Richards' 2011 Trip Report
Gunnison area to Steamboat Springs area
We did a good restock in Gunnison (when the scotch and wine supply gets low we start to get nervous). We also had a chance to check out several "off the grid" sites with our friends from Austin (Jim and Donna Axelson) which we used to get a primo site at a National Forest Campground (Lost Lake) ... right backed up to the lake with our patio tent out (the bugs were pretty bad). This campground had just opened 3 weeks before we got there because of the heavy seasonal snow. Anyway, on to the pictures and the rest of the trip report.
This is Lost Lake, about 17 miles west of Crested Butte ... our primo spot that we got lucky on. Actually, this is Lost Lake Slough .. an irrigation holding lake. Whatever ... the view is outstanding!
Our camp setup with the patio tent out because of the bugs (about the only problem with the location). The solar panel is cooking and no worries about batteries being charged.
On the edge of Lost Lake .. it's about 800 feet above where we were camping. This was about a 3 1/2 mile hike.
One of our first hikes, coming up on the actual Lost Lake, about a mile above the lake we were camping on ... Cindy taking in the view.
Dollar Lake ... another beautiful lake ... by now the bugs are awakening but the breeze came up and helped us out.
Cindy working our way over a stream and log jam.
Just another great day in the mountains ... this is about a 6 mile hike.
Since we felt reasonable after our first hike we decided to another one the next day .. to Beckwith Pass ... the idea being lots of mountain views with wildflowers in the meadows. We got both.
From Lost Lake we went down to Grand Junction to catch up on emails and reconnect. While there we did a morning tour of Colorado National Monument. We had heard it was worthwhile and it didn't disappoint.
View from Beckwith Pass ...
View down Monument Valley ... really great rock formations and colors.
Cindy on one of the lookout points .. she did well on this drive ... lots of big dropoffs!!
Late afternoon on the mountain behind our camp site at Bear Lake Campground. One day we did take off to visit Stagecoach State Park for future camping, Lake Dumont for future camping, and the town of Steamboat Springs (another tourist spot overrun with people ... not our ideal place ... pretty area though).
We were glad we took the time to make the drive. Next up on our unplanned journey is a drive up toward Steamboat Springs to try a campground "off the beaten path".
This is on the way to Bear Lake Campground in Northern Colorado ... we thought we would have the place to ourselves ... not exactly true. The out of state people may not know about it but the locals sure do ... lots of fishing and local campers .. but very quiet and isolated.
And the winner was .... Dumont Lake Campground. This is the view off our sitting side ... just a mile from Rabbit Ears Pass, about 20 miles east of Steamboat Springs ... wildflowers aboud
A view of our campsite at Dumont Lake ... very quiet and peaceful!
Wildflower photos
Mountain geraniums are all over the meadows.
Cindy's favorite ... Columbine ... very delicate
Paintbrush ... pockets surrounded by bluebonnets
Common mountain sunflowers ... hillsides covered with them. All over the meadows.
And this is Lake Dumont ... not good fishing but a nice setting for a picnic after a short walk from the campsite.
We may do a couple of hikes which I'll put on the next page. From here we plan to go into Wyoming ... Lander for a restock, who knows where from there??