Meeting Itinerary

1. Choose overall trip "tempo"
1. By tempo I refer to the relative amount of 'civilization' in day to day life. This mostly comes down to whether we stay in a campground and how primitive that campground is (e.g. showers or not).
2. My proposed tempo is the following:
1. First third of trip: staying in Denver in effectively hotels. Very comfortable.
2. Middle third of trip: staying in really interesting, primitive campsites (e.g. this).
3. Final third: staying in Moab in relative comfort. This implies either a boring but serviced private campground with showers or perhaps an AirBNB.
2. Choose lodging locations on the 'southern' route.
3. Choose and book lodging in Moab, as there's nowhere else to stay within an hour's drive.

Proposed Schedule

June 2 (Mon)

Leave Denver, traveling South. Explore the rocky mountains. Camp that night:

1. At the Yurt in Leadville
2. At the hostel in Gunnison
3. This campground next to a lake on the high plains.
4. Fourmile campground somewhat remote in the mountains.
5. Beautiful campground on the Blue Mesa reservoir.

June 3 (Tue)

Big adventure travel day. Explore the Gunnison River lake and gorge system. Possibly see Rio Grande Nat'l Park and climb a big mountain.

1. At an interesting, more remote and wild campground somewhere.
1. Beautiful campground on the Blue Mesa reservoir.
2. High alpine mountain lake campground campground on the north side of Rio Grande.
2. At the same hostel in Gunnison

June 4 (Wed)

A drive-and-adventure day. Could follow the Gunnison River and see the canyon. Could pass straight thru and see the wastes of Eastern Utah. The big decision is about this night. The best time to see a truly dark sky is this night, given celestial mechanics. That big alabaster bitch in the sky (the moon) sets around 2am and morning twilight starts at 4am. If it's just me and Greg that want to see this, the party can split for the night of the 4th with one half proceeding directly to Moab.

June 5 (Thur)

Drive to Moab

June 6 (Fri)

Full Moab Day

June 7 (Sat)

Full Moab Day

June 8 (Sun)

Full Moab Day

June 9 (Mon)

Group splits and leaves Moab.

Locations

High Plains

Observatory Rock, which I think is climbable

Old trains at the Como roundhouse.

The Gunnison Corridor

The route from Gunnison down the Gunnison River is pretty well encapsulated in National and State park land.

Gunnison 'Black Canyon' at sunset.

Blue Mesa Reservoir, perhaps a good spot to swim.

The town of Gunnison itself has several coffee shops, a brewery, etc.

Lodging

1. AirBNB ~ $250/night
2. Hostel ~ $100/night for private room.
1. Decent location, seems a nice place.
2. Wanderlust Hostel

Everything in blue is one hour's drive from Gunnison

Rio Grande Nat'l Forest Option

Rio Grande more than anywhere I've yet seen pictures of captures that old west mining boom/bust energy. There seem to be loads of abandoned mineheads, mills, and other late 1800's wooden buildings scattered about the area. Worth considering spending one night camping in this area.

Uncompahgre Peak (maps)

The old Lewis Mill (maps)

Ruins of Upper Camp Bird Mine (maps)

Castle Lakes campground (we can stay here) (maps)

Interesting Bald Plains

Moab

Does not really belong here but I'm centralizing my notes.

Lodging

1. AirBNB ~ $250/night
2. No hostels I can find.