than some of us that live here...nice work and thanks for the pics/motivation.