We celebrated our long Columbus Day weekend and welcomed the first day of Fall with an overnight camping and wheeling trip in the mountains. Our trio was excited to get outside and breathe some fresh mountain air.
We started the weekend with a foliage filled drive across Loveland Pass and set up camp just outside of Keystone near Montezuma Road.
We spent the rest of the morning and afternoon taking in the scenery from a couple of 4×4 trails. Our first trail was Chihuahua Gulch; It is a short drive, but one of the most difficult trails off of Peru Creek. A rocky and muddy drive with numerous water crossings, the road abruptly ends after approximately 2 miles and turns into a hiking trail. We already had a second 4×4 road on the agenda, or else we would have taken advantage of the hike which leads to a lake at the base of Grizzly Peak.
After heating up some chili for lunch at the bottom of Chihuahua Gulch, we traveled a few miles to the town of Montezuma, and headed up to Santa Fe Peak. The trail climbs to the summit at 13,160 feet and provides some pucker factor for passengers with lots of switchbacks and exposed shelf roads. However, the views make this drive worthwhile.
After a successful summit, it was time to head back to the campsite. We fished (no bites), ate some bison burgers (lots of bites), and relaxed by the best campfire ever.
Here’s a short video of the adventure:
JKB Adventures 