My first night I slept like a baby. As the sun started to peek into my tent, I was up. When I wake up, I need coffee as soon as possible. As much as I love camp coffee, it takes a really long time to brew and makes a big mess. Because of this, I brought a small electric coffee maker. There were no electrical plugs at my tent site, but there were plugs in the bathroom. So I headed to the bathroom, toting my coffee pot and cup (hoping no one would see me and tell me I wasn't allowed to brew my coffee in the ladies room). It felt strange brewing coffee in a bathroom, but the bathrooms at Eleven Mile State Park are exceptionally clean and I really needed my morning coffee.
It was a brisk morning so I decided to find a place to drink my coffee and watch the sun rise. Only a handful of fisherman were up and making their way to the water. The lake was so peaceful as the sun slowly rose in the sky and the moon disappeared. The air was crisp and cool and I couldn't help but think how hot and humid it probably was back home in eastern Oklahoma. I was a happy camper!
This was taken a little before 6:00 a.m. looking over Eleven Mile Reservoir.
Spinney Mountain Reservoir
Spinney Mountain Reservoir
Spinney Mountain Reservoir
Spinney Mountain Reservoir
A heart shaped rock at Spinney Mountain Reservoir
I continued exploring the area and found this section of the South Platte River. The parking lot was packed with vehicles. Men and their fishing poles were everywhere. Several of them eyed me suspiciously as I got out with my camera. Maybe it was my camp hair they were looking at. I'm not sure I even looked in a mirror before I left that morning. I walked around, watching them and for a brief moment, I wished I knew how to fish. They all looked so happy to be in the river, poles in hand. It was a beautiful morning to be out.
The next two photos are along the South Platte River between
Eleven Mile Reservoir and Spinney Mountain Reservoir.
Wilkerson Pass. This mountain pass has an elevation of 9,504 feet.
Although I slept great the night before, I had gotten a little chilly. I decided to make a quick run to Woodland Park and get an extra fleece blanket and some food. My stomach had been upset for the last few days so I stopped at Arby's to get some plain Roast Beef sandwiches. They always do the trick for me when I'm having stomach issues. Plus, they keep well in a cooler.
My next stop was the Woodland Park Walmart. I found a queen size fleece blanket, plaid of course, because I'm camping and plaid just works. I picked up some pre-shaped hamburger patties to cook for dinner. I figured I could cook all four of them and just put the extras in the cooler. It is very hard to cook for one, especially when you are camping. I was trying to think ahead and not make food that would spoil easily if I had leftovers.
I headed back to my campground and started to cook the first meal on my camping trip. My Coleman camp stove has wind barriers on the side, but it was so windy that my flame kept blowing out. Plus, my stove's flame doesn't regulate well. It's either high or really freaking high. So I had to keep lifting my skillet off the flame so my burgers wouldn't burn. I was worried they would be charred on the outside and raw on the inside. They actually turned out just fine. I had brought a package of Long Grain Wild Rice that you microwave for 90 seconds. When the hamburgers were done, I dumped the rice on top of the meat and added some water. I let that cook for a bit and the juice created a slight sauce for the meal.
When I first arrived at Eleven Mile State Park, there were brochures and signs warning of bears. Campers had to use dump stations to dispose of any type of waste water including dishwater. There were bear safe trash receptacles throughout the park. I really had no interest in becoming bear food, so I made sure to clean up my cooking equipment thoroughly. There was no water nearby and I had to make sure my waste water went into a five gallon bucket I had brought. I quickly realized that cooking in this way, especially for only one person, was going to be a bit of a pain in the ass. I sort of knew then that I probably wouldn't do a lot of cooking on this trip.
My next stop was the Woodland Park Walmart. I found a queen size fleece blanket, plaid of course, because I'm camping and plaid just works. I picked up some pre-shaped hamburger patties to cook for dinner. I figured I could cook all four of them and just put the extras in the cooler. It is very hard to cook for one, especially when you are camping. I was trying to think ahead and not make food that would spoil easily if I had leftovers.
I headed back to my campground and started to cook the first meal on my camping trip. My Coleman camp stove has wind barriers on the side, but it was so windy that my flame kept blowing out. Plus, my stove's flame doesn't regulate well. It's either high or really freaking high. So I had to keep lifting my skillet off the flame so my burgers wouldn't burn. I was worried they would be charred on the outside and raw on the inside. They actually turned out just fine. I had brought a package of Long Grain Wild Rice that you microwave for 90 seconds. When the hamburgers were done, I dumped the rice on top of the meat and added some water. I let that cook for a bit and the juice created a slight sauce for the meal.
When I first arrived at Eleven Mile State Park, there were brochures and signs warning of bears. Campers had to use dump stations to dispose of any type of waste water including dishwater. There were bear safe trash receptacles throughout the park. I really had no interest in becoming bear food, so I made sure to clean up my cooking equipment thoroughly. There was no water nearby and I had to make sure my waste water went into a five gallon bucket I had brought. I quickly realized that cooking in this way, especially for only one person, was going to be a bit of a pain in the ass. I sort of knew then that I probably wouldn't do a lot of cooking on this trip.
Day Three: http://agnestakesaroadtrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/epic-road-trip-day-3-hornbek-homestead.html
Day Four: http://agnestakesaroadtrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/epic-road-trip-day-4-eleven-mile-canyon.html
Day Five: http://agnestakesaroadtrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/epic-road-trip-day-5-manitou-cliff.html
Day Six: http://agnestakesaroadtrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/epic-road-trip-day-6-steamboat-lake.html
Day Seven: http://agnestakesaroadtrip.blogspot.com/2017/07/epic-road-trip-day-7-steamboat-lake.html
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