Lost in Gunnison National Forest

After driving for hours down a skinny one-lane dirt road – with death-defying vertical drops on either side – I forced my partner to pull the car over. We had to stop looking for an empty campsite and just share with someone. We were both exhausted and cranky from trying to car-camp in Gunnison National Forest on a holiday weekend (smart, I know). Arriving in the middle of the night has its downsides. Only a small sliver of road was visible directly in front of our headlights. We could make out the shape of another car, a tent, and a small firepit, but no people. It’s polite to ask to share a campsite before just pulling in and setting up, but with no other option late at night, we decided to chance it, get some sleep and hope our neighbors would be understanding. As we drifted off to sleep in pitch-black darkness, I held onto hope that resting would fix the angsty mood between my partner and I and give us a fresh start.

Our journey up into the forest

I awoke just after dawn and poked my head up to peer out the window. My jaw fell to the floor, and I froze when I looked outside. At a total loss for words, I tapped my partner’s shoulder to wake him up—I needed him to confirm what I was seeing. Somehow, after winding through jam-packed dispersed campsites, we had stopped at a completely empty campsite at the very top of a mountain. We were overlooking a valley of vibrant wildflowers, lush evergreen trees, and fluffy white clouds. All framed by a backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance. Had I somehow been transported to the movie set of The Sound of Music? Was I still asleep and dreaming? Nope - It was real. We had unknowingly stumbled across the most incredible view I have ever seen in all of Colorado.

Luckily, our campsite neighbors were lovely people. They took pity on our poorly planned breakfast of hummus and carrots and offered us some of their steak and eggs paired with avocado toast. They told us they had been coming to this spot for years because it was so far removed from the nearest town, it was rarely busy, and arguably had the best views.

After soaking up the early morning sunshine, I snagged my camera from the car and took what has become my favorite landscape shots. Purple lupines swayed side to side in the soft breeze, and little white wildflowers sprinkled throughout the tall grasses. A lot of Colorado is dry and desert-like, but this spot was filled with lush green grass as far as the eye could see. My hair fluttered in the breeze as I listened to the happy chirps and songs of the birds nearby. It was total bliss. The only thing was…we had no idea where we were.

We were essentially lost in the Grand Mesa / Gunnison national forest—no cell service and no idea on the map where we were. I knew then that this moment would be just that: a moment in time. One that we likely wouldn’t be able to recreate again. We stayed for as long as we could. I could have stayed at that campsite forever, but sadly it was time to go. Like saying goodbye to a new friend you hope to see again, but know in your heart you might not ever get the opportunity. It’s like the songs say: you can feel happy and sad at the same time.

The last few glimpses of our mountaintop

I don’t know if I’ll ever be lucky enough to stumble across that view again, but that’s alright—that’s just how life goes. These photos remind me that it’s important to cherish the memories you make. Leave the anxious thoughts of what’s waiting for you back home to do and take care of, and instead soak up every color, sound, scent, and feeling you can. To this day, these views just outside of Crested Butte remain one of my favorite memories that I revisit again and again in my mind.