May 22–25 — Sand Creek Pass Area (Red Feather Lakes Region)
Spent the first three nights camped near Sand Creek Road / County Road 86, near Sand Creek Pass outside the Red Feather Lakes area.
This continues to be one of my favorite spots in northern Colorado.
The campsite sits up on a ridge with huge views, while a small creek and heavy underbrush sit down below. The dogs absolutely lose their minds up there in the best possible way — running through the brush, splashing through the creek, and wandering the roads with almost nobody around.
At this time of year, the area was nearly deserted. I think I saw one other camper the entire time. Many side roads were still closed from winter, and it felt like the main road had only recently opened.
Temperatures were cold:
freezing overnight
rarely above ~60°F during the day
Mostly jeans and long sleeves weather the whole time.
The site itself is dispersed camping, though there are multiple fire rings spread along the ridge/pullout area. One downside is that during busier times of year, other campers can move in and effectively take over the area. That happened to me once a few years ago and I ended up relocating. This trip, though, was quiet and perfect.
Most days were spent hiking roads with the dogs, relaxing, and just getting away from the shop for a while.
Vehicle / Rig Notes
One goal of this trip was testing the suspension work recently done by Titan Vans.
Unfortunately, after roughly $6,500 in repairs/work:
the front-end knock is still there
the rear squeak is still there
At this point I’m beginning to think it may simply be something I have to live with, because the recent work appears to have changed nothing.
Not the result I was hoping for.
May 25 — Lily Pond / Brinker Creek Area
After leaving Sand Creek Pass, I continued farther along County Road 86 in a direction I’d never explored before.
Several roads were marked:
“No winter maintenance”
…but were still passable.
Eventually I wound up following County Road 103 toward the Lily Pond Lake / Laramie River area, where I found a number of excellent dispersed campsites along the river corridor.
I camped near Brinker Creek, with the creek running essentially right outside the door of the camper.
Completely different feel from Sand Creek:
fewer dramatic views
more enclosed forest
quieter
creek-focused camping
A really enjoyable spot.
May 26 — Kelly Flats Campground (Poudre Canyon)
Rain and thunderstorm forecasts had me concerned about getting stuck if the roads turned muddy, so I moved down canyon to a paved National Forest campground along the Cache la Poudre River.
Stayed at Kelly Flats Campground off Highway 14.
Ironically, the forecast turned out to be completely wrong and it never rained at all.
Still, it worked out well:
quiet
uncrowded
water refill available
easy access
good place to reset before heading back toward Denver/Watkins
This time of year — especially midweek — the campground was surprisingly empty.
There’s also a really cool 4×4 trail directly across the highway from the campground. Way too steep and rough for the Ekko, but excellent hiking terrain with the dogs.
One evening we hiked downstream along the river on the opposite side from the highway. Beautiful stretch of canyon and it looks like there may be additional hiking opportunities farther down near Mountain Park Campground.
Overall
This trip was mostly about:
escaping warmer temperatures in Watkins
resetting mentally
getting away from the shop
spending time outside with the dogs
Nothing dramatic. Just a reminder that northern Colorado still has a lot of excellent places to disappear for a few days without driving halfway across the country.
Montucky Clearcut (MCC) was originally the anchor for this trip — a carving-focused event at Turner Mountain. When the event was canceled, the plan shifted. Instead of one destination, it became a northbound arc through Wyoming, Montana, and Alberta: ride what’s good, adjust when needed, and let the road fill in the rest.
What followed was 23 days of snow, wind, prairie miles, border crossings, community mountains, questionable signage, excellent grooming, terrible grooming, forest hikes, laundromats, and a lot of windshield time.
January 23–25
Colorado → Wyoming → Targhee Positioning
Departed Watkins just after noon on January 23. First night was Curt Gowdy State Park — reliable, winter-open, electric hookup, predictable reset stop. Fuel at Buc-ee’s in Johnstown came in cheaper than Costco that day, which was worth noting.
January 24 took the scenic route along WY-210 (Happy Jack Road), logging future camping access points: Pole Mountain, Telephone Road, Pilot Hill, Vedauwoo north access, and more. Overnighted near the New Fork River — quiet, spaced out, and worth revisiting.
On January 25, instead of searching for dispersed camping, I staged directly at Grand Targhee and paid for three nights in the Targhee lot. Simple, efficient, and zero guesswork.
January 26–28
Grand Targhee (3 Days)
Targhee once again delivered the best overall snow and grooming of the trip.
Consistent surface quality
Predictable corduroy
Excellent carving confidence
No survival riding required
It set the bar early and never really got beaten.
January 29–31
Showdown, Montana (2 Days Riding)
A travel day north on the 29th set up two days at Showdown.
Showdown continues to be one of the most honest mountains around. Grooming quality was strong — likely second or third best of the trip — though their late grooming schedule tends to produce softer snow instead of firm, grippy cord.
