It was mid-April when we made our way back to our property. We hadn’t been since late October when we closed escrow and spent two quick celebratory weeks before migrating south for the winter. We were eager to get back, to get to know the area and the property itself more, and to see if this place would be everything we hoped it would be.
Spoiler alert: It was.
What we were hoping for was a basecamp of sorts. A place lower in elevation than our previous Colorado addresses that would allow us to extend our time spent in our home state every year. We wanted something private, quiet, wild, remote but not too remote with great views and dark skies…basically we wanted a place much like our favorite boondocking spots but one that we could call ours, somewhere we could stay as long as we wanted. And the cherry on top of all of that would be having an address, because existing in this world without one is not easy to do.
I’ll admit, I was a little perturbed when it snowed within the first few days of our return. Did we come back to Colorado too soon? And for how long would winter remain? Luckily that storm turned out to be the last one of the season and with every passing day the weather only got better. Our plan was to stick around until it got uncomfortably hot (for us that means around 85-90) and then we would head up to the high country for the summer. That day came on June 1. Temps had crawled in to the nineties and with it came little biting gnats that sealed the deal on our departure. But we got 7 weeks of beautiful weather and 7 weeks of sitting still in one place.
All in all, it was absolutely delightful.
Within a few days of our return our first round of company came to share camp with us. 
Not only did we finally have an address to prove our existence, we also were able to get deliveries. 
A few little touches made the place start to feel more like home. 
And with the purchase of 3-250 gallon water totes we had a water hauling system that meant we had a huge abundance of H20. 
This barrel would serve as the system in which Mark would haul out our black water so that the trailer could stay put for the duration of our stay. His reaction after purchasing the barrel is thanks to the handful of weed he found inside. 
Seth & Drea were our second round of friends to come hang with us. 
One of the major boons of our property is that it backs to BLM land. We have a nice little hiking trail right out our back door. 
A little project I started on was lining one of our paths with rocks. 
Nearly every sunset stopped us in our tracks. 
This particular view has a certain quality about it that seems fake. It’s absolutely incredible. 
Thanks to our over abundance of water we were able to use it as a means of keeping the dust down in the immediate vicinity around camp. 
Our spot ended up being a great basecamp for friends. These guys came out to do some rafting on the Colorado River while Mark & I recovered from vaccine shot #2. 
The second antler we’ve found so far. 
It was time to get back to the high country, but if all went as we hoped, we would get another 6-8 weeks on our property again in the fall. And maybe by then it would sink in that this place is actually ours.
