West Colorado 2016: Boondocking the Highest Elevations

[Barretta2]

Sounds interesting. We live in Silverthorne, CO all summer (elevation about 8,600'. I'm a professional artist and my husband is an excellentt fly fisherman. Always looking for OtG sites that afford paintable vistas and good trout streams that we can camp next to.
BTW, I have a 23 FC which I tow with my 5.7 V-8 Jeep Grand Cherokee...so the A/S is our only clearance concern.

Mid- to late July timeframe may be pushing it if we get a true El Niño winter as predicted.

So--might any of you share similar interests?

[JamuJoe]

Ray,
Just the conversation to inspire me before Thanksgiving. I'll be following this thread, taking notes, and hoping to join and explore some new areas if we return from our sailing season in good time. Our camping also got sidetracked this year by a move into a new home in Hesperus, CO. We're at 7700 ft, gazing across Wildcat Canyon at the La Platas. 6" of snow earlier this week made it all the prettier. We'll roll the Airstream down the mountain after Christmas and head for the sailboat in Fl, returning sometime in July.


Safe Travels,
Jamu Joe

[mfrez]

We are new Airstream owners in our late 50's that live in the Denver area. I'm an avid outdoor person, have climbed all the Colorado 14ers (54 of 'em), and have camped extensively throughout Colorado. Would be interested in July-August dates. Agree with other posters that this year is dumping heavy snows, so anything before July 1 would probably have issues.
Would be happy to answer any questions about specific areas. My favorites would be around Lake City, Twin Lakes and Cottonwood Pass areas outside of Buena Vista, anywhere around Ouray and Telluride, and the Never Summer Range around Walden.
Don't need air conditioning, plenty of water from streams with the proper filters, and more star viewing than just about anywhere else! Gather your own wood and have a campfire. Don't leave any food outside and you won't have any bear issues, I haven't seen one in probably 10 years.
I will follow the thread, should be a good ongoing discussion!

[Kittyfeet]

There are some nice campgrounds south of Telluride. Matterhorn is at about 9500 ft, I think. Also from Almont to Taylor lake, there are some nice camps.

[D Bishop]

One of our favorite places to camp above 8000 ft is at Cascade Camp Ground about 5 miles above Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. It is right on the bank of Cascade Creek and the sound of the babbling brook is very peaceful. From the camp ground you can drive on up to St. Elmo and play with the Chipmonks and view one of the best preserved Historic Mining Camps and if you wish you can drive on up to Cottonwood Pass. The road is very passable until you are above St. Elmo a few miles. 4 Wheel drive is not a must but close.

Another place for us to camp at 8000 ft is Alvarado Camp Ground about 5 miles SW of Westcliffe, Co. This one is especially handy for us since it is only about 5 miles from our home in Silver Cliff. The road to the top of Hermit Pass is not well maintained now as it was when we built our first Cabin here. At that time we could drive our Mercury Monteray to the Hermit Lake parking lot and walk about 1/4 mile to the Lake to fish, it is all we can do to stay on our ATV now but the ride is worth it if you can hang on. Another benefit of Alvarado is it is only a Sip and a Jump to as fine a Café as you will most likely run into. It is Alpine Lodge and we eat there on a lot of special occasions.

If you are interested I can most likely help you set up a fun weekend.

Don B.

[Gene]

The first time I came to Colorado in 1976, I drove up to St. Elmo with a '73 Honda Civic. At that altitude, the car used enormous amounts of gas, but there was one pump in the town. Otherwise, I would have had to push the car (not all that hard when I was in my 30's and Civics were very light in those days) until I could roll down to Princeton Hot Springs. Lots of interesting mining stuff up there. There's an old mining road over the mountain to the west side that has been maintained by a 4wd club, but I don't know if it is open. If I recall, there is an old tunnel (it may have been a narrow gauge roadbed long ago). I drove up to it once, but that was many years ago. With the snow we are getting this year, it may not be clear until August.

