- First Name
- Glenn
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2020
- Threads
- 3
- Messages
- 52
- Reaction score
- 255
- Location
- Austin, Texas
- Vehicle(s)
- 1994 Isuzu Trooper
- Your Bronco Model
- Base
- Thread starter
- #1
No hardcore wheeling, but I had tons of fun adventuring. I slept in my Bronco this trip instead of pitching a tent each night, which makes camp setup and breakdown super fast. I went with DeepSleep, their 5" foam mat is super comfy and solid, and was able to keep it inflated and the bed setup for the whole trip. My favorite camp gear has to go to the Geyser Shower system. Being able to take a hot shower without taking up a ton of space is the one luxury item I wanted.
It was my first time in either state, so I was in awe pretty much the whole time. Some highlights include: Getting lost on various hikes, disconnecting from internet for the majority of the trip, meeting lots of rad people, two national parks, staining my underwear on America's highest zipline, and a bunch of wildlife that seemed to approach and chill with me. After losing my beloved Thor on my last trip, I wanted serenity on this one and experienced plenty of that. Chalk Creek may have been my favorite part.
The Bronco performed phenomenally again with no major issues for the 2,500 miles. My lifetime mpg increased by 2.5. I averaged low-mid 20s most of the time. At one point I could have had a 500+ mile tank, but filled up after 450 miles. My suspension has been very loud at the slightest articulation and I wasn't able to get that that resolved before the trip, which is part of why I didn't wheel. On the last day, I kept receiving a TPS Malfunction error for the front passenger wheel. It would turn off and on every 100 miles or so. I found a thread from a banned member with the same issue here: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/front-tps-intermittent-malfunction.36804/.
Here are more details of the trip. I'm getting half-decent at planning these now:
8/31: 700 miles (11 hrs) Austin, TX to Trinidad, CO
2 gas fillups, no destinations. Just wanted to get the bulk of the boring out of the way.
I slept at the Walmart parking lot in Trinidad, I found it from freecampsites.net. The location was fully stocked, and their incredible camp section has anything you would need.
9/1: 225 miles (5 hrs) to Cañon City, CO, camp near St Elmo, CO
Skyline Drive was my first destination, and picture. I found it a fun little adrenaline warmup, highly recommend. From there I went to the Royal Gorge Bridge. I didn't know I had a slight fear of heights until I stepped foot on the 100 year old planks on this super high suspension bridge. I was a little shaky until a few steps, then felt confident enough to snap photos and enjoy the views. I thought for sure I was going to change my mind on trying their Cloudscraper Zipline, but my internal monologue had a theme this trip: "You didn't come all this way for nothing". I sucked it up and my adrenaline skyrocketed as flew above the canyon! After that park, I headed to my camp Cascade Falls, but stopped at the nearby Agnes Vaille Waterfall trailhead. It was a short hike that most can do without issue. After an hour or so enjoying that hike, I headed just down the road next to my camp at the falls. The tranquility here at Cascade Falls was so beautiful! I had the place to myself, the roar of the creek was exciting, the scenery was awesome. I almost couldn't believe what I was experiencing. I soaked that up for an hour then finally arrived at camp and took my first real shower.
9/2: 200 miles (3.5 hrs) to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Another beautiful drive. There were alerts of closure for US 50 Blue Mesa Bridge, so I followed Maps as my previous research indicated. However, as I turned onto the 149C, a parked car stopped me and approached my window letting me know that I was not authorized to enter that private property. I was unaware the Bridge was open after all, so I backtracked 149 back up to 50. I was one of the first to arrive at South Rim Campground. The Black Canon of the Gunnison has so much to see, and it does feel like one of the lesser crowded parks. I stopped at almost every viewing point. Dragon Point may have been my favorite. Painted Wall is mesmerizing at nearly 2,500 vertical feet.
9/3: 215 miles (4.5 hrs) to Ouray, CO, and Moab, UT
I headed south to Ouray for my first stop at the incredible Box Canyon Park. The $7 entry is absolutely worth it if you stop in this town. There's a steep staircase that leads to an amazing viewpoint of Ouray. Then I re-experiencing my fear of heights as I cross the small bridge at the very top of the canyon. At the end is a short tunnel where a trail continues for a few more miles. I back tracked down the stairs and down into the canyon. The temperature cooled as I descended, hearing the roar of the falls growing louder and louder. The waves and carvings on the walls were absolutely stunning, everything about this place was truly beautiful. I didn't want to leave, but I eventually I did. I went back up the 550, then to Moab. Little did I know, the drive was about to be a lot more interesting than I anticipated. The canyon drive down to Placerville had me on my toes as I was expecting to hit some wildlife at any moment. The dips, turns, and hills were all a blast, and the scenery was just gorgeous. Eventually I got to Naurita, CO and thought I had the hardest part done. HA! Following the 90 to Paradox Valley proved otherwise, as the climb up this twisty canyon was not so relaxing. Again, though I was just a little nervous, the views were so incredible that I knew everything was worth it. I finally got to Moab and established camp at Sand Flats Recreation Area. I ran Baby Lions Back, confirmed my suspension was not happy, and then headed to camp for the night.
