Fourth of July in the Rockies
The Fourth of July is a holiday that we have mostly celebrated at home, with fireworks, homemade ice cream, and plenty of food. During our travels, we have spent some memorable Independence Days like watching fireworks from the top of our skoolie in Eureka, California or getting hailed on after catching a fireworks show in the Black Hills. We have had a ton of cool experiences that revolved around the 4th holiday and this summer was no exception.
We had plans to meet Ethan, Sara, and their girls in Salida, Colorado for a weekend of camping, smores, and mountain shenanigans. Unfortunately, one of the Haymans came down with COVID and they were unable to come. We missed them tremendously, but we weren’t going to let a mountain campsite go to waste with 6 days off from work. Rachael picked me up at the hospital at the end of my shift and we made our way out of the Springs at midnight.

Camping in campgrounds is something we are trying to embrace as it offers a ton of convenience, especially when camping with other people who might be less adventurous compared to how we normally travel. Some campers want water taps and access to toilets and that’s perfectly understandable. Our campsite at Monarch Spur Campground was excellently clean and all of the amenities were exactly as advertised. We stayed here once before this winter while skiing out of the Casita. In that case, a warm camper was nice to come back to after a cold day on the mountain.
This site was right on a headwater creek of the Arkansas River and offered a flat piece of grass, a brand-new picnic table, and plenty of beautiful views to remind you where you are. Even though we left the Casita at home and camped in our Kelty Farout 3, we did enjoy an occasional shower and using the office Wi-Fi to make a few calls.

Our first morning in the mountains was a slow start and we planned to spend the day exploring on nearby forest service roads in search of wildflowers and good views. We found both on a nearby road that led us directly up into the alpine meadows of the Sawatch Range. The wildflowers were in bloom and Rachael quickly took to identifying all of the various types of flowers that surrounded as we approached the dead end ahead. As the trees began to change and eventually fall away, mountains revealed themselves and even a few glacial remnants were left in the form of boulder fields.



At the end of this road we met a fisherman from Texas who recommended a nearby lake for a more challenging road and a bigger payoff at the end. We backtracked a bit and found the road that began to climb quickly up the mountain toward the lake. The road was definitely more challenging and actually required the use of low range and the center differential lock on a couple of occasions. Upgraded skid plates are definitely in order if we are going to continue exploring into the mountains.
We had lunch by the lake and it was well worth the trip and the bumpy ride up the hill. We weren’t alone, but the lake was much less crowded than I expected. We enjoyed sandwiches on the bank and took our time getting back in the car and heading down the hill. A trip up into the mountains would not be complete without stopping by Monarch Mountain and checking out the ski hill in the summer. Across the highway, Monarch Crest was slinging some tasty ice cream and offered a cool look into the summer operations of the mountain that we frequent so often in the winter season. Returning to camp, we enjoyed a relaxing evening of dinner over the fire, smores, and a cool night under the stars. Temperatures were in the low 80s during the day and mid-forties at night-very pleasant.


The following morning we were up before the sun to venture down the mountain to try and hike to a nearby waterfall before the sleepy tourists were able to wake up and swarm the trail. There were only a few cars at the trailhead when we arrived and that meant quiet hiking for 3 miles and over 1000 feet of elevation gain to the base of the waterfall. The falls were beautiful and boasted a surprising amount of flow considering that we are in a high desert in July. We enjoyed a long break at the falls and were greeted by the swarm of tourists arriving at the now-packed trailhead around 10 AM, just as we were leaving. We stopped for coffee and some provisions that we forgot and returned to camp for another calm night of food and enjoying the peace and tranquility of the weekend.



The next morning arrived quickly and the the time had come for us to leave the campground for wilder accommodations. We set our sites on Crested Butte and we were glad that we did. Arriving a bit later than planned, we got a late start on hiking the mountain. We hiked the arduous trek up the ski hill to the top of the lift line where we met up with the crowds of people that rode the lift up and we all submitted Mt. Crested Butte together. Everyone on the mountain knew that it was a little more special for those of us who walked the nearly 2500 vertical feet to reach the summit.


Our camping outside of the city was pleasant and much more our speed. Washington Gulch Road is an area that has been wildly overused in the past and new Forest Service rules have made it a much healthier and cleaner place to camp. After setting up camp and taking a frigid dip in the creek, we both crashed in our tent for a few hours. We were awoken by a sneaky fox investigating our campsite on his way to investigate each campsite in this section of forest. I followed the fox for a couple of photos, then let him wander on his way into the trees. It is amazing how we always see more wildlife when we camp away from the campgrounds, funny how that works. Our evening consisted of a quiet dinner and a short drive up the mountain pass to see more wildflowers and a variety of wildlife including a ton of whitetail deer.





The morning came too soon and our long weekend was coming to an end. We spent the morning in town at Rumors Coffee and Tea House so that Rachael could work. I caught up on emails and edited a few photos. After coffee, we turned the truck back toward the Springs and wiggled our way back home. Our return trip took us over Cottonwood Pass and back home through Buena Vista and Woodward Park. Arriving home we were both exhausted but completely revitalized after our long holiday weekend. Celebrating the 4th of July in the mountains is not the same as it is back home, but we are not going to complain if we get to celebrate like this every few years.