Over the fourth of July weekend Adam and I joined my mom’s side of the family for a camping trip up at Deep Lake. From I-70 you take the Dotsero exit and follow the main road to the White River National Forest turn off. The journey from there begins with an hour “ish” drive up Coffee Pot Rd, twisting and turning along the mountain side all the way up to about 10,500 ft above sea level. Just as you reach the top of the mountain there is the most incredible view of the mountains in Eagle County and the Colorado River. The panoramic view was outstanding! It literally took our breath away! Finally, after passing several other lakes and glaciers, we arrived at our destination. Deep Lake was gorgeous and the campsites were great. FYI the campsites were $6/night with up to two vehicles and 10 people.
Of course our family took up four campsites with all our tents, trucks, trailers, kids and ATVs. Everyone pitched in with the meals and put together quite the menu for our weekend adventure. My favorite night was Friday. We had chicken and beef fajitas, tortillas, green chile and enchilada casserole. The only thing we were missing was the pot of beans. Just as we started to serve ourselves the rain rolled in, showered for a few minutes, and then rolled out. As soon as the clouds cleared we packed up dinner and unpacked the smores! Oh the pleasure of eating smores…mmm! Friday quickly slipped away as we sat around the campfire telling stories, eating smores and drinking our tasty mixed drinks.
The next morning I gathered Oso and Atlas, put on my running shoes and set off for a jog around the lake. Running up and down dirt hills at 10K in elevation is a whole other ball game when you compare it to running in the neighborhood or on a treadmill…but the views kept me going and I was well into my 3-4 mile journey. The puppies and I took a little break, while I admired the world above and all around me Oso went swimming in the ice cold water teasing Atlas who would only go in about knee high…he’s so dainty for his size. At last we made it back to the campsite and the breakfast burritos were calling my name. Yum!
A few hours passed and we all finally got ourselves put together for a nice day trip of four wheeling around the mountain from lake to lake. Adam and I spent some time in the back of the truck with 6 other kiddos and four dogs then took a turn driving one of the ATVs with our fur balls alongside us (we could handle sitting in back only for so long). Oso was in dog heaven and Atlas was in for a workout, tongues flopping side to side with mud splattering in all directions, they had a blast. Our little circus of 20 + stopped for lunch next to Heart Lake, then headed back to camp. In mid-transit we had to stop and lay Atlas between us on the ATV…those puppies bones just couldn’t go any further, especially after a graceful somersault head over heels in the mud.
The campsites were nice, obviously remodeled within the last few years. There were descent picnic tables, new grills and flat ground sectioned off with smooth gravel for our tents. The bathrooms were clean and within a reasonable distance from the campsites. Families were grilling, fishing and even canoeing. Definitely a great location for camping!
The rest of our trip was filled with several hikes up and down the mountains, jumping creeks, climbing rocks, eating great food and enjoying eachother’s company! I look forward to next year’s family campout!! Enjoy the pictures!
One Response to “Camping at Deep Lake Colorado”