Jeep Trip in Pike National Forest (The Beginning)

For Labor Day weekend, C and I took off with some friends on the First Annual Jeeping/Camping thing (cooler name to be determined). We left Thursday night for somewhere in the mountains near Monument, CO. C and I were in my Jeep (which I reminded him, IS MY daily driver), J and double LL and the kids were towing Red Rider (CJ-7) with the Tahoe, and the other J (JS, for our purposes) with his kids was towing the Green Monstah (Wrangler) with his Tahoe. Got it? At the base of the mountains, we unhooked the Jeeps so that the menfolk could cruise up the mountains. Which left all available (legal and of age) drivers cruising up the mountains in every other vehicle.




This is a collage of the unloading. You've got C, J, double LL, J's daughter L, JS, and A LOT of work going on. You've never seen guys this happy! They were beyond excited to drive their Jeeps up. Double LL and I were, um, impressed with the way the winding dirt roads in the mountains just dropped off the side. Falling over would have been a long roll to the bottom.

This was the first, uh, detour in the mountains. J, our fearless leader, in Red Rider, might have blazed right down a trail that had a huge sign up that said no one should be going that way. A really big sign. That he, in all of his eagerness, might have missed. And JS followed him. And C drove one of the Tahoes right to the edge. Then J's something or other on Red Rider might have gone out (which is why there is a picture of him carrying a toolbox down). We all got out safely. It needs to be said that the next day, there was a huge barricade next to the huge sign, so no one could get down that trail.

Absolutely beautiful camping spot. There were trees and rocks and all of that good nature stuff. Plenty of places to go to the bathroom. Next year, we will not be camping on the TOP of the mountain I hear. Although I will miss the view.

Another gorgeous view off the top.