Press "Enter" to skip to content

Clear, Colorful, Colorado - The 3C Trip (Oct 2020)

There wasn't much of a question in any of our minds as to where our two week trip was going to take place for 2020. After our setback the previous year - see Exploring Colorado Becomes Redhead Down - much of the winter had been spent getting the Redhead ready to hit the trail. A few smaller excursions to iron out the wrinkles after all the work, and we were ready to go.

Colorado was calling. We wouldn't know if we were really ready until the end.

Prelude to Clear, Colorful, Colorado Prelude to Clear, Colorful, Colorado - This story starts a little differently than most. See, every year a core group of folks head out for a two-week-or-so excursion to a spectacular location for a bit of wheeling, a good dose of camping, and a ton of fun. But last year was different. I mean sure -…
We Arrive, and Our Timing is Perfect - Colorado #2 We Arrive, and Our Timing is Perfect | Colorado #2 - I should preface the title to this post with a bit of a caveat. Our perfect timing had nothing to do with when we all showed up at the camp site. In fact, only Dan @drr and Mike @Digiratus were really "on time." See, Mark @IDTrucks had coordinated a meeting…
The Day We Can't Unsee - Colorado #3 The Day We Can't Unsee | Colorado #3 - Well, that's an ominous title to the day. Guess we'd better get started. As we'd become accustomed to, the night was chilly - somewhere in the high-20°Fs or so - cold enough that the fridge cooled down again overnight without ever turning on. Being our second night, we were all…
Devil's Punchbowl Proves Too Treacherous - Colorado #4 Devil's Punchbowl Proves Too Treacherous | Colorado #4 - If there was a drawback to our primo camp site, it was that being in a valley meant that the sun didn't reach our position until sometime around 9:30am, two hours after sunrise. Of course, at that point, it was once again beautiful and warm, Dan @drr taking full advantage…
Oh Look, More Rocks! - Colorado #5 Oh Look, More Rocks! | Colorado #5 - Having arrived at camp well after dark, it was nice to get a look at the place as the sun came up the next morning. Nestled in the aspen, Mike @Digiratus and I were the first two out of our tents, and as he prepped his traditional cup of coffee,…
We Should Have Brought an American Flag - Colorado #6 We Should Have Brought an American Flag | Colorado #6 - The sun hit camp earlier than it had the previous few mornings, bringing a welcome warmth to our tents after the only night that would result in frost on their fabric. Breakfast of Honey Bunches of Oats and refreshingly cold milk in hand, I decided to explore the stream that…
Mt. Antero 2, Us 0 - Colorado #7 Mt. Antero 2, Us 0 | Colorado #7 - We were up bright and early... Ha! No we weren't, this was not a trip where early mornings were "a thing," with one exception that I'll get to eventually. In fact, I think I as the first one out of bed - a bit after 8:00am - and only because…
Tomichi is Open! - Colorado #8 Tomichi is Open! | Colorado #8 - We literally woke up in the shadow of Mt. Antero, to temperatures in the mid-20°F's. Despite the cold, I'd slept well - as did the rest of the crew - except for a bit of rustling during the night - little critters having discovered the open bag of chips that…
It's Mines! All Mines! - Colorado #9 It's Mines! All Mines! | Colorado #9 - It was cold when we woke up the next morning, but who the hell cares when a breakfast like this is in the works? Let's take a minute to appreciate exactly what we're looking at here. That's a ½ lb of some of the best - only available in Montana…
Why Haven't I Been to the Alpine Loop? - Colorado #10 Why Haven't I Been to the Alpine Loop? | Colorado #10 - We were up bright an early the next morning - all of us having gotten a good sleep at our "low" elevation of 8500 feet - so we could get out of camp by 8:00am. Mike @Digiratus was even up early enough to make himself a cup of coffee before…
We Wander Over Cinnamon Pass & Find Fire - Colorado #11 We Wander Over Cinnamon Pass & Find Fire | Colorado #11 - Having gone to bed at elevation, and a little worried about how cool it would get, I'd placed a Little Hottie warmer in each of my socks as I climbed into bed. For anyone wanting to keep warm at night, I can't recommend these enough - they have made nights…
Clear, Colorful, Colorado - The 3C Trip Redhead Down, Again?! | Colorado #12 - Morning was beautiful at the mouth of Cunningham Gulch, though we were in the shade for a while as the sun worked its way over the ridge to our east. I forget if it was Monte @Blackdawg or Dan @drr that asked, but one of them mentioned the small ponds…
The Best for Last - Black Bear and Imogene Pass - Colorado #13 The Best for Last - Black Bear and Imogene Pass | Colorado #13 - We awoke as we usually did, just before the sun spilled over our camp - the beginning of our last day on the trail. It would also be the day that we ran two of the most beautiful trails we'd encounter over the course of the entire trip. And -…
Rig Review - What Worked and What Didn't in Colorado? Rig Review - What Worked and What Didn't in Colorado? - October 12, 2020. There's no doubt about it, the truck worked pretty well on the Clear, Colorful, Colorado trip for the entirety of the two weeks. Heck, it even got me there and back on the highway - two 20+ hour drives straight, with a bunch of dirt thrown in-between.…

 

Leave your email and be the first to hear the rest of the story. No junk mail. Ever.
Loading

 

2 Comments

  1. Jeremy
    Jeremy December 2, 2020

    Love the pictures and details in the writing.

    • turbodb
      turbodb December 2, 2020

      Glad you're enjoying Jeremy!

Leave a Reply to turbodb Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *