When One Mountain Pass Isn't Enough

July 25, 2013

We left our humble little Camp Compound and embarked on a long drive.  We wound through the  mountains and past countless enormous ranches.  The Agency Ranch was especially huge and boasted a beautiful complex of log buildings.

We found ourselves in Gunnison National Forest, in a sea of reckless ATV riders.

I love the smell of pine.  The sky was very blue today and made for great pictures.  We started our ascent towards Cumberland Pass.  It was a wonderful drive, cool weather, easy roads.

Cumberland Pass boasted some wonderful views.  Looking down, you could see the river winding through the valley.

It was well after lunch, but Mandy and I thought ahead and packed wraps.  An impromptu picnic was enjoyed at the top of the mountain.

As we began our descent we heard the tell tale sound of a Harley engine.  Wait, that can't be right? A Harley on a dirt road, climbing a mountain? Had the altitude gotten to us?  Nope, we saw an honest to goodness bagger climbing the mountain. Bravo man. Bravo.  Mike is disappointed that I didn't get a picture of the Harley.  He says no picture, no proof - like a UFO sighting.

At the base, we entered the small town of Tincup. It was tiny.  But it still had all the charm of when it was first established.

The clouds were rolling in from the distance, but we were hours away from experiencing rain.  We drove past Taylor Park Reservoir and decided that no matter the beauty we saw today, we probably wouldn't intentionally return.  The park was very busy, which is great for them, but not our cup of tea.

The following drive to Cottonwood Pass (The Continental Divide) was even easier than the one to Cumberland Pass.  Which meant even more people.  We reached the pass and aired up the tires in both vehicles.

It was growing late and we were hundreds of miles from camp.  We rolled into Buena Vista and decided to grab dinner.  We avoided the new yuppie section of town and ate at a small mom and pop shop.  The boys enjoyed a slab of cow and Mandy and I opted for fish.  It down poured while we were eating.

The sun had set long before we actually made it back to camp.  I was starting to feel the effects of all the altitude changes throughout the day and couldn't wait to crawl into our tent.  Unfortunately Elly had other ideas.  My poor baby was sick all throughout the night.  The moment I fell asleep, she needed to go out.  She would panic if I took too long to let her out.  The sky brightened all too quickly and I knew that sleep was an illusion.