VW bus camp out, 11 Mile Reservoir, Colorado

April 28th 2007
11 Mile Reservoir
LAT: 38.9377701
LONG: -105.5261101

Pics we took | Pic’s from Chris & Jenn (DAY1, DAY2)

Chris, Jenn and their little one had been in town for a few days and it was decided that we should try and get a camp out in while they were here. 11 Mile Reservoir is about 1 to 1.5 hours West of I25 on Highway 24. Jason Laster (fasterlaster) and the rest of us met up with Chris and company the next day and got into camp early that morning. It was a bit chilly (reports of high 20’s to low 30’s) and we quickly hit the sack to rest up. The next morning showed nice weather. The Rockies continued to stay a bit clouded in but that didn’t keep us from taking a few pictures. I caught a couple shots of Chris and Jason up on a ridge during sunset. They didn’t come out very well but I uploaded them anyway. All in all, we laid back, the kids played, we took pics, we laid back, hung out at the campfire, and laid back. No cell phone, no laptop, no roaring city. It was beautiful. It has been a while since we have gotten away from the grind and all in all, we had a great time.
The next morning we packed up and took a back road out of the park that Chris and Jenn had happened upon while arriving a couple days back. The scenic drive was great and once back on the small highway, we headed for Florissant Fossil Beds National Park. The idea of petrified trees was new to me and the 1-mile loop that we walked was very enjoyable. I got a bit sunburned the day before and the breezy overcast weather made for a nice stroll. Right as we got back to the buses, the wind started picking up and rain seemed just seconds away. We hoped back in and started heading back to the Denver area. On the way, we did a quick drive through the Garden of the Gods park. It made for some nice camera shots (Jason’s split always adds character to any shot.) Soon after, we got back on I25 and continued north. Chris and company exited a while later to hook up with some family/friends in the area and the rest of us headed back home.

Overall, I was glad to get out of the house. The camp ground was very peaceful and quiet and being up on the ridge overlooking the surrounding terrain seemed to stop time for a brief moment. The bus did well, although I could have done more to help prepare for the trip. This was our first camp out in the bus for quite some time and we have added a dog and another child since then. Having the bunk bed setup across the front seats would have helped to keep the kids more comfortable and out of our way during sleeping. Also, I think we simply packed too much. On the flip side, the BN4 heater and Circus tent worked flawlessly. We ran the heater about 10 times during the camp out and each time ran it for about ten minutes. I was concerned about the single battery being drained but it didn’t even come close. Bus started right up when it was time to leave. The tent didn’t get a serious water test which might be a good thing. I still haven’t sealed the canvas with the 3M type water repellent spray that I picked up. The next trip should be a bit smoother I’ll be getting the bunk beds done and few other items to hopefully make sleeping a bit more comfortable for everyone.