9/4: 65 miles (~2 hours) Moab, UT
I started my morning early and arrived at Arches National Park just after 7. I stopped at a few of the vantage points, and Windows Arch was my first in the park. Sand Dune Arch was my favorite. I found the sand surprisingly soft to walk on, and the rock formations were just so tall and impressive. I couldn't understand how the vegetation grows in this environment, and loved seeing the gnarled trees. I underestimated the hike to Landscape Arch, but that was a beautiful journey as well. I left the park and cleaned up at camp for a bit. Later on in the early afternoon I decided to go hike to find the Mill Creek Waterfall. The creek was gushing, and seemed like an oasis in the desert. I accidentally passed the waterfall and continued the creek for far too long, as I saw foot prints and thought "if there are prints, this must be the way". I finally pulled out my phone from my pack, turned it on, and saw on maps that I had indeed missed the waterfall. I eventually made it to there, but only stayed for a little while. I got back to camp later that afternoon and called it a day.
9/5: 190 miles (3 hours) Durango, CO
A quick stop at Hole 'N' The Rock. I ended up not going to see the animals or gift shop. I continued on and passed by Wilson Arch where I could see people that looked like ants playing under the arch. I arrived in Durango early afternoon, grabbed lunch, then headed to Mild to Wild for white water rafting. My guide was very fun and informative, sharing so many cool facts about Durango and his epic journeys. After boating, I was pretty much over the sun at this point as it was nearly perfectly sunny all trip. I opted to stay in a hotel that night, and was able to watch a great Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens, and catch up on a few messages and emails, as well as some social media browsing.
9/6: 430 miles (7 hours) Roswell, NM
No major destinations for this part of the trip. I debated driving 14 hours straight from Durango to Austin, but I remembered I didn't feel wonderful after the 11 hours from Austin to Trinidad. I stopped in Sante Fe to admire some of the adobe style structures, then I stayed in another hotel in Roswell, I'm not a fan of hot camping.
9/7: 520 miles (8 hours) Austin, TX
Again, nothing fun for this day. The intermittent TPS malfunction error started just after the sunrise picture. I almost forgot, when the sun was finally rising I received two other sensor errors: one about the front camera I believe (which I do not have), and another sensor I can't remember. Those two went away after 30 minutes or so.
Thank you, Colorado and Utah, for the hospitality, friendly people, and wonderful times! With that, here a few of the attractions from the trip I'd like to share, in chronological order:
It was my first time in either state, so I was in awe pretty much the whole time. Some highlights include: Getting lost on various hikes, disconnecting from internet for the majority of the trip, meeting lots of rad people, two national parks, staining my underwear on America's highest zipline, and a bunch of wildlife that seemed to approach and chill with me. After losing my beloved Thor on my last trip, I wanted serenity on this one and experienced plenty of that. Chalk Creek may have been my favorite part.
The Bronco performed phenomenally again with no major issues for the 2,500 miles. My lifetime mpg increased by 2.5. I averaged low-mid 20s most of the time. At one point I could have had a 500+ mile tank, but filled up after 450 miles. My suspension has been very loud at the slightest articulation and I wasn't able to get that that resolved before the trip, which is part of why I didn't wheel. On the last day, I kept receiving a TPS Malfunction error for the front passenger wheel. It would turn off and on every 100 miles or so. I found a thread from a banned member with the same issue here: https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/front-tps-intermittent-malfunction.36804/.
Here are more details of the trip. I'm getting half-decent at planning these now:
8/31: 700 miles (11 hrs) Austin, TX to Trinidad, CO
2 gas fillups, no destinations. Just wanted to get the bulk of the boring out of the way.
I slept at the Walmart parking lot in Trinidad, I found it from freecampsites.net. The location was fully stocked, and their incredible camp section has anything you would need.
9/1: 225 miles (5 hrs) to Cañon City, CO, camp near St Elmo, CO
Skyline Drive was my first destination, and picture. I found it a fun little adrenaline warmup, highly recommend. From there I went to the Royal Gorge Bridge. I didn't know I had a slight fear of heights until I stepped foot on the 100 year old planks on this super high suspension bridge. I was a little shaky until a few steps, then felt confident enough to snap photos and enjoy the views. I thought for sure I was going to change my mind on trying their Cloudscraper Zipline, but my internal monologue had a theme this trip: "You didn't come all this way for nothing". I sucked it up and my adrenaline skyrocketed as flew above the canyon! After that park, I headed to my camp Cascade Falls, but stopped at the nearby Agnes Vaille Waterfall trailhead. It was a short hike that most can do without issue. After an hour or so enjoying that hike, I headed just down the road next to my camp at the falls. The tranquility here at Cascade Falls was so beautiful! I had the place to myself, the roar of the creek was exciting, the scenery was awesome. I almost couldn't believe what I was experiencing. I soaked that up for an hour then finally arrived at camp and took my first real shower.
