Indian Peaks Wilderness (Colorado) Backpacking - August 2018

View and purchase all my photos at: https://davidcgray.smugmug.com/ This is the previously unpublished video of my 2018 Indian Peaks Wilderness trip (Colorado) with my son, Christian, and the dogs. The trip didn't go well, and there were only a few miles of actual backpacking, which are the reasons it has remained unpublished until now. You may recall that in early 2018, while the snow was still falling here in Indiana, I made my first (and only) full-year trip agenda video. Nature was against me all year in 2018 - with frequent rain, flooding, fogged-in vistas, swarms of mosquitos, and one of the coldest moments I've ever experienced (night at Boulder Pass, Glacier NP) - but I managed to complete every trip and make a video of everything mentioned on that initial agenda video... except one - this 2018 Indian Peaks Wilderness (Colorado) video. People have asked me in the YouTube comments 'what happened to the 2018 Colorado trip?', and this video will answer that question. Illness was the culprit on this trip, and it made me realize how lucky we had been throughout the years to never have a trip disrupted before due to illness or injury. We actually did start the hike and made it to the start of the brutal 4-mile climb up to Pawnee Pass, but I realized that pressing on further at that point would be dangerous and reckless, so I pulled the plug on the backpacking. We did carry on with some stellar car camping after that, having luck finally fall our way and scoring the absolute primo campsite at the primitive Rainbow Lakes car camping campground quite near the trailhead in Ward, Colorado. The lack of actual backpacking on this trip had thus far convinced me to not publish it, but I realized that it was still a fun Colorado road trip plus there is some nice information on staging this trip out of Nederland as well as some glimpses of what the trailhead situation is like at the Brainard Lake Recreation Area (i.e. 'challenging'!). Oh, and for anyone interested in primitive car camping in that area, the clips showing the Rainbow Lakes campground and adjacent area should be of interest. (And since 2020 was the first year since 2011 that I haven't been able to do a western US backpacking trip - my 'happy' place! - re-editing and publishing this video filled a little bit of a western trip 'vacuum' that I've been suffering through). Equipment / Gear List: Still and Video Camera: Nikon Z6 https://amzn.to/3dHJvni Lens: Nikkor 24mm f1.8 Z-mount lens https://amzn.to/2QZqNOo Tripod: Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod https://amzn.to/3bH3Rvg Camera shoulder clip: Peak Designs Capture clip system https://amzn.to/2wRdusp Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 16 https://amzn.to/2X5dKyu Pack: Zpack Arc Blast 52L (me), Exped Lightning 45 (Christian) Tents: Nemo Meta2P, Zpacks Hexamid Solo-Plus Sleeping Bag: Zpacks 20degF Sleeping Bag Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Therm https://amzn.to/2yjrUlj Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite https://amzn.to/39zju6v Pillow: Exped Air Pillow UL https://amzn.to/2WYE5hZ Stove: JetBoil Flash https://amzn.to/3azKRi7 Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 https://amzn.to/3dPtOL5 Pot: MSR Titan titanium 0.9L kettle https://amzn.to/3bF1RDB Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot https://amzn.to/2R0JvoW Buff: Merino wool Buff https://amzn.to/3dCYHSC Recharging Battery: Anker 3500mAH ‘lipstick’ charger https://amzn.to/2URI7G3 Camp Chair: Helonix Chair Zero https://amzn.to/2xzbwgh Camp Shoes: Xero Shoes Z-Trek https://amzn.to/3bA3X7I Wet Wipes: Survivorware Wet Wipes https://amzn.to/2JwbQ2e