How tough has dispersed camping gotten? (Salida, Buena Vista: leasing, houses, purchase)

[pikabike]

Originally Posted by MuncherBier

What? We're moving back to Colorado to get away from the mosquitos! I don't remember any stinking bugs out there.

Mosquitos exist in CO, and in horrid densities in some places. I have unfond memories of bugbite hll in Steamboat Springs, Winter Park, and Grand Mesa. Wetter and greener brings ‘em out in force.

They aren’t as bad as in some other parts of the US where I’ve gone, but they are by no means “not in Colorado”. That’s another whopping exaggeration (putting it very nicely), similar to “The snow goes away the next day!”

Don’t forget deerflies and so-called cedar gnats.

Realtorspeak, tourismspeak, usedcarsalesmanspeak...

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by MuncherBier

What? We're moving back to Colorado to get away from the mosquitos! I don't remember any stinking bugs out there.

The mosquitoes in the SLV are real and can make the mountains a real drag during wet summers. Ticks have seem to become more prevalent (at least in the Sangres in my experience) in recent years, as well. Nothing like the east coast, but they’re around.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by MuncherBier

What? We're moving back to Colorado to get away from the mosquitos! I don't remember any stinking bugs out there.

How long ago?

We had the mosquito sprayer (fogger) do our entire town during the 1960's
I got my case of West Nile in Colorado during 2003 (Along with more than 3,000 others)

Bring your DEET.
https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/statsma...tate-2021.html

[DOUBLE H]

Both pikabike and stealthRabbit are right on the mosquito issue. I live a quarter mile from the Colorado River and when I do some outdoor yard work I'm ready for the little bleeps! Grand Mesa hits the bell regarding the mosquitos IMO.


Use Deet--you'll be glad you did!

[interloper1138]

Here's a relevant article from today from the Colorado Sun. It discusses the dispersed camping in Chaffee County and how it's gotten out of control. I've only lived in Colorado for 7 years, but this matches what I've experienced. I still enjoy hiking in the Collegiates, but getting back to Winfield, or Brown's Creek, or Cottonwood Canyon, or Shavano on weekends now? It's just a madhouse all summer long. Go on a weekday or don't bother unless you're not bothered by the crowds.

In addition to more recreational traffic, you've got an increasing number of local workers that can't afford housing that have opted to camp instead. These are the people I truly feel bad for. I think it was in 2016 or 2017 (can't remember exactly), I remember reading an article in the Mountain Mail that the estimated homelessness rate among children at the Longfellow Elementary in Salida jumped 300% in one year. I imagine the situation has only gotten worse as rents have continued their exponential increases since then. Heartbreaking.

Just a few more reasons I left Chaffee County. It's a beautiful place, but no longer worth the price of admission for residents, IMO.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by interloper1138

Not a lot of people were flying in from out-of-state in the summer of 2020. Plenty of people didn't feel safe with flying at that point due to COVID.

I hiked the Buffalo Peaks on a Sunday (camped the night before) late this past summer and while it wasn't exactly 'crowded' near my camp site, it certainly wasn't deserted.

If OP wants mountain solitude not too terribly far from Denver, the western side of the Sangre de Cristos (except the Crestone and Mt. Blanca areas) are where to look. Just bring your bug spray.

Yeah still that it's not packed is the cool part for being close and free. Whereas if you go to Cottonwood lake a little further down the road it's an absolute zoo that's almost scary.

It's funny, the mosquitoes in wetter parts of CO are about what they are in northern GA, but people swear CO is bug free and Georgia is some infested realm.

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by Phil P

Yeah still that it's not packed is the cool part for being close and free. Whereas if you go to Cottonwood lake a little further down the road it's an absolute zoo that's almost scary.

Yeah, the Buffalo Peaks are definitely more mild traffic-wise compared to other nearby areas, absolutely.

[cowboyxjon]

Ah, interloper1138 already beat me to it. I was just going to post the article from the Colorado Sun.

I know there are a lot of reasons why things are the way they are right now, but I am curious to know how much this “vanlife” movement has to do with it, along with the ability for people to work remotely. It gets sensationalized on social media and places like Reddit and I actually know 2-3 people who are now nomads, living out of expensive sprinter vans. Hopefully these aren’t the people who are causing problems, but it seems way more popular now than it did even 10 years ago.

I’ve also started looking east of Colorado for camping. There isn’t much in the way of dispersed, and it’s not really in the mountains, but there are some nice state parks in Kansas and Nebraska that are a lot lower key, but still interesting in their own way. Yep, the campgrounds are established so it’s a different vibe, but it can still be fun. I know people here generally tend to look down on the plains, but there is a lot of natural beauty there as well.

[MuncherBier]

Thanks for the article. That's discouraging. It's one thing for the areas to be busier, it's an entirely different thing for people to be trashing the areas.

[Colorado Rambler]

One of the reasons I hightailed it away from the Front Range was the increasing influx of people to Denver, Fort Collins, the Springs, and every other city there. And this was some 15 years ago when I left for good!

The Western Slope still has some good camping opportunities if you just don't go near any of the resort towns like Aspen or cities like Grand Junction. The San Juan Mountains can offer a good camping experience if you are willing to drive that far, but do your research first. I live in Cortez which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, yet the camping around places like McPhee and Ground Hog Reservoir can fill up pretty quickly, especially on the weekends and during the hunting season(s).

If you are on the more adventuresome side and have a vehicle with good tread still on the tires (4 or all wheel drive doesn't hurt to have, either), there are still quite a few awesome places to camp on both Forest Service and BLM lands out in my part of Colorado. You can forget going anywhere near a National Park, though.

I use the 15 minute maps which are published in the Colorado Gazetteer, along with an old handheld orienteering GPS to find my way to secluded places in both the La Platas and the San Juans and I never really get lost as long as my GPS can pick up 3 or 4 satellites. I've also gotten extremely territorial in my old age. I once had set up my campsite way back in the San Juans when another vehicle decided to follow me in. I got out of my truck and told the driver that I had been there first and that I was sure he could find a better camping spot if only he kept on going. To my surprise, this actually worked and the guy meekly turned around and drove away!

As for mosquitoes - they are everywhere now adays. I think that this may be due in part to the climate becoming more humid as global warming works its evil magic. I always take bottles and bottles of every mosquito repellent known to woman since you can't order the nasty creatures to leave the way you can a human.

Forget the Front Range. Go West, young man, and you might be pleasantly surprised!