Mountain Biking in Fruita, Colorado

Highline Lake Campground

Just off Interstate 70, near the dusty Colorado-Utah border, Highline Lake State Park sits as an oasis for campers and mountain bikers.    With Airstream Bambi in tow, I joined a Denver mountain biking club for a long weekend of great single-track riding in this area.

Labor Day 2011 at Lake Pueblo State Park

Bambi and TV

Work and other commitments have kept me from hitching up and heading out for a few weeks, but the Labor Day holiday finally offered the chance to camp at Lake Pueblo State Park.   It was a fun weekend of relaxing in the camper, enjoying the company of some biking buddies, tubing down a lazy river, and mountain biking in the nearby hills around the reservoir.

Second Maiden Voyage with Bambi II

Campsite at Mary's Lake Campground

So for the first time out with the new camper we headed to familiar territory, Estes Park, Colorado.  It is a little over an hour's drive from home, through a scenic canyon, and at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.    It was an ideal location to test out everything and make sure the plumbing worked, the lights functioned, the A/C ran okay, etc.  Happy to report there were no major problems.

On the Road Again

After a 3-year hiatus, I am happy to report that I am on the road again with an Airstream trailer.  It is a different trailer this time, but it is the same size and floor plan as before.

Estes Park, CO

This turned out to be the final camping trip of the season. The days are getting shorter and colder, but the Fall colors are peaking, and the aspens are ablaze across the mountainsides. It is my very favorite time of the year. The air is crisp, and the sky seems to turn an even more brilliant blue than normal. It is also the time that the bull elk begin to bugle during their Fall rut. Their eerie calls echo across the valleys at dusk, and the bulls can often be seen fighting each other and competing for mates. It is a great time to visit Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and take in these sights and more.

Pawnee Campground at Brainard Lake, CO

We camped at the Pawnee Campground (10,345') in the Brainard Lake Recreational Area. This is a favorite destination only an hour's drive from Boulder, CO, in the Roosevelt National Forest. It is popular with hikers because it offers a large number of trails at a variety of difficulty levels. One afternoon we took a moderate, 3-mile hike up to Lake Isabelle and had lunch in the shadow of Shoshoni Peak. The scenery is spectacular in this area, so be sure to bring your camera and hiking shoes if you come.

Buena Vista, Colorado

We traveled to beautiful Buena Vista, CO, on this late summer trip, about 130 scenic miles southwest of Denver. There are many RV campgrounds in the area, but we chose a KOA campground just outside the edge of town. This was one of the nicer KOA's we have stayed at. It sits atop a hill overlooking a broad valley with stunning views of the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness as a backdrop.

Molly Brown Campground - Leadville, CO

Leadville, Colorado, and the Turquoise Lake area draw many tourists for summer festivals, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. During our stay, Leadville was putting on its annual "Boom Days" celebration, which features a variety of fun events for all ages, including a car show, a street fair, races, and colorful townsfolk, many of whom are dressed period costumes. We had almost as much fun watching the people as we did sampling the food and shopping at the many festival booths.

Mountaindale Campground - second visit

We enjoyed the Mountaindale Campground near Colorado Springs so much last time that we came back for a second visit in mid-July.

This trip was a comedy of minor mishaps and bad luck beginning with a rainy drive through thunderous downpours.

Grand Lake, Colorado, Revisited

We towed the Airstream back up to the Stillwater Campground for the second visit this season. The weather was much warmer on this trip, and, fortunately we did not have to deal with snow this time.  We also tried something new and rented a pontoon boat at Shadow Mountain Lake. We had a great time boating across the water until the sky clouded up like the Apocalypse.