Van-Tramp adventures 2016

[akrvbob]

In another 6 weeks when the wildflowers explode, it'll knock your socks off!!
Bob

 

[akrvbob]

Fantastic hike in the area is Beckwith Pass on Kebler Pass Rd. Be very wary of afternoon thunderstorms and hail.
Bob

 

[masterplumber]

If you have mountain bikes with you, Crested Butte has by far the best trails on the mountain I've ever ridden. And you don't have to have all the latest most expensive gear to have fun - I have a 1990s Diamond Back that does just fine. Just about any hike in the West Elk Wilderness is awesome - right smack dab in the middle is where I spend a week every year hunting the mighty Wapiti. If you're up to another backpacking trip, you could fish Sheep Lake. The biggest Trout I've ever caught came from there. Basic directions are drive 40 miles over Kebler pass toward Paonia. Turn south on a 2 track called Coal Creek Rd. Drive 12 miles to the end and then hike 9 miles in. It's on the Trails Illustrated map. If you're not up to that right now, Paonia is one of my favorite small Colorado towns - it's got a cool little downtown area, and a High School Wrestling team that can kick butt on any of the big 5A teams - nothing like Farm Boy strong.

 

[Van-Tramp]

In another 6 weeks when the wildflowers explode, it'll knock your socks off!!
Bob

Yes, I have seen the pictures of the flowers... and the crowds, so thankfully we will be long gone by then.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Another Lost Lake
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/another-lost-lake/
 
Many miles down a gravel road, through aspen groves, and over another mountain pass, is yet another Lost Lake in Colorado. No, this is not the same Lost Lake from my Rocky Mountain National Park hike way back, but maybe this one is a long lost sibling or something. With a day to burn, Kerri and I set down that long and winding road and followed the signage to the Lost Lake Campground, where planned to start a hike around the Three Lakes Trail.

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Unknown to us is that the road leading up the the campground comes to a screeching halt because of not one, but two downed trees blocking the road ahead. Forest crews have yet to come out to fix the road blockage and there are no signs stating a road closure. We are finding this as the norm in high-country Colorado, where random roads are closed or blocked with no notice at all.

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We set out of foot from the road blockage in hopes of still completing the 2.8 mile  loop trail on top of the additional mileage but after only a few hundred yards I knew it was not going to happen.

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The road up to the campground was still another 2 miles, and it was all uphill. By the time we reached the campground, and the trailhead for the loop, we were both already done in. Instead we sat at one of the picnic tables, ate a snack, enjoyed some chipmunks nearby, and snapped a few photographs before turning back to the truck.

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While the mountains did beat us, we certainly were not the losers in the battle as we still took a nice 4 mile hike.

 

[rvpopeye]

Once again , thx for the trip log/photos !
Maybe you'll have to include a chain saw in the pack ????

 

[Van-Tramp]

Maybe you'll have to include a chain saw in the pack ????

Yes, yes! I have been very vocal about getting a chainsaw but Kerri is against it. Every new tree across the road is more ammunition in my argument.

 

[rvpopeye]

Bring a wedge and a small maul or you'll end up leaving it in a tree with the bar stuck in a cut !!!
(And there goes your ammunition ...)

 

[masterplumber]

I don't usually carry my chain saw, but I do always have a good bow saw and an ax with me. I've actually had a tree fall across the road I was already down, blocking the way out. Also carry a tow strap as many of the trees that fall are heavier than I can move, even when cut up.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Somewhere between Marble and Crystal
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/somewhere-between-marble-and-crystal/

We set out from Crested Butte on Saturday afternoon, with backpacks and supplies ready, navigated over Kebler Pass (our 3rd time already), all to visit a location less than 20 miles away from camp, as the crow flies. For us land-based-mammals we had to drive more than 80 miles to get there, with roughly half being dirt/gravel road. But, as we all too well know, plans rarely go smoothly.

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The truck shows it’s adventure-scars well


The rain started right as as left Crested Butte, with still 30+ miles of gravel road to the West before we got to highway 133 on the other side of the Pass. The traffic was light and the mud was heavy but we made it after an hour’s drive. North was our new compass heading, but only for 20 or so miles before turning back to the East for another 10 miles. Our path, most of the shape of an upper-case C, only brought us to the other side of Mt Baldy to the town of Marble, CO which, as you can imagine, was home of a large marble quarry back in the late 1800’s and continues today. Here we stopped for a late lunch, and the plan was to then hike out the rugged dirt road towards the old ghost town of Crystal before the sun set, but upon asking some advice from a local, we changed our plans.

