Winter Ski Trip Through Colorado
Wintertime often brings the sentiment that warm weather activities are coming to a close, and to me this has always signified the end to one of my all-time favorite activities; camping. Road trips just don’t seem as possible in the snowy conditions, and camping out in the elements can definitely deter me at times. So I often wait around and pray winter goes by fast so I can reassume my passions of the outdoors. This was until a very cool business created by a man that loves the outdoors came to my attention. Travis Titus, the owner of Titus Adventure Co. has diligently carved out a new way for outdoorsmen and woman to continue enjoying their favorite activities, year round. All-terrain, all-weather, heated and insulated access to the great outdoors is available.
Keystone parking lot
Recently my husband Jack and I had some vacation time and got to experience an incredible winter road trip through Colorado in a decked out Winnebago van named “June.” When we called Travis to talk to him about what we were hoping to do, he was thrilled because they had just the vehicle we could use, an interactive map set up with pins to all the awesome stops, and sights we’d wanna see in Colorado. I’ve taken many summer trips in their amazing camper vehicles, so naturally I was ecstatic to finally road trip comfortably and safely through the Colorado mountains during the dead of winter.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
After we booked the van we got into contact with Travis again and he gave us a link to their GAIA maps that laid out all the different campgrounds open this time of year, and all the major attractions we might want to stop and see. This map listed out hot springs, ski resorts, all the different camping locations for us to book from, and then integrated all of these locations into a awesome loop for us to take. There were so many different routes and places we could have gone. Ultimately we went with the places we could ski, having the Epic pass we stayed with those resorts and made a road trip around hitting the Epic slopes of Colorado. Some of the camp sites were a little ways from the resorts and some were right nearby. All of it gave us the experience of a life time to see so much of Colorado, driving around in our “home” the whole time. After booking some campsites and then leaving a few nights open for us to decide last minute gave us a lot of freedom to hit the open road and just enjoy the beauty that is Colorado during the winter. Now all that was needed was to get to Denver and pick up the van and we were off.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
BLM Campsite views
Let us start by talking though some of the beginning stages of planning this incredible ski trip. TAC offers all different vehicle options, from decked out camper trucks, to jeeps with roof top tents, to 4 person sleeping vans. We talked through their vehicle options, and went with “June,” their large 4 person van that can stay heated through negative degree nights and has a bathroom so you won’t have to leave the vehicle in the night to pee (huge win). This van has a table, fridge, stove top, sink, comfortable beds, a great heating system, swivel chairs and plenty of storage. We were able to pull up to a scenic location and stop to make a cup of coffee before setting off to a ski town or National Park.
During our 4 day trip in the van “June” we got to ski at 3 different resorts; Keystone, Crested Butte, and Breckenridge. There was a gorgeous hot springs along our beautiful drive, and we got to hike in a National Park that neither of us had seen before! Yes, we crammed it all in a few days but that’s what the luxury of driving in your “home” creates for you. We were free to change up last minute plans while we were on the road, because we weren’t stuck with a reservation at an expensive resort. Colorado was ours for the taking with the van!
Views at Crested Butte Resort
Starting from TAC, located in Denver we headed down I-70 west and hit Keystone for our first day. They are one of the few resorts that offer night skiing, which is awesome because during the winter it gets dark by 5pm in the mountains. After a great start to the trip we headed over to stay the night at River Dance RV Resort. Warm showers and laundry are available as a part of your reservation and certainly are welcome after a day cold weather activity on the mountain. The next morning we stopped at Penny Hot Springs. This is a more remote, and dispersed hot spring, which means that bathrooms were not available. Arguably our favorite stop of the trip was Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. We both love National Parks and getting to see this one during the winter was incredibly special considering we were quite literally the only people in the park. We stayed the night in their campground, enjoyed unparalleled views, and headed out to Crested Butte the next morning to ski a blue bird day. After one of the best skiing days of the year, we drove over Monarch pass to stay in a free dispersed campsite on BLM land in Buena Vista. Our final morning we woke up to amazing views of the Collegiate peaks. After some breakfast and coffee with a view we finished our trip by skiing Breckenridge on our way out of the mountains.
The final win of this trip is the fact that we didn’t have to stress about getting the vehicle looking professionally cleaned after a busy trip. TAC includes all that, and takes care of the messy car you just drove through the mountains. This is something that most companies charge $100+ in fees if you don’t get it vacuumed and washed before dropping it off. Another reason TAC just makes your trip easy and stress free.
All of this amazing trip wouldn’t have been affordable hadn’t we used the van. We cooked delicious meals from it, drove safely in it in the snow with it, and we slept nice and warm in it. We saved so much money using this all in one van rental. No expensive hotel fees, going out every meal, or needing to rent a large vehicle on its own to get you to and from the mountains. This was an all in one rental deal. Thanks TAC for the wonderful experience, we will be back to create more memories!
Views coming over Monarch Pass at sunset
