Enjoying the Colorado Mountains!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

JDOnTheGo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Posts
425
Location
Desert Southwest
Howdy all!

This week I've been located in the beautiful Sawatch mountains west of Salida, CO.  The area is spectacular and I had to share a couple photos!  I still do not understand how to post photos (even linked ones) on this forum (very frustrating) so I guess you have to use this link to my blog to view them.  I'll try to attach one or two.  Probably operator error....

I have to admit, I am attempting to learn something about photography and it is a VERY steep learning curve.  However; each time I get a photo that I like (out of hundreds that I don't like), I am super excited by the success! The photos are here if interested - click on them to view a larger version. Don't expect professional quality photos please - I'm still an amateur!
 

Attachments

  • DJI_0222_320.JPG
    DJI_0222_320.JPG
    42.2 KB · Views: 179
  • DSCN8300_320.JPG
    DSCN8300_320.JPG
    21.5 KB · Views: 154
Great pictures!  Thanks for sharing!  The back of our house faces west, so we can sit & enjoy the beautiful CO sunsets.  Not as spectacular as this one though!
 
JFNM said:
Thanks for the kind words folks. It is a pretty great area - but kinda chilly this morning!  :(    Yep - that's me!

JD,  how on earth did you level the rig?! Picture makes the ground look way too "tilty" (sp? ;)) side to side
 
Thanks Kevin - me too!!  It is about the only kind of living that I do - though a night with full hookups every 2-3 weeks is nice for dump/fill and doing the laundry.

Scott - it is fairly tilty so the process is complicated.  I move the coach around until it seems least tilty and then press the "Level" button on the hydraulic levelers.  The rest is pure magic!!  ;D  ;)    That said, if it is too much for the levelers, I will either move the coach around a bit more to find a less tilty angle or put some blocks under the leveler feet.  I hate doing the latter as it requires me to get out of the drivers seat.  ;)  I think the key is finding an angle that works. Meaning, if you park perpendicular to the slope it may be too much. Parking at an angle to the slope seems to work better (within reason).  It is interesting to me how untilty a site looks and feels when you walk it but when you try to level the coach, you suddenly see exactly how tilty it actually is.

 
Scott, I was just thinking...  My '05 DS dumps the air suspension as part of the automatic leveling.  This gives the levelers much more "range".  Does yours do the same??  If not, that might be the difference in getting them level on very titlty surfaces.
 
Hi JD,

JFNM said:
This week I've been located in the beautiful Sawatch mountains west of Salida, CO.

Looks like a beautiful place, exactly like the kind we love to camp at. Can you share the GPS coordinates, or even better, post an entry for it at one of the free campsite "registers" (I use http://freecampsites.net and http://campendium.com) and afterwards post the link  here?

JFNM said:
The photos are here if interested - click on them to view a larger version. Don't expect professional quality photos please - I'm still an amateur!

Well, those pics are a lot better than many I've seem from folks a lot less humble than you, so I look forward to your pics when you start calling yourself a pro ;-)

Cheers,
--
  Vall.
 
VallAndMo said:
those pics are a lot better than many I've seem from folks a lot less humble than you

X2.  As soon as I can figure out how to Photoshop out that darn watermark I'll make a mint selling them to Hallmark! ;)  ;D
 
Something most people don't know or understand about professional photographers. Before digital, a pro would go through dozens of yards of bulk film to get one or maybe three good shots that would sell. With digital, they still take thousands of shots to get the "golden" ones.

Just keep clicking. Learn from every shot. Even the professionals throw out a lot of chaff.
 
Sun2Retire said:
X2.  As soon as I can figure out how to Photoshop out that darn watermark I'll make a mint selling them to Hallmark! ;)  ;D

Don't do it Scott!!  The fame and fortune that is sure to result will destroy your life!!  ;D
 
VallAndMo said:
Well, those pics are a lot better than many I've seem from folks a lot less humble than you, so I look forward to your pics when you start calling yourself a pro ;-)

Thanks Vall - I appreciate that!! 

The spot is already on FreeCampsites.net, it is called "NW Poncha Springs BLM" (https://freecampsites.net/#!4557&query=sitedetails).
 
JD, the photos are awesome! I live in CO, I love the Sawatch/Collegiate Peaks area. Have hiked many of the 14ers over there. But with working full time I don't get as much time in the mountains as I would like.  I'm looking forward to retiring next spring and going full time. 
 
JFNM said:
Thanks Vall - I appreciate that!! 

The spot is already on FreeCampsites.net, it is called "NW Poncha Springs BLM" (https://freecampsites.net/#!4557&query=sitedetails).

Thanks JD. Before you posted the exact site I Google Earthed the area for a "significant" amount of time and settled on the Twin Lakes area because of your pics. Thanks again for the exact site!
 
Debra17 said:
JD, the photos are awesome! I live in CO, I love the Sawatch/Collegiate Peaks area. Have hiked many of the 14ers over there. But with working full time I don't get as much time in the mountains as I would like.  I'm looking forward to retiring next spring and going full time.

Thanks Debra!  I hear ya - I'm still working as well as so sneaking out for a day in the mountains is especially great!  Here is another photo I took while out mountain biking.

 

Attachments

  • DJI_0262_1067.JPG
    DJI_0262_1067.JPG
    194.1 KB · Views: 30
Here are a few pics we took coming over Kenosha Pass last weekend, the Aspens are just about done. We were camping at our place in Fairplay and it snowed a little Friday night..... I'm bummed the summer is almost over!
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    341.1 KB · Views: 31
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    347.9 KB · Views: 31
  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    332.3 KB · Views: 26
JFNM said:
Thanks Debra!  I hear ya - I'm still working as well as so sneaking out for a day in the mountains is especially great!  Here is another photo I took while out mountain biking.

That's awesome you are able to camp in such beautiful places while you are working!  I had no idea until recently that such a thing was even possible. I took a look at your website also and looks like you go to some great places. When I purchase my TT in the spring I am planning to have a solar system installed so that I can boondock most of the time.
 
Debra17 said:
When I purchase my TT in the spring I am planning to have a solar system installed so that I can boondock most of the time.

No doubt that solar is not the perfect solution for every scenario but for me, it is amazing and I am a big advocate!  When you get to that point, ask lots of questions.  The initial learning curve is kinda steep but it all starts making sense pretty quickly - most certainly not rocket science.
 
Back
Top Bottom