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The brick ovens in Redstone, CO used to “coke” the coal pulled from the nearby mountains.

Instead, we went in search of a natural hot-spring further north, but after repeated attempts to find it and failing we came upon a crowd of cars on the side of the highway which became clear was the location. Only, the hot spring was buried under the current of the mighty Crystal River as it’s swollen mass of spring time snow melt flowed passed us. The opportunity for a natural bath was beyond us, but we spotted our fair share of road-side waterfalls.

 [img=200x300]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/IMG_9535.CR2_-200x300.jpg[/img]


Now late into the afternoon we searched for a place to camp. Multiple established campgrounds were at capacity and the same was true for the dispersed camping area. The frustration was setting in. It was the final forest road on our radar that finally did the trick, and we had it all to ourselves. A quarter-mile hike out from the trailhead, pitched tent, cool beer, and a quick dinner finished off the day in quick order. We did not last much longer than the sun.

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Our own private meadow in the forest
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Packed up and ready to start the next day

The following morning we returned to our original plan, somewhat. Driving back into, and through, Marble we started up the twisted more-rock-than-dirt road that lead out of town and even closer to our camp in Crested Butte. Two miles out of town, and roughly 1000 feet above, is the tiny Lizard Lake. Here we found our next night’s spot and quickly claimed it by pitching tent again, this time right on the edge of the lake.
[img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Photo-Jun-12-2-27-58-PM-1024x577.jpg[/img]
Our home for the night
 [img=474x267]http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Photo-Jun-12-2-27-14-PM-1024x577.jpg[/img]
Our view…

We opted to “stay in” for the afternoon and organize our food stores, explore the nearby trees and lakeside, and have a raging Kerri-built fire to stave off the mosquitoes . Byron and Moose did their thing. In the meantime, and before we knew it, the sun was setting on yet another successful day of camping. Although we tried to stay up late, our eyes were closed before the light drained from the sky.

More images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/somewhere-between-marble-and-crystal/ 

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Our very own sunset over the lake

The final morning was a big one. We quickly repacked all our gear into the truck, but instead of starting back to the Airstream we took off further down that rocky/dirt road which only got worse. 6 more miles of some of the worst dirt, rock, cliff-side road you can imagine and we finally reached our primary destination for the weekend trip; The Crystal Mill just outside the ghost town of Crystal, Colorado (dating back to the 1890’s).

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Even though our original plan  of backpacking out the 6 mile road and camping along the way did not work out, we had the ability to adapt and change to still have one great adventure. This was the first time we setup and broke camp each of the two day/nights out and we learned a lot on how we can efficiently do all of that as a couple. We are still learning the amount of supplies we need to carry, both for true backpacking – like our last adventure – and for the car-camping we did this weekend… and I must say that learning how to do it all is part of, if not most of, the fun of all this.

More images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/somewhere-between-marble-and-crystal/

 

[masterplumber]

I think Crystal Mill is one of the most iconic Colorado mountain vistas there is. Thanks for taking the rest of us along for the ride with your posts and pictures.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah great pics and story. I love the way the truck looks. to me that truck looks like fun. highdesertranger

 

[Van-Tramp]

Boondocking at a Stagecoach Stop
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/boondocking-at-a-stagecoach-stop/


Sometimes you just have to take them as they come, and Saturday was one of those days. After a long-haul from Crested Butte we were nearing our destination of Hot Sulphur Springs. With the sun hanging low and our mood following the same path, we decided to scout a County Road to camp for the night. As it turned out, we were not the first travelers to stop here.

Originally built by James and Katherine Gates in the 1880s, the Rock Creek Stage Stop served as a family home, hotel, post office, and stage stop.  It was a halfway station on the first Wells Fargo mail route into Yampa Valley and as a service center for settlers until the railroad line took over in 1887. Travelers going between Steamboat Springs and Kremmling stopped here before continuing their journey.  The stage stop is listed on National Register of Historic Places. – coloradopreservation.org

It was here, along a historic stage route and on the grounds of a historic hotel that we settled in for a single night’s stay to break up the long drive. With the Rock Creek as our backdrop the sun set and the almost-full-moon rose to give us yet another peaceful evening and night in the Colorado high country.
Yea, it’ll do.

