Our last day in CB we went into town and took Maisey back to the playground. Although hiking is a blast, it doesn’t let her get energy out very much so after being on the trails most of yesterday we thought today we needed to focus on her playtime.

For lunch and nap we went back to the trailer and then when she woke we took her down to Slate River so she could rock her rock throw once again.

We had some good friends heading out of Montrose airport and decided to meet them in Gunnison to grab dinner. Since Covid and everything this was the first time they got to meet Mais so it was an extra special moment. 🥰

On the day we left Matt got up extra early to ride the Teocalli. Afterwards we packed up and hit the road to head up north. We had our hearts set on Aspen but they don’t have boondocking (or at least what we could find) and parks were booked solid. So we decided to go towards Steamboat Springs since we’d never been with a halfway overnight in Breckinridge.

If you know anything about our trip last year you may remember our story of trying to boondock in Breck up a sketchy road as it was getting dark and the trailer falling off into a creek and Matt miraculously pulling us out only to have bent all our stabilizer jacks underneath. Well ….. Breck got us again.

We traveled to the road we ended up camping at after that event last year which was basically a parking lot for ATVs that said no overnight camping. 😬 How we didn’t get in trouble staying there twice last year I have no idea. This time though I did some research and found we could continue up the road and there were actual camping sites. They just failed to mention the road wasn’t fit for trailers. 🤦🏻‍♀️ So we wandered up a very humpy dirt road which dragged our brand new trailer demolishing the stairs, our jacks and the back end.

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Now Matt and I look at each other and in a disgruntled voice and our fist in the air say “Breckenridge!” Oh and also…meet our new fancy stairs….

On Thursday Matt had to go up the mountain to work some so Mais and I had breakfast and played outside at the camp. I’ve discovered that although I love boondocking I also really would love a way to not feel “stuck” at camp when Matt has the truck to go biking or work. Last year he didn’t work as much so it wasn’t as much of an issue but this year I find myself craving a way to pack Mais up and go to town for coffee and hit the playground, run errands or even just go on a little hike nearby. But just like last year it takes a bit to get in the groove of road life and we’ll figure how to make it work sooner or later! Lol

Some friends had mentioned to check out the Oh Be Joyful Rec Area. When Matt got back we headed that way. Turns out it was just around the way from our Lower and Upper Trail we previously did and where we could hear all the voices of kids playing. There’s a beautiful river bed, some camping spots and a 12 mile hike. We jumped on the trail and decided we’d go as far as we felt not, sure if Mais would be up for 12 miles of hiking (even though she’s got the best seat in the house).

After we hit the 4 mile mark we realized we were out of water and after having just got back to feeling human again we decided to turn around and head back just doing 8 of the 12.

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Once our feet were tired we hopped in the truck and went to town for a big juicy burger at The Last Stance. Matt out drink ordered me with a delicious coconut cocktail (I went with a gluten free IPA) and I’m still craving it 2 days later.

When we returned to camp we spotted a bear roaming around. It was so crazy to watch it run around and even more so yo see another camper’s dog chase it off. Lol

Wednesday started slow. I had major dehydration from not drinking enough on our previous hike and my head was pounding. We decided to head to Judd Falls which was just a little 2 mile hike and would let me have more time to catch up on getting back to normal.

Afterwards Matt rode up to do the 401 (mountain bike trail) while Mais and I headed back to camp for her nap and chill and have lunch.

When Matt returned we all headed to a nearby stream to let Mais do her new favorite activity – throw rocks in rivers.

Dada may just have to make a rock bed by the creek behind our house. (wink wink)

We slowed this year’s trip down a bit so we could do more relaxing and enjoying our surroundings. This new trailer has been so nice to have for just that. Here’s just a few pics from our campground down time.

Today we headed to do the Upper and Lower Loop hike which was gorgeous. We got Maisey’s hiking legs going although hiking with a 16 month old goes really really slow. Lol Lots of exploring, picking flowers and wanting to touch everything. Can you say, “Squirrel”?!

We found a beautiful spot to stop and have snacks and Matt tried showing Mais how to skip rocks. She could have spent all day there throwing them in the water.

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We made it! One of our favorite pit stops on our road trip last year made us decide to come back and soak it up for longer. You can see why.

We arrived at the same boondocking area we were in last year and just in time for the rain to come. We went into town to our fave pizza spot, The Secret Stash and caught up with some friends who were visiting too.

Our first day was spent with friends. Matt went mountain biking all day and Mais and I went to the park.

Since every drive with a trailer adds a couple hours we decided to break up our haul to Crested Butte, CO into 3 legs. Next stop was Lathrop State Park. We were hoping to luck out and grab a campsite but they were packed. So we got a day pass and headed to the lake’s beach area. Maisey had zero hesitation and decided to walk straight in the water. Over and over again I might add. And let me just tell you, that water was COLD! But she loved gathering the rocks from shore and walking in to make them sink. Lol

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The rain came which made us bail and decide it was time to find a place to sleep. Luckily just an hour away was our same boondocking spot from last year by Great Sand Dunes National Park. The next morning we let Mais explore and get some energy out before heading back on the road.

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Typical first day on the road means a later start, lots of stops and figuring out what needs changed in the trailer. Wally World here we come!

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A year ago it was a struggle to keep Mais awake on the road so she’d sleep at night. This time girlfriend slept all of one hour so it was an over tired evening with lots of snuggles from mama.

Best purchase for the trip so far is the Noggle air vent. Genius and helps keep her nice and comfy being rear facing in 100 degree temps.

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Here we are again….one year later. We cherished our time together as a family living in a small space hiking and traveling through the mountains last year so much that we decided to do it again. This time we traded in our old Wolf Pack and upgraded to a Keystone Passport for enough room to give Maisey her own sleeping space and room to run around.

I also decided to follow in my friend Jess’ footsteps and document our travels on this blog for friends and family. So here we are. My first post before we hit the open road. We can’t wait for you to share in this journey with us.

XOXO,

Misti