Day 3: Setting up camp

Monday morning started out very early.... the sun rose in Limon Co at 5:30am.... I rarely am up this early but  Greg was hopping around and ready to go of course.  We drove straight through Denver to Boulder where we got a bagel, some coffee/tea, filled up the tank, and had the radio fixed.  We have music!  Boulder was busy so we bolted and headed straight for Estes Park where our campsite was reserved.

As soon as you go past Lyons towards Estes Park it suddenly turns into mountain driving.  I was nervous.... but we made it.  When we saw Estes Park driving in it looked like a place out of a story book.  There was a beautiful lake surrounded by a small town with shops, a river walk, and of course surrounded on three sides by mountains.

We found our campsite at Estes Park Campgrounds at East Portal which is run by Larimar County.  It is not in Rocky Mountain National Park but backs up directly to it.  You can hike from our camp into the park.  I would describe it as rustic and beautiful.  We do have water and electricity.  There are nice bathrooms but the campground is tucked away at the base of a mountain and is very cozy.  I'm sure if our vehicle were any bigger it wouldn't have made it through the campsite road.  Luckily it fit perfectly.  We are surrounded by mountains and a reservoir below fed by a very charming creek.

When we checked in the rangers where very adamant about bear safety.  We have been told we are in bear country and it's serious business.  Apparently a bear they have named "Big John" runs the perimeter of the campsite and is 600 pounds.  Our goal is to NOT run into Big John.  No food or toiletries can be left out.  Bears sense of smell is extremely sensitive and they can smell toothpaste in a tent from very far away.  They will go through cars, tents, etc. in search of food so absolutely nothing can be left out, particularly if it smells strongly.  We plan on following these rules.  We did get some bear spray just in case.  You just never know.

Once we settled the altitute took a little getting used to.  We felt "weird," out of breath, and dizzy.  The air is very dry too so chap stick is a must.  Once we set up the camp we went for a short walk.  Just going up a hill we were both so winded!  Hopefully this gets easier as we adjust to the altitude.  We are about at 7000 or 8000 feet right now.  We made dinner, cleaned up every last bit of food, tossed all garbage in the bear proof trash cans and went to sleep.  We were so tired!  The pop top bed had a nice breeze and was really comfortable.

Honestly, this place is amazing.  I love it and Greg now wants to move here :)  I don't think any pictures could do it justice but here are some from our campsite.

By the way, there is a small brown toy poodle a few "doors" down from us.  I love it when I spot a poodle.

Pictures:

The camper set up at the campsite- #A15

Down from the van is our picnic table and our chairs

View from the campsite

Another view from the campsite

Much of the time it is easier on a trail for Greg to follow Riley versus having him in the harness. Riley always finds the safest route.  We carry both the leash and the harness just in case.