 

[highdesertranger]

beautiful. that hotel looks in great shape, what did the inside look like? highdesertranger

 

[rvwandering]

That looks like a wonderful spot!
I like the new look on your blog.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Rocky Mountain National Park West
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/rocky-mountain-national-park-west/

With only a single [non-work] day being camped near the West side of the National Park, I had to get Kerri in to see some of the sights, but it was going to be a bit of a crunch. The West side of the park has it’s own feel; more natural and  a lot less crowds makes it very attractive to someone like myself.

I got her into the park last year when we were in Colorado, but we did not make it up onto Trail Ridge Road as it was still snowed in at the time. This year we lucked out that the road had just opened only a few weeks ago, so getting up there at 12,000 foot elevation was priority number one. As usual, the elk were hanging out in the cooler air and we stopped in at the Visitor’s Center up top, but for the most part it was a simple auto-tour of the highest paved through-road in the United States.



After our sight seeing, it was time to get to hiking. Back down the twisting road but still deep in the park is the Colorado River Trail which follows the river up into the mountains. If followed to it’s end, the literal birthplace, the exact point, of the mighty Colorado can be viewed. I have dreamed of that for years, and while the trail was on the agenda of the day, the full hike out was not. Instead, Lulu City was out destination 3.7 miles up the trail.



During the hike, we ran into our fair share of wildlife. Elk, mountain goats, a mamma and baby moose, and a colony of very stout little marmots. One marmot in particular refused to give way to us on the trail, instead blocking us from passing for a good minute or two until I [very wearily] stepped forward and barked at it… which got ignored. It eventually moved enough for us to pass by, but I have to admit it was intimidating.



Eventually, after much huffing-n-puffing, we made it to the old city site, and found… pretty much nothing. An open are in the trees makes it clear where the town once stood, but nothing of the structures actually remain of the old mining settlement. Lulu City once had a hotel, post office, courthouse and four timber mills, but none of those have lasted the years.





The old town site  is nestled right on the Colorado River making it the first time we got to see it in 3 or so miles of the 3.7 mile trail. I’m really not sure why they call it the Colorado River Trail. The river itself is always out of sight. I mean, I hiked this trail thinking it follows the river, not climbs up the hillside, deep into the trees for miles. Nevertheless, the hike is done and I can check it off my list. I’m happy I got to finally hike it.

 

[USExplorer]

Great high country scenery! In your third picture, do you know why are half of the trees are leafless?

 

[Van-Tramp]

Great high country scenery! In your third picture, do you know why are half of the trees are leafless?

They are the trees killed by the bark-beetle. Totally natural, happens every so often throughout history for all of the American West, Canada, and Alaska. The Rockys have been hit particularly hard these past few years, with about half of all trees being killed. It sounds depressing, but actually it is much like how a forest-fire kills huge areas of trees only to allow the forest freedom to regrow even better than before. Right now there are tons of saplings about 3-4 feet tall all over the place. In a few more years, the dead trees will all have fallen, and the saplings will take their place. Nature is wonderful.

 

[Gunny]

Thanks for taking the time to remind us what a beautiful country we have...

 

[Van-Tramp]

Grand Lake boondocking
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/grand-lake-boondocking/

So, yea… our plans changed [again] since we were last at Crested Butte. With a heat wave rolling through the state, we decided against going to Black Canyon of the Gunnison and then off to Dinosaur National Monument. Those areas were going to be seeing 90’s and up, and there is no way you want to be without air conditioning in that kinda heat in Colorado. So, we aimed high… high elevation that is.


This past week we have been parked in the National Forest just outside of Grand Lake. While it served the purpose of free-camping (4 weeks straight, thankyouverymuch) and cooler temps, the place has gotten a lot more crowded since last I was here. Just about overrun with OHV riders and the big 5th wheels they come with. Still, we found a good spot a little further out than originally planned, and the traffic was manageable. It was to be a short week here anyway – just a single fun-day and the rest were all work-days. At least we did make it back into the National Park for a short drive and hike, but not much else was accomplished other than the boring stuff.

The afternoons in Colorado during the summer are always exciting. Thunderstorms rolled through, one in particular with a ton of lightening, keeping up just wet enough but not too wet. The local Moose family came out for dinner one evening and hung out right outside the trailer for a half-hour or so. And that about caps the excitement of this week. We are off to [near] Steamboat Springs for a few weeks, which should be a bit more exciting and our finale to this summer’s Colorado camping.

More images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/grand-lake-boondocking/