The plan for our trip to Colorado was simple: tour the state, taking in as many of the high mountain roads and views as we possibly could. After all, this was my first time really exploring the state in any real capacity, and we had a local Coloradoian with us, so we might as well take advantage of that.
We met up in Wyoming and spent a couple days making our way south - hitting peaks along the Continental Divide - before diving across the border with 14,000 foot peaks in our sights. Through Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest we made our way south past Hahn's Peak to the Agnes Mountains. From there, we headed towards Steamboat Springs, then Radium Springs, and then up into the real mountains. Our first was Cottonwood Peak, which brought us to a cool 11,200 feet - high, but still not Colorado high. That would come as we explored Chihuahua Gluch and the towering mountains that surround it. Add the mining and ghost town remnants, and it was the start of something really special that we indulged in for the next several days - bagging many cool trails (Webster Pass, Red Cone, Radical Hill, and Mosquito Pass) and exploring several cool sights along the way (Champion Mill, the old rail line up Hancock Pass, and more).
And then - on our way to the highest peak yet - Mt. Antero - disaster struck. And not just once; it struck three times! So, sit back and enjoy the story, I know we enjoyed it as it happened!
Exploring Colorado Becomes Redhead Down | #1 - September 15, 2019. It was 2:00pm when I parted ways with Pops in eastern California - our relaxing trip into the Sierras just the start of a 3 week journey for me. The next two weeks would be adventuring to - and then through - Wyoming and Colorado with some…
Redhead Down #2: WTF, There's a Bat in My Tent! - September 16, 2019. I didn't wait in Rawlins long before Monte @Blackdawg and his dad Steve @woodnick showed up at the gas station across the street. Their trucks fueled up, we said our warm hellos and set about our first task of the trip - buying firewood. It's here -…
Redhead Down #3: We Cross into Colorado - The clear Wyoming skies meant that it was a very cold night. Everything covered in frost - including our pillows and sleeping bags where we'd been breathing on them as we cozied down for warmth - even Monte @Blackdawg came out of his tent in the morning, glad for the…
Redhead Down #4: Follow Me on the Trail, Not on the 'Gram - Night was chilly but not really cold, validating our move to a lower elevation camp site the evening before, and the sun quickly warmed camp in the morning as it rose over the Agnes Mountains. Happy to be a band of four again, and excited to get underway, we all…
Redhead Down #5: The Race - Everyone was up around about the usual time, our spot in the trees giving us a bit more shade than normal, but also helping to keep the frost at bay during the night. As everyone made breakfast, I headed over and asked Mike @Digiratus one of the strangest questions I…
Redhead Down #6: Chihuahua, Webster, Red Cone and Radical! - As it seems many of our nights in Colorado were, this one was a cold one. Camped at 10,400', that was probably to be expected, but I didn't expect my packaged of baby wipes to be frozen in the morning, and my morning clean-up wasn't a pleasant experience given that they…
Redhead Down #7: The Day We Made a Bench - Without a fire, it was another cold night and I was glad for my Little Hotties, their 8-hour life just long enough to keep my toes toasty until it was time to get up. And - at least for me - toasty toes are a key factor to the rest…
Redhead Down #8: Exploring the Champion Mill - Having gone to bed late, and camped at the bottom of a valley between two, 13,000' peaks that kept the sun from hitting camp, everyone was up relatively late the next morning. Mostly. I just happened to wake up and look out the tent door when the sun was in…
Redhead Down #9: The Last Hour - The day started out like any other. I was up a little before sunrise looking for color, and while there wasn't much, I did get a little splash on the horizon that seemed to mimic the angle of Brett @Squeaky Penguin's GFC. While the clear skies may have minimized the…
Redhead Down #10: Dealing with the Fallout - Still unsure exactly what the day would hold, we were up before 9:00am to get an early start on figuring out how to get the Redhead home. As we broke down camp, I happened to notice that if I stood in just the right place, I got a single bar…
Rig Review: Whipsaw & Colorado 2019 - What worked and what didn't? - September 30, 2019. It was another whirlwind of trips through August and September, with three more trips and 21 more nights now in the books: The Whipsaw Trail in BC, Canada, a trip with Pops to the California Sierra, and a nearly two-week adventure through Wyoming and Colorado. Of those, the…