Buena Vista to Leadville (BDR CO4 pt1)

Excited to get out for a trip that includes some off-roading after the mishap with a flat tire a couple weeks ago.

First day was just heading out to the Buena Vista area so I would be near the start of section 4 of the Colorado BDR (Backcountry Discovery Route). Found a nice, quiet campsite in Mushroom Gulch to kick off this trip.

Day 2 was about the BDR and learning about my rig in different off-road conditions. Most of the BDR is very passable with any vehicle that I would call "mid-clearance", but there were a few sections that the more capable build of Sawatch was helpful. But there were sections that felt like they were part of the desert, other parts that felt very lush, and some great rolling valleys.

The map shows the route I took and here's some of the scenery from the start of the day through lunch (I do love that I can just find a spot to pull off and make a quick lunch). The tunnel section isn't technically part of the BDR, but I had to take a quick peek while in the area.

Lunch came pretty late (a bit after 1PM), and I wasn't looking to search for a campground later in the evening (this was Friday of the 4th of July weekend, and I was getting closer to the I-70 corridor). Decided to look for camp around 3PM, found a nice site on Weston Pass, so called it a day there (even though I hadn't completed the entire section of the BDR I had been considering).

Day 3 had a few challenges. I thought I had solved a little electrical problem, but found I was still not 100% functioning. Given the 4th weekend, and that I was going to be heading into busier areas as the weekend went on, I decided to take the BDR into Leadville and head home to sort out the issue and avoid the crowds on the holiday weekend. (I later learned that I just had a loose ground, which I should have known to check earlier).

With that, it was back to Denver! Great weekend, amazing route to take...starting to get in sync with Sawatch and looking forward to the next trip (just a couple weeks away, off to the Telluride area to help support the Hardrock 100 and get a little exploring in).