Kevin's Road Trip Info

Kevin's Road Trip Info

Sunday

Denver i70 to wolcott

131 to yampa

Rd 8 flat tops scenic byway to meeker

Buford to trappers lake side trip

Overnight around meeker or near lake

 --  cant help any here, but looking forward to hearing about it later so you can give ME the advice! :)

Monday

Meeker 13 to rifle

I70 to exit 49 towards Mesa

Hwy65 towards cedar ledge

  -- guessing you won't go all the way into Cedaredge, you'll kinda know when its good to turn around.  Once you go past the long sort of straight section of road with the spectacular views all the way to the San Juans, might be a good time to head back north. 

Backtrack to collbran on 330

Rd265 towards 133

Overnight on road, or Carbondale

  I sent you  a few campspots along 265, I'm betting you'll want to camp back there.  Coming from Meeker, Grand Mesa and then the drive on 265 I think will be a good long day, so that would be my thought anyway.  And the overlook spot I showed (another image here) really is the best spot for sunset  for sure:

  Regarding that  overlook spot,  pay attention to the GPS (39° 6'55.68"N 107°30'17.14"W ), but you are looking for a small pull off "road" , this will be right before you enter some trees, and as the road curves left (see Google Maps link above).  You will also see a small 2-track going off to the left (another good car camp spot back there).  There will be an electric "fence" going across there for all the cow grazing up there.   Probably easier to  park across the road, and either limbo under the fence, or there is an orange handle that's easy to remove and replace when you go through:

Here is the thin fence and the road.  Photo overlook spot is behind me about 25 feet:

 Definitely electric though, I know from experience :)  Doh!   Since I sleep in the back of my truck I have many times removed the fence, and driven up and leveled out to camp right there.  Cook dinner in the back of my truck at the same time I'm shooting sunset! :)  

In this pic, the main road 265 is only about 20 feet in front of my car, just out of frame to the right here.  This is how I've parked to camp here in the back of my truck:

Turn around 180 degrees and you have this:

Here is a Google Maps link to the other great, flat campsite just a mile or so east  from the overlook.  39° 7'32.38"N   107°29'59.83"W

Tuesday

Maroon bells area hwy82

Castle creek valley

South Elbert TH hwy24

Lincoln creek to Grizzly Resv

Twin lakes

Overnight twin lakes area

Big day here.  not sure how the road to the Bells works in the summer, but guessing if they have the bus after like 9am, you might not make it if camping on Road 265 the night before.   CastleCreek Valley to Ashcroft etc is wide open though, so that's good.   Awesome drive over Independence Pass.  I really don't know much about Grizzly Reservoir, drove up that road once, like 20 years ago.  

As for the South Elbert TH area--- cool road, not super long.  One of my favorite camp spots and shots  is this view:

  39° 6'2.56"N 106°22'48.59"W

Really a sunrise shot (down around Twin Lakes could be cool for sunset if good colors in clouds).

Good for sleeping in car  or tent:

One very important note on this campsite  (marked "001" below)--  Access it from the road 122 shown on Google Maps, and from the screen capture below.  Road 125B/24 is the one that goes to the trail head, but to get to the camp spot from 125B requires a VERY steep last hill to get up to.  I had to try twice with my 4Runner, finally putting in 2nd gear and low 4wd.  Nuts.   The road 122 is easy though, just dirt, no crazy hills at all.

 Also,  at the base of that steep hill is an awesome open meadow, great place to camp. You can barely see a car and tent down there in the sunrise panorama shot above.  

Meadow: 

Wednesday

Leadville area

Up to fresco down to Breck

Kite lake?

Again, not as much here, think i recall you will be meeting up with your buddy who lives here?

Thursday

Unfinished business

To airport