Labor Day Camping

Camping faces

This past Labor Day weekend we camped in Colorado for the first time in the three years we have been here! We went to Jackson Reservoir near Orchard on the eastern plains. It was about a two hour drive and after while the mountains disappeared behind us leaving only farmland ahead.

We had a bit of a rough start trying to find a quick breakfast before we left the main high way. The signs on the side of the road indicated that a Chik-fil-a was nearby but it certainly wasn't and we were disappointed, but determined. Two miles out of our way we got our spicy chicken biscuits and we were on our way to Cabela's to pick up fishing licenses and nigh crawlers. Ok, so after a quick detour to Wal-mart to pick up a mallet we were finally on our way.

Walk to the marina

The campsite was easy enough to get to. There were plenty of RVs and boats around. We found ourselves on a nice little corner near a rambunctious Hispanic family and some rednecks who took horse shoes way too seriously. It was wonderful people watching. We set up camp and explored the area. We were only a few minutes from the marina and just a short walk to the coast of the lake. I was all sweaty and gross from setting up our tent that I had to get in the water to cool off. On the surface it was nice and warm like a bath but as soon as you sank any lower it was chilly!

Swim shore

We walked around more, tried to fish at dusk but didn't have any luck so we went back for dinner. We also tried to get a fire going but the "laundry lint" didn't really do the trick, plus is was stupid windy. The matches were blown out before we could light anything. Frustrated and sad we turned in and listened to the howling wind and rain batter our little tent for most of the night.

Thankfully we and our possessions survived the onslaught of nature but since we didn't sleep well (blame the lack of inflatable mattress) we didn't get to be the first ones on the water to try our hand at fishing again. This was also frustrating at first because the lines kept twisting in on themselves so there was a bit of a learning curve. Eventually we got everything situated and spent a few hours casting and reeling. It was really nice just to hear the water slap against the shore and occasionally see a large fish leap out of the water to taunt us. Then Joe napped some of the day away while I soaked up some sun and read my friend's new book on my Kindle. I think I've gotten more sun the past two weekends than I have all summer!

Serious bidness

We decided to fish one last time without any luck but it was just nice to out there for a while. Sunday evening was significantly less windy than the night before so we were able to cook in peace and even get a decent fire going! That night was spent watching the flames flicker and dance around until they died a few hour later. We made as many s'mores as we could before the fire went out and then laid down for the night.

 No major hitches were encountered on our adventure. We still love each other by the end of the weekend. I think this camping trip was a success and I can't wait to do it again!

Evening fishing