I don't think you can drive directly from St. Elmo to Cottonwood Pass, but have to go back down to the valley. Cottonwood is closed in winter, paved on the east side, but washboard dirt on the west side. It is drivable with a trailer (slowly), but lots of things will move around. It is one access to the very pretty Taylor River valley, a large reservoir, many FS camping sites, and the small town of Tincup.

If you are into exploring old mining roads, you need 4wd and a small truck or SUV. A large truck will do it, but if you meet someone else coming the other way, you may have trouble getting past each other while the one on the outside has to get right up to the edge while looking down a 1,000' or so. There are many old pass roads and other mining era roads in this area, some of them very scary. I don't know if The Colorado Pass Book is still in print, but it is a valuable resource if you want to explore the high country. The problem for us with 25' or longer trailers is that we don't usually pull them with smaller vehicles and it is difficult to drive full size trucks on narrow roads. "Roads" may make them sound better than they are—call them Jeep trails.

Gene

[Ray Eklund]

We have returned from the Tucson Rock Show and Gilbert Ray RV Park. Vendors from across the world and returned with wonderful wood carved hiking "staffs" and owls from Indonesia. I already have more rocks than one can consider reasonable...

There are some very experienced Colorado Boondockers already posting on this Thread. I am not among this group of experience, but would welcome any PM's contacts, towards a group think tank of planning some Adventure in the future. My resume is that of the "accidental tourist" living in Colorado. Never intending to expand our experiences in the High Country until this year. Now is the time.

I find Base Camping most appropriate in Colorado and then traveling into the some of the most beautiful mountain scenery to be found in the United States. Many of the base camping locations are accessible to most trailer lengths. Anything under 25 feet is most flexible in Base Camping Colorado. After a first season, trailer lengths will be determined as base camps develop. Actually, the preferred for trailer camps.

This would be NON RV Commercial sites. National Forest and BLM Boondocking.

We will be back in Castle Rock, CO mid March from the Mohave and Sonoran Deserts in the Southwest this Winter.

Anyone in Colorado wanting to put something together... I am anxious and ready to get started. The fishing, hiking, biking, rock hunting and just admiring what remains of wilderness and remote camping still exists at the bases of this towering spine of the United States.

[TinMan.KC]

Hi, new to forum, been looking at travel trailers and like the A\S, looking for how they work as an Off-Road bondocking rig... Found this thread, seemed like a good place to start.

Thx!

[Ray Eklund]

Due to the large volume of emails coming into my regular home email account, I am today, officially using an email address just for any Boondocking Adventure Threads and interest. This also alleviates the Private Messages needed on the website as well.

My wife Nancy will be keeping records and maintaining them. I appreciate the work Maggie has done in 2015, but now it is time for me to step up and keep everything under one trailer roof.

This is my direct email address for 2016 and beyond.

boondockingairstream@gmail.com

[Gene]

Tin',

Most travel trailers, if not all, are not made for rough roads, especially high clearance ones. Airstreams sit lower than many, of not all, and are even more unsuited. A bumpy, not well maintained road, may be ok if you go slowly, but it would be best to unhitch before wandering into the unknown and check out the road. Turning a trailer around or backing out miles is not an experience most people enjoy, though a few years later, may provide a good story.

As someone with a thirst for exploring that side road that goes somewhere, maybe, towing a trailer has been difficult. There's a car commercial (Subaru?) where a man and either his teen daughter or his very young wife contemplate whether to take the road less traveled despite the possible dangers ahead. They choose the dirt road, but they aren't towing a trailer.

And, you can camp somewhere near that road to adventure and then take your tow vehicle, but if you have a full-sized truck, it may be too big for 4wd roads. I have the scratches in the side of our truck from narrow 4wd roads in Idaho to prove it.

Solutions are a small trailer and thus a smaller tow vehicle, a MH with a small toad, or hiking.

Gene

[Ray Eklund]

Gene is correct. People driving a Subaru in a commercial have no common sense. Although I do like the 4x4 wagon for normal daily use. Taking the less traveled road by impulse... is not the way to tow any trailer, as well.