9/2: 200 miles (3.5 hrs) to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Another beautiful drive. There were alerts of closure for US 50 Blue Mesa Bridge, so I followed Maps as my previous research indicated. However, as I turned onto the 149C, a parked car stopped me and approached my window letting me know that I was not authorized to enter that private property. I was unaware the Bridge was open after all, so I backtracked 149 back up to 50. I was one of the first to arrive at South Rim Campground. The Black Canon of the Gunnison has so much to see, and it does feel like one of the lesser crowded parks. I stopped at almost every viewing point. Dragon Point may have been my favorite. Painted Wall is mesmerizing at nearly 2,500 vertical feet.
9/3: 215 miles (4.5 hrs) to Ouray, CO, and Moab, UT
I headed south to Ouray for my first stop at the incredible Box Canyon Park. The $7 entry is absolutely worth it if you stop in this town. There's a steep staircase that leads to an amazing viewpoint of Ouray. Then I re-experiencing my fear of heights as I cross the small bridge at the very top of the canyon. At the end is a short tunnel where a trail continues for a few more miles. I back tracked down the stairs and down into the canyon. The temperature cooled as I descended, hearing the roar of the falls growing louder and louder. The waves and carvings on the walls were absolutely stunning, everything about this place was truly beautiful. I didn't want to leave, but I eventually I did. I went back up the 550, then to Moab. Little did I know, the drive was about to be a lot more interesting than I anticipated. The canyon drive down to Placerville had me on my toes as I was expecting to hit some wildlife at any moment. The dips, turns, and hills were all a blast, and the scenery was just gorgeous. Eventually I got to Naurita, CO and thought I had the hardest part done. HA! Following the 90 to Paradox Valley proved otherwise, as the climb up this twisty canyon was not so relaxing. Again, though I was just a little nervous, the views were so incredible that I knew everything was worth it. I finally got to Moab and established camp at Sand Flats Recreation Area. I ran Baby Lions Back, confirmed my suspension was not happy, and then headed to camp for the night.
9/4: 65 miles (~2 hours) Moab, UT
I started my morning early and arrived at Arches National Park just after 7. I stopped at a few of the vantage points, and Windows Arch was my first in the park. Sand Dune Arch was my favorite. I found the sand surprisingly soft to walk on, and the rock formations were just so tall and impressive. I couldn't understand how the vegetation grows in this environment, and loved seeing the gnarled trees. I underestimated the hike to Landscape Arch, but that was a beautiful journey as well. I left the park and cleaned up at camp for a bit. Later on in the early afternoon I decided to go hike to find the Mill Creek Waterfall. The creek was gushing, and seemed like an oasis in the desert. I accidentally passed the waterfall and continued the creek for far too long, as I saw foot prints and thought "if there are prints, this must be the way". I finally pulled out my phone from my pack, turned it on, and saw on maps that I had indeed missed the waterfall. I eventually made it to there, but only stayed for a little while. I got back to camp later that afternoon and called it a day.
9/5: 190 miles (3 hours) Durango, CO
A quick stop at Hole 'N' The Rock. I ended up not going to see the animals or gift shop. I continued on and passed by Wilson Arch where I could see people that looked like ants playing under the arch. I arrived in Durango early afternoon, grabbed lunch, then headed to Mild to Wild for white water rafting. My guide was very fun and informative, sharing so many cool facts about Durango and his epic journeys. After boating, I was pretty much over the sun at this point as it was nearly perfectly sunny all trip. I opted to stay in a hotel that night, and was able to watch a great Thursday Night Football matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens, and catch up on a few messages and emails, as well as some social media browsing.
9/6: 430 miles (7 hours) Roswell, NM
No major destinations for this part of the trip. I debated driving 14 hours straight from Durango to Austin, but I remembered I didn't feel wonderful after the 11 hours from Austin to Trinidad. I stopped in Sante Fe to admire some of the adobe style structures, then I stayed in another hotel in Roswell, I'm not a fan of hot camping.
9/7: 520 miles (8 hours) Austin, TX
Again, nothing fun for this day. The intermittent TPS malfunction error started just after the sunrise picture. I almost forgot, when the sun was finally rising I received two other sensor errors: one about the front camera I believe (which I do not have), and another sensor I can't remember. Those two went away after 30 minutes or so.
Thank you, Colorado and Utah, for the hospitality, friendly people, and wonderful times! With that, here a few of the attractions from the trip I'd like to share, in chronological order:
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