Trip report Pt 1 (finally!)
OK, so I guess it is about time I get the trip report done. Here goes.
Thursday morning we loaded up the family in the 80 with our popup in tow and headed out for Pitkin and the campsite. We decided to take Thursday to head out to ensure that the campsite was available to our large group and to relax as a family before the event started.
After being very nervous that the campsite would be open, we arrived there about 4pm to find that three 5th wheel campers were already in part of the campsite. Regardless, we took the same spot we occupied last year and set up camp. The stream that ran 30 feet from our popup was beautiful, and the kids and Andrea and I had a fun time splashing around in the warm afternoon mountain air and cold mountain stream. After realizing Thursday night that we had forgotten the marshmallows at home, we decided to take a quick trip into Gunnison to get some, along with a hummingbird feeder and a couple other necessities. The campsite had several hummingbirds, and we thought the kids might enjoy watching them feed, which they did.
Shortly after our early afternoon return to the campsite, and while splashing in the stream again, Cheeseman and Jill and the Nakman family arrived at the campsite. We helped Tim and Michelle set up their popup and listened to the stories about the chatter on the 146.460 from many of the vehicles somewhere on the road to the campsite that afternoon. Pretty soon it was like a bees nest in the evening, with everyone setting up camp and getting ready to have a barleypop (or drink of their choice).
Initially the group could have been 30 rigs total, if everyone who had previously said they were going actually showed up. After our quick count at the top of Hancock pass we had 23 rigs in attendance, and if we included Neil Quigley, we met the record of 24.
On Saturday morning, we did what may be called a tradition on the GTR, we had to get up uber early (for a vacation) to head over Hancock pass to meet the group from Denver in St Elmo. We made fairly good time in awesome weather (about 50°F all the way) with nar a cloud in the sky and arrived just ahead of the Denver group by 10 minutes. Since the highlights of St Elmo included the ghosts in town, the wooden sidewalk, the hummingbirds and feeding the chipmunks, everyone soon walked from our large gathering of vehicles to hit their favorite activity. We had lots of fun feeding the chipmunks, and some people mentioned that it was the first time they had actually seen them storing nuts in their cheeks. It was amazing, you could actually see the cheeks getting fatter until they went away to put them in storage.
After our visit to St Elmo, we got everyone together to start the ascent of Hancock pass, where we would meet about 12 trucks consisting of the campers who weren’t ready to get up uber early. We headed up the railroad grade, passed the oldest auto bridge in Colorado not still in use, past the Mary Murphy Mine (which had been a stop on previous GTR in this region), under the leaning mine building and on through the town site of Hancock. After Hancock, the road became more of our flavor, with more of a 4WD feel to them. We met up with the late group at Hancock pass at about 11:30, and after a brief stay at the summit, we headed down toward Tomichi Pass.
The way down Hancock to the intersection of Hancock and Tomichi was quick, with the exception of a traffic jam at the only 3 point turn on the trip. After that it seemed to be smooth sailing upwards toward Tomichi, until (albeit late) we learned that the Nakman family was clinging precariously to the loose edge of the shelf road along the east side of Tomichi pass. With that, I asked Cheeseman to make his way to the rescue location (we were already at the summit of the pass) where he could be the point man if need be, while I guided the rest of the flock not directly engaged in rescue matters who were ahead of Tim’s 80 to follow me down the pass to the lunch spot.
After a slow go down, we finally picked a wide spot in the road a gingerly parked out of the way to eat lunch while we waited anxiously to hear about the recue mission. We heard that Tim was back on terra-firma and was on his way down shortly after we stopped. When we had all had our fill of watermelon, the trip started up in earnest again, this time headed for Black Sage and Waunita passes. The roads toward these passes are paved gravel, so speed was quick. After cresting Black Sage pass, and knowing that there was a shortcut to the campsite that did not go through Pitkin, I asked Subzali if he was up for a challenge. He accepted, and soon was joined by about 5-7 rigs who were going to try and weave their way along Middle Quartz Trail to the campsite. Thr group split up, and we remained in contact until just before the main group got to Pitkin, about 4PM.
After a brief stop in Pitkin to fuel up and see the general store, we all made our way to the campsite to start cooking for the potluck. It was at this time we heard faintly on the 2M that the Middle Quartz group was lost, but willing to find their way or go back to trace our path over Waunita if need be. So we continued cooking, even through the rain that came down for about an hour.
Shortly after the rain stopped, the 2nd group started to arrive just as appetizers were ebing consumed in mass quantities. Everyone was safe and beginning their feast. We had everything from Brie and guacamole, to ribs and cherry cobbler and sushi. We had more food than we could consume and a great time was had by all (and their stomachs). Thankfully no one got sick this year.
. Before we had a chance to turn around, an ATV came up from the other side of the gate and we discussed briefly where he thought he was and compared it to where we thought we were. We were still on the east side of Waunita Pass, it was discovered, and so we had to go back up to the last intersection where we had gone left, as we should have continued straight instead of turning. After a few minutes of going through the woods we came out at Waunita Pass and continued down to Pitkin.
...Next year we'll have to try going to the right at the logging area and see where that takes us.
