Finally, a free weekend to go camping! This past month has been filled with weekend work obligations and wedding shenanigans so it was time to pack the truck and head to wilderness for a weekend to relax and recharge. The first camping trip of the year is always greatly anticipated and with the warm weather in full swing, a camping weekend was much needed.

It was a game-day decision as to where we would ultimately end up but we decided to stay relatively close to home to maximize the amount of time at camp instead of on the road. Friday a 5pm, I ran home to get Crystal and Apollo and we headed to a local favorite, Fulford Cave Campground about 45 minutes from our house.

Friday Evening

We arrived at our camping spot around 6:30pm where made quick work of setting up our tent and getting a fire started before the light faded into darkness. The campsites were really well maintained with great amenities to make our stay more enjoyable. The tent spots were leveled with pea stone, we had a good sized picnic table, and each fire pit came with a grate for easy campfire cooking!

Our first-night meal consisted of chips and salsa, potato salad and cheddar bratwursts cooked over an open fire. It was a perfect campsite meal! After dinner, I tried my luck at catching trout of the nearby beaver pond but they weren’t having anything to do with my setup. Even though the fish weren’t cooperating, it’s always enjoyable to cast a line.

Crystal and I went back to camp and sat around the fire as the light faded and then retired the night to our cozy tent. The rhythmic sounds of water crashing in nearby Brush Creek below us put me into a deep sleep in no time.

I love our REI Hobitat 4 camping tent!

Saturday Activities

The next morning we awoke to the sun shining, birds chirping and the river still roaring as we enjoyed the peace and serenity of the wild. We opened the doors of the tent to expose the view of the opposite ridge and took in the beautiful Colorado scenery!

Our scenic view from inside our tent

After breakfast, Crystal and I set out for a hike on a nearby trail to explore the local area and get a little exercise in the for the day. We found ourselves meandering across streams and traversing the deep timber. I brought my fishing pole in hopes of finding a lake at the end of the trail but we ended up having to turn around after one mile due to too much snow still on the north facing trail.

Back at camp, we enjoyed lunch next to the river and then found a shady spot with a cool breeze to take a quick snooze. After our nap, I was alerted to slamming doors in the parking area. A few of my friends were hiking another nearby trail so I left them a note to stop over after they got back. Brad, Brad’s wife Dianna, and Josh showed up at camp and we enjoyed some beers together at the picnic table. After a few hours, they headed back down to Eagle but Josh came back to camp with his own tent just in time for dinner.

Good Food and Good Friends

One of my favorite things about camping is cooking good food over an open fire. Crystal prepared and marinated chicken kabobs for the evening meal; they were absolutely delicious!

Marinated chicken kabobs over the fire pit were absolutely delicious. We will be making these again for a future camping trip.

Crystal, Josh, Apollo, and I went for a nice little hike along brush creek.

Josh, Crystal, and I shared stories and took in the beauty of the surrounding landscape. The temperature cooled off and the wind calmed down to make it a very enjoyable evening. There’s just something about a good campfire that calms the soul as you watch the flames curl up around the burning wood.

Time To Go Home

Sunday morning brought another great campfire breakfast and much relaxation around the fire. I found myself reminiscing about the weekend as a whole as we laid around throughout the morning. It felt so good to be out camping again and it was certainly needed, to say the least. The grind of everyday life can easily overtake me sometimes, but as long as I can get away to a slower way of life and the rhythm of the woods, I am free and relaxed. I look forward to my next camping adventure in Colorado!

If you have been putting off that camping trip because you are too busy, make sure to just do it and recharge the batteries. Even if it means only traveling 15 minutes to a nearby destination, a relaxing weekend in the woods does the mind good. Life is too short; get out and explore nature!

