Ending the summer with a bang - a crash, a fire, and a lake cruise

This Labor Day weekend camping trip was peppered with several highs and lows, including crashing a bike, pontooning across a windy lake, swimming in a river stream, and returning home to a raging forest fire.

Six of us from a Colorado cycling club camped at the Arkansas Point Campground in an assortment of tents, motorhomes, and trailers at Lake Pueblo State Park, a 4600-acre reservoir just west of Pueblo, Colorado.  Turns out the T@B's A/C option was a worthwhile investment, especially this scorching weekend.

Afternoon highs pushed close to 100.  So, after biking and soaking our paws in a cool stream that flows out of the reservoir, it was a real treat to be able to escape to a cool spot in the T@B for an afternoon siesta during the hottest part of the day.   This high desert plain is a land of extremes though.  The evenings cool off very quickly, and it is not uncommon to run the A/C during the day and the furnace at night.

Minutes before the gymnastic flip

The weekend had a few challenges, including when a friend visiting from New York, somersaulted over the handle bars on a loose, rocky incline during a single track ride the first day.  He landed on his shoulder and suffered scrapes literally from head to toe.  Fortunately, New Yorkers are a tough lot, and he was no worse for the wear except for sporting a few new badges of honor (a.k.a. bruises and scrapes)  that are sure to make good conversation fodder when he returns home to his office.

I had my own cycling issues too, but they were more painful to my pocketbook than my body.  When we started out the first day, I didn't even make it to the trail before discovering a badly bent chain ring.  It was soon clear that there was no way I would be able to ride the trails without getting it repaired.  So I headed into town to a bike shop to get it fixed and ended up leaving the store with a whole new bike!  This turned out to be my most expensive camping trip to date.

Cliff jumping

On Sunday we were joined by a few extra members who hooked up with us for the day.  The group rode the trails in the morning, and then for something completely different, we rented a pontoon boat at the marina for an afternoon "cruise" on the reservoir.  It was a great way to beat the heat and cool off on the choppy lake waters.  I had fun playing "ship captain" for a few hours as we leisurely explored the many coves and cliff enclosed inlets.     We also enjoyed watching water skiers, tubers, jet skiers, and even some cliff jumpers making the most of this Labor Day weekend.

Pontooning on the Lake

It would have been an almost perfect holiday, except that when we returned home to Boulder, Colorado, the skies were darkened by what seemed to be storm clouds.  As we got closer though, we realized we were seeing dark smoke from a large forest fire that was raging in the mountains to the west.  That evening I could see flames on the mountainside and the skies glowing red from more than 20 miles away.   As of this writing, a day and a half after the fire started, it is still 0% contained, has doubled in size to over 7000 acres, and almost 100 structures and homes have been burned.  Fortunately, there have been no reports of injury or loss of life.

Large fire west of Boulder, CO

So, another Labor Day passes, and in spite of the bike crash and forest fire that bookended the holiday, we had a great time enjoying the Lake, friends, food, cycling, boating, and star gazing.  There is just something about getting out of your every day routine, exploring new territory and taking on new adventures, that is good for the spirit and the soul.  The T@B continues to be a great little camper that makes getting out and enjoying the outdoors a little easier and more comfortable.  I am already looking forward to the next trip!


If you go:

Lake Pueblo State Park is located 125 miles south of Denver. The park requires an $6/day vehicle pass + camping fee ($20/night). The Arkansas Point Campground has paved pads (many of them are pull throughs), electrical hookups, picnic shelters, and fire rings. There are flush toilets, laundry, and pay shower facilities ($.50 for 3 minutes) on site. There are fresh water spigots scattered throughout the campground, but no water/sewer hookups at individual sites.

Pontoon boats can be rented at the South Shore Marina, which is adjacent to the Arkansas Point Campground.   Cost was $165 for a half day, 20' rental that seated 8 people.  Other pricing information and details can be found on the marina's rental page.