May 10-12
Days 38-39
We started our morning early as we prepared to leave UT and head to CO. For the first time on the trip we felt like we were starting to head home. We had mixed emotions about that. We’ve been loving this nomad life, but home is the place we always want to get back to. Our journey still had plenty of fun ahead and our stop in Gypsum would get us 2 days closer to visiting family in Golden, Colorado.
The day started out with cool and overcast skies, but there was no rain. Traveling in the rain with the trailer is a little nerve-wracking, so we hoped the weather forecast calling for rain would be wrong. We got back on I-70 for the 3-4 hour trip to Gypsum, CO. As we crossed into Colorado, the weather forecast proved to be correct. The rain started and continued on and off as we got closer to our destination.
About 20 miles from our stop in Gypsum was the Glenwood Canyon. I-70 cuts right down through the canyon along the Colorado River. It is a beautiful sight, but a very twisty-turny road. In sections, the westbound lane was elevated higher up the canyon wall, above the eastbound lane and there were 3 tunnels that cut through the canyon walls to enable travel. It was really an impressive sight and experience. The speed limit on I-70 is 75 mph. But in the canyon it reduces to 60 and 50 for trucks. We decided that 50 was a good choice for trailers as well. The road was wet from the previous rain, and it was still drizzling with snowflakes here and there. We took our time and made it out of the canyon unscathed. When we emerged we were about 10 miles from the campground.
We pulled into Aunt Sara’s River Dance Campground under ominous skis and temps in the 40s. It was a strange stop for sure. We went to the office to check in, but found no one there and the door locked. We had a couple phone numbers to call, one that was even on the door of the office. Both numbers went to voice mail, so we weren’t sure exactly what to do. There were vacant spots, but no one to check us in and take payment. We had read reviews that this campground was a little difficult in the reservation process. A quick Google search showed a few other campgrounds in the area but nothing too close. We decided to talk to a current guest that we saw outside his camper. He indicated that this was not uncommon. The owner told him to take an open spot and he would catch up with him later. That worked for us. We pulled into a spot and set up for the next couple days. The campground was in a great location and it looked like the owner was spending money for several upgrades, but unfortunately we wouldn’t benefit from them. However, the scenery was breathtaking! The campground sat right on the banks of the Eagle River that fed into the Colarado river just a few miles down the road. Tucker loved being able to run free.
Once we were settled in, we headed into Eagle, CO to check out the town and stop at Bonfire Brewery. Unfortunately they didn’t open until 3, so we headed back to the campground to relax and make our plans for the following day. We discovered there was Premier Mountain biking in the area. In fact, right in Gypsum, the Colorado High School MTB State Championship trail ‘Haymaker’ was just down the road. Rich was excited. We had also found on Alltrails that there was a great hike to Hanging Lake and Bridal Veil falls, back down in the Glenwood Canyon that looked incredible!
We were bummed the next morning to find that the weather didn’t look like it was going to cooperate for our planned adventures. We made an attempt to head down for the hike around 9am, but had to turn back when the rain and snow started heading in from the west and headed back to the camper. The rain, snow and sleet continued on and off all morning with only small hints of sunshine teasing us. Thankfully while we had our plans put on hold, I did some research about the trail and found out that as of 2018 hikers needed to register online and pay $12 each to get a permit for parking and hiking Hanging Lake trail. There were 2 permits available for the 12:30 slot, so we took them.
By noon, it looked like the skies were clearing. We decided to hop in the truck and head back down to the Canyon. We were so glad we did! We had beautiful weather with temps in the high 40s and sunny skies. Perfect for hiking. Thanks to the registration process, there was plenty of parking and no crowds. The walk to the Hanging Lake trail was spectacular with the canyon walls towering above and the majestic Colorado River flowing alongside us. There were several kiosks along the Glenwood Canyon Recreational trail providing historical and geological information about the area with a trail steward at the trailhead offering assistance as needed. What a great system. The trail up to Hanging Lake was super steep and climbed quickly up a rugged and rocky trail along the Dead Horse Creek. We gained 1000 ft in elevation in just 1.5 miles. Along the way, we passed a 4th grade class heading back down the trail from their adventure up top. They were so cute. They were excited to tell us about the incredible beauty of the lake above. I had so much fun chatting with the kids and teachers. I just loved being around kids on a field trip when I didn’t have to be responsible for them!
Those kids were absolutely right! When we reach the top, Rich and I had never seen such an incredibly beautiful crystal clear, turquois-blue green oasis before that literally was hanging on the side of the Glenwood Canyon wall. The view looked like something we should experience in Hawaii. If it weren’t for the pine trees and snow flurries, we’d never know we were 7100 ft up in the Colorado Rockies! After we took in the draw-dropping views, we headed up to the towering Bridal Veil Falls that fed Hanging Lake below. This cascade falls was almost as wide as it was tall, with plenty of room to walk behind to explore the ‘behind the scenes’ views looking out. This hike was such a unique experience, we can see why it became a National Natural Landmark in 2011 and why the NP needs to regulate its visitors.
Since the late weather clearing prevented us from being able to get in a mountain bike ride, we were thrilled that we could experience the hike. We decided to celebrate our visit to Gypsum with a brew and a bite at Bonefire Brewery. We stopped at the camper first and grab little Tucker for our ‘dog friendly’ Brewery stop. We enjoyed a great early dinner and a bev on the outside patio, while Tucker laid in the sun and watched his other furry friends enjoying time with their owners. Our visit to Gypsum was an interesting, yet unexpectedly memorable stop and as of this writing, the owner of the campground still hasn’t returned my text about payment! It’s time to head on down to Golden Colorado for some family time!
Destination- Aunt Sara's River Dance Campground, Gypsum, CO
Glenwood Canyon. You can see the scared landscape from the Grizzly Creek fire in 2020
Pretty impressive architectural design.
Our view of the Eagle River at Aunt Sara's.
Tucker loved being able to run free! You can see a peek of the Glenwood Canyon off to the right.
Glenwood Canyon Recreational Trail on the way to the Hanging Lake trailhead.
Beautiful views as we climbed higher into the canyon.
We made it!
Pictures can't truly do this place justice.
Love how these signs help explain what we are looking at.
A view of Bridal Veil Falls
What a super cool experience!
Heading back down, there were beautiful views of the Colorado River and Canyon below.
And that's a wrap!