I’ll be honest here. I didn’t partake in too much camping while living in Michigan but ever since I moved out to Colorado camping has been a top priority on the “to-do” list.  There is just something about these mountains that pulls you in and when the mountains call, you can’t say no. This would be something exciting and new for me because I had never camped in the mountains or quite frankly, outside of a state park or campground in general. After settling in to our new place for the past month and a half we finally had some free time to get out and enjoy a mid-week camping excursion!

It was a rushed job from the start and we are still building up our camping supplies so we weren’t exactly prepared with all of the necessary items. We packed a cooler, threw in some blankets, pillows, a mattress topper, chairs, and a tent and we were off. 

If you are looking for a spectacular place to camp that is in close proximity to Eagle Colorado, I suggest you take a look at Sylvan Lake. It is a beautiful lake for fishing, kayaking, and paddle boarding surrounded by numerous hiking trails and campsites. We decided not to stay at the state park but instead we chose to head further up the mountain to find a secluded spot in the wilderness. The area surrounding the lake is national forest so you can camp anywhere for free and it is much more enjoyable to get away from other people.

We Arrived At Our Spot

By the time we arrived at a campsite it is pushing 7PM so we need to act fast to get everything set up and ready before nightfall. We borrowed an REI tent and it was surprisingly easy to set up even for the first time user. Although this tent is no longer available, REI really does make great outdoor products with high quality materials and are extremely easy to use. You should have no problem finding a similar tent based on your needs. We used the REI 4, check out the link here: REI Hobitat 4 Camping Tent

After camp was pretty much set up firewood was next on the agenda because we couldn’t locate a source back in town. The only problem we had was that we forgot a good handsaw to make it easier to gather the dead trees laying on the ground. Everything had to be broke off by hand, so it made gathering wood more physical than I expected.

Important Items Not To Be Forgotten Next Time

Hand-Saw: A small, compact handsaw is ideal for cutting dead limbs and logs. Breaking everything off by hand and snapping long pieces into “fire size” lengths is a lot of work and can be quite dangerous.

First Aid Kit: The mountains are treacherous and you can easily roll an ankle, fall down steep terrain, cut yourself on a number of objects, get burned by the fire, etc.

Survival Kit: We didn’t have any rope, signaling devices, extra matches, additional blankets and a compass or GPS.

Hand Gun: We forgot to bring our handgun for personal protection at night. Bears and mountain lions are known to roam the area .

The Remainder of the Evening

After we had the fire going, it was nice to sit down and enjoy the beautiful evening with my girlfriend Crystal and her dog Apollo. Bratwursts cooked over the open fire were on the menu accompanied by chips and salsa and s’mores! Of course it would only be right to enjoy a few Bonfire Brewing Co beers around a bonfire! After dinner we went for a quick walk to explore the immediate area and then came back to enjoy the rest of the evening around the campsite.

The Perks Of Camping In The Mountains

The nice thing about having a fire on the side of a mountain is that the wind is always going down hill; traveling in one direction. Thermals travel down the mountainside as temperatures cool making the evening more enjoyable because you can position your chairs and tent accordingly. In Michigan, the wind is constantly changing directions and it causes you to adjust your seat every few minutes and can result in holes burned in your camping equipment.

I read a book recently titled Wilderness Survival and it highlighted an important aspect of making camp in the mountains. You don’t want to make camp at the bottom of a valley because cold air settles in the lowest elevation. The top of a mountain is also not an ideal location because of the gusting winds flowing over the top.

The optimal location is located in between; Not too high but but not too low. The wind is consistent but not too heavy. The air is cool but not frigid and it blows at a constant 3mph.

Like a soft whisper in your ear, the wind was faint but was certainly present.

Camping Trip Re-Cap

The mid-week excursion was an exciting endeavor and I can’t wait to do it again. Was it a little rushed and were we a little un-prepared? Yes, but this is how you learn. Sometimes it is best to jump in head first and learn from your mistakes and how you can improve for next time.

Have you ever went camping during the work week before? Share your spontaneous camping stories and tips below in the comments! I would love to hear from you!

-Adam