Commercials require NO maps. You just happily drive into the wilderness and feed the Grizzly Bears and Mountain Lions. There usually is a Resort BEHIND the camera crew making the commercial, appearing to be in the National Forests wilderness.

The Donner Party stuck in the High Sierras... is a great example of people not having an idea of what they were doing. Examples are everywhere.

Death Valley was named, well...it is not pleasant in the Summer for foot traffic.

If my Airstream's quality today is inferior to my 2006... then call me what you like. Not knowing what I am doing in choice of dependability. My 2014 is open for close inspection by the curious. I will also point out those small improvements that Airstream never thought to do.

Those who DO travel off the asphalt, might just know exactly what they are doing. I do it every year of my life. Never been stuck. Never been stranded. Never mistook a logging trail as a county road. I see more vehicles with trailers pulled over along the side of the Interstate Highways.

Some trailer owner may have no idea of what they are doing, but should not reflect upon those who do. Off the Grid takes a bit of common sense, good road maps and experience. You do not get it by reading posts on a Forum. You get experience by following those who do.

By ignoring Wally Byam and his Caravan Travels make our travels seem trivial. An Airstream CAN handle Off the Grid and National Forest Campgrounds. It might be the individual who does not have the capacity to understand.

Some of my roughest, most problematic... are gas stations and their RV and 18 wheeler parking lots.

It is the inexperience of those who think they can do what they do not understand. Doctors have a Medical School to learn... Boondockers have each other. Until classes are offered to LEARN Off the Grid traveling... we have to help one another. I am stepping forward and offering what little I have to improve everyone's ability to travel where... no film crew dare to travel.

[Lily&Me]

And we greenhorns appreciate it, Ray.

Wish I could do this trip with y'all, but my commitments are elsewhere and it will just have to be Wyoming for us for 2016.

I'm expectin' that them that go this year find the best spots and get all the bugs worked out for those of us in 2017.


Maggie

[ColoradoLady]

Ray and Nancy, I look forward to being a part of the "greenhorn club" who appreciate the gift that you both offer to those of us who have not ventured so far off the beaten, paved road. Thank you, in advance.

[Ray Eklund]

Maggie and Evelyn... got me thinking, again.

Airstream Greenhorn Club

Might be a Thread in the making... women are just smarter than men.

[ColoradoLady]

Also, what do you think of a SOLO TRAVELERS CLUB? Evelyn.

[Ray Eklund]

Originally Posted by ColoradoLady

Also, what do you think of a SOLO TRAVELERS CLUB? Evelyn.

*****

Evelyn.... looks like you meet the requirements.

You are Solo with a Great Idea and already have a name of the thread:

Solo Travelers Club

Probably under: Airstream Lifestyle Forum

Get busy. Time is a wasting.... I would have to make it up as I go. You have the experience.

[ColoradoLady]

Ray, I've never organized a club...but, perhaps I'll throw it out there and see where it goes! Nothing ventured...nothing gained. Evelyn.

[Ray Eklund]

With the posting of the Thread: Boondocking School for Greenhorns

I am altering the idea of several experienced Off the Grid trailer owners locating sites for Colorado 2017... and focusing upon those wanting some Off the Grid experience this Summer.

If there is enough interest Nancy and I would assist newbies and greenhorns to become comfortable traveling and camped at an Off the Grid camp site. There we can practice navigating and selecting a camp site.

Five days and meeting at Castle Rock, CO. There are three potential gathering places for those interested in Douglas County, Colorado and departing at our cul-de-sac to depart. This is for Greenhorns, but anyone can attend, even assist if you would like to help. Destination will be known... the morning we depart Castle Rock. We will be leaving on a MONDAY 9AM, or earlier if possible.

June or July 2016. Dates will follow once... we know and will give plenty of time so everyone can plan ahead.

Boondocking School for Greenhorns... is the Thread to follow. Nancy and I will have to locate Colorado sites for 2017 ourselves, and toss in some nice camping for those ready to learn Base Camping.