LYFE IN TOW

At this point in my travel year, I got to a place where life on the road felt entirely normal. I knew when the freshwater tank was getting low without having to look at the monitor. I felt “home” in the driver’s seat of my car. I had washing dishes to conserve water down to a T. I knew what to look for when searching for a good camping spot. I could set up and pack up a campsite with my eyes closed - I was doing it. Confidently. This was my new normal.

Reflecting on where I was twelve or eight, or six months ago, I felt different. I felt empowered. Like a road warrior. Like I overcame things and could tackle anything that came my way. It’s an incredible feeling. And to be in colorful Colorado made that feeling all the better. Okay, here goes - Colorado Mountain Towns.

I visited Crested Butte, Telluride, Aspen, and Carbondale. The only one that was new to me was Carbondale. When I lived in Colorado, I had visited the others, but that wasn’t going to stop me from going again. I will say it over and over - I love mountain towns.

Crested Butte

My plan for Crested Butte was, well, no plan. I wanted to explore the town yet not dilly dally, as I wanted to make sure I got to Telluride to catch as much of the yellow leaves as possible.

Since we arrived mid-day, I parked the car and Airstream on a side street and began scouting out the town. It’s a small town, so simple to navigate. Addie and I walked up and down the main drag, stopping for an iced coffee and scoping out some shops. CB is a very dog-friendly town, which is extra points in my book.

I found some forest land outside town to spend the night. It took me a few tries to get the Airstream leveled on this terrain, but eventually, I nailed it.

The following day, Addie and I drove downtown to have breakfast at Butte Bagels. I walked by it the previous day, but it was closed. Since then, I was craving a bagel. I got the Nicole bagel sandwich and ate every bite before heading to Telluride.

I like Crested Butte because it doesn’t feel as “commercial” as many other mountain towns. Many of them have gotten so popular as second residences and have lost part of their edge as they grow in popularity. Part of what makes these towns unique is their grit, which gets diluted when they become expensive vacation destinations.

Telluride

Getting from one town to another in the mountains always takes longer than you think. The route is usually windy because the roads take you around the mountains. Makes sense. Anyway, the drive to Telluride is a little over three hours. I knew where I wanted to camp, but I wasn’t sure what the availability would look like.

My destination is somewhat of an infamous Telluride boondocking spot for nomads called Last Dollar Road. The prime area overlooks the valley with beautiful mountain views and stunning sunsets.

The Last Dollar Road camping area is about 10 miles outside of downtown Telluride and the drive up to it is just so scenic. It’s because of views like this I wanted to get to Colorado for the foliage!

We made it up to the campground to find it exceedingly crowded - even for a Sunday evening. Because the Basecamp is only 16 feet long, I can maneuver it into areas that may not be obvious “sites.” The best spots were taken, so I decided to park where I could, keep the car attached, and hope that someone would leave the next morning to claim a new spot.

I found a hiking trail, Bear Creek Trail, that begins right outside town. I parked the car and Airstream on the street, and Addie and I walked to the trailhead. It was busy, but that didn’t take away from the beauty.

We took a walk around town after the hike. There is just something about the mountain air, the people's energy, and the overall vibe in Telluride. It's gotten a little built up over the years, but I think it still has its original cowboy-mountain-town vibe.

Addie had a first in Telluride: she took her first gondola ride! We met a friend up at Altezza at the Peaks for a late afternoon patio cocktail.

We spent the next day in Mountain Village. I enjoyed an outdoor lunch at Tomboy Tavern, wrote a little, and charted out plans for Carbondale, my next destination.

Carbondale

Carbondale is a mountain town that I had not yet visited. I found a small RV park right in Carbondale, which made things easy when it came time to explore the area.

On our first day, we explored downtown a little bit. What I like about Carbondale is, as a girl who leans towards city life, it’s big enough to feel like you’re not entirely out there. It’s still a small town, but it’s liveable. It has what you need, and if you need a Target, Glenwood Springs is less than 30 minutes away. On the flip side, you have gorgeous mountains all around you and the largest outdoor playground you can imagine. Aspen is less than an hour away, Vail is a bit more than an hour away, and Grand Junction is less than two hours away.

Bottom line: I love Carbondale and could see myself living there one day.

Addie and I took an evening hike about a mile from where we were staying. The trail was called Mushroom Rock. You could tell it is a “local” hike. There were trail runners, friends getting exercise after work, and a lot of dogs. We were afforded views of the town and the surrounding mountains. Addie got a pretty decent red rock dye-job, too.

We moved campsites to Lower Prince Creek after a few nights at the RV park. This campground was a little closer to Aspen and the Maroon Bells - our next stop. Sunset at our new digs looked like this (I love the Basecamp’s panoramic front windows; this photo was taken from inside the trailer):

The Maroon Bells are said to be the most photographed place in Colorado. They are a small mountain range outside Aspen, and I learned the hard way that they are not simple to get to. Like other places I’ve experienced, one must book a shuttle, or reserve a car pass, to get to the trailheads. With COVID, reservations were few and far between. Within a few days, I could snag a shuttle bus reservation on a given Sunday, so I planned around that.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast was sub-par that day (which made me wonder if that was why reservations were only available that day). It was cold and cloudy when I woke up, with a forecast of freezing rain and snow later in the day. When I saw this, I almost backed out. But alas, carpe diem. I know myself, and I would have regretted it if I chickened out. I committed, and I was going to keep my commitment.

The shuttle bus picks up in Aspen, which is about a 40-minute drive from where we camped. We got there, parked, and checked in. Fortunately, Addie was allowed on the bus and the trails. Although it was cold, it was only cloudy at this point.

It was completely worth it. We opted for the Maroon-Snowmass Trail to Crater Lake hike. The lakes were dry, but we didn’t care. The views were remarkable.

When we got back to Maroon Lake, we decided to keep the momentum going and hop on another trail. The bus would pick us up at a different bus stop, just closer to Aspen. As gorgeous as it was, at the end of our journey, the freezing rain rolled in.

While we were moving, it wasn’t too bad, but when we got to the bus stop and were stationary, it got cold and miserable. Because the busses already stopped at the “main” bus stop to pick up people returning, we had to wait for a bus that had room for us. A few passed before one bus driver let us on. The COVID-friendly seats were all occupied, but he let me stand. I think he felt terrible for Addie and me because we were soaking wet and freezing. Can’t you see the misery on Addie’s face?

I cannot emphasize enough how incredible it was to come back to the Airstream, turn on the heat, and take a hot shower. I didn’t have that luxury weeks ago with my busted Truma. I was so grateful.

Our next landing pad was Denver - to the house of my dear friends, Amy and Gavin. I was so looking forward to seeing them and their kiddos. And - not going to lie - hot showers in abundance!