The vibe here is pure Montana:
No flash
No ego
Just functional terrain and people who like sliding on snow
February 1–3
Whitefish (2 Days Riding)
After a travel day on February 1, Whitefish delivered the toughest conditions of the trip.
Freeze-thaw cycles combined with inconsistent grooming made Monday survival mode. Tuesday improved slightly but still felt like work.
I rode with Dave Redmond, Paolo Celle, Mellen Jay, John Gibson, Carver Bolby, and a number of others from the MCC event who had diverted there after the cancellation. It was simply fun to hang out with those guys and get some laps in together.
February 4–6
Eureka → Canada → Nakiska (2 Days Riding)
Spent the night before crossing in a park in Eureka. It was a bit of a gray-area situation — signage allowed tent camping but prohibited motorhome camping. No one bothered me. It was quiet, uneventful, and worked just fine.
Crossed the border at Roosville on February 4 and drove to Nakiska, staying at Kid Mountain RV Park.
Nakiska was a fascinating contrast to Whitefish. The snow was similarly affected by freeze–thaw cycles, but the grooming was outstanding. Surfaces were deliberate, consistent, and technical. It was demanding riding — but in a productive way.
February 7–8
Castle Mountain (2 Days Riding)
Castle might have been the most compelling mountain of the trip.
Community-owned. Shareholders living at the base. Dirt roads. Modest infrastructure. Color-coded lifts instead of named ones. Families everywhere. Dogs everywhere.
It felt like stepping back in time — like skiing in an era before corporate consolidation took over the industry. It reminded me of riding when I was much younger, when mountains felt independent and local and authentic. It was just awesome.
Grooming quality was excellent. Lower elevations reflected freeze–thaw conditions, but the upper mountain held up well. One groomed run on the second day hit absolute perfection — timed just right and easily one of the best single runs of the season.
After riding the second day, I drove to Crowsnest Pass that evening.
February 8–9
Crowsnest Pass Reset
Two nights in Crowsnest.
Morning hike into the surrounding mountains, exploring old coal mining terrain and letting the dogs roam forest trails. It was a quiet, grounding pause between bigger pushes north and south.
February 10–11
Southbound Transition
Left Crowsnest and headed south, stopping at the Helena Walmart for the night — my first Walmart overnight.
Positioned along 191 for Big Sky, and this is where the tone shifted.
The Gallatin corridor is entirely National Forest, yet there are “No Camping” signs posted all over the place. It feels very much like the town or resort is trying to discourage overnight van use, even though it’s public land. Meanwhile, there were plenty of vans camped along the river pullouts, in ski area lots, and in town.
There’s a large parking lot behind Tips Up where a local told me it was perfectly legal to stay overnight. And there were absolutely tons of van-lifers and ski bums parked at the ski area itself.
The contrast with Castle couldn’t have been sharper.
Castle felt open and welcoming — like “come ride, stay if you want.” Big Sky felt corporate — “we want your money, but we don’t want to see you staying here.”
It’s hard not to notice that difference.
February 12–13
Big Sky (2 Days Riding)
Big Sky is massive and rewards exploration.
One of the most interesting observations: Ambush lift (lower light exposure) held better snow and fewer crowds than the flashier front-facing lifts with longer lines. Sometimes the best snow hides in plain sight.
Rode February 12 and 13. Finished the second day, then drove roughly six hours south that evening.
February 14
Return to Watkins
Completed the final leg home on February 14.
Trip closed.
Trip Metrics
Total Trip Duration: 23 Days Total Ride Days: 14 Travel / Reset Days: 9 States Visited: Colorado, Wyoming, Montana Province Visited: Alberta Border Crossings: 1 First-Ever Walmart Overnight: Helena, MT
Resort Performance Summary
Resort
Days
Grooming
Snow
Terrain
Overall Impression
Grand Targhee
3
A+
Best overall
Flowing, consistent
Benchmark mountain
Showdown
2
A-
Good
Modest but fun
Honest Montana riding
Whitefish
2
D
Tough
Interesting
Grooming limited experience
Nakiska
2
A+
Challenging
Technical
Exceptional mountain management
Castle Mountain
2
A
Mixed but strong up high
Big potential
Community mountain, old-school feel
Big Sky
2
B+
Variable
Massive & complex
Strategic lift choice matters
Lessons Learned
Fully Refill the Water Heater After Winterizing
If I winterize by blowing out the lines, I need to fully refill and purge the water heater before I hit freezing temperatures. I ran into trouble early on because I assumed the system was fine after refilling the tank. It wasn’t. Air in the lines and a partially filled heater created avoidable stress. That’s now a checklist item, not an afterthought.
Ask Humans, Not Just Signs
Big Sky reinforced something I keep relearning.
Signage is not the full story.
When a place looks unfriendly to camping, I need to ask:
Lift employees
Locals
People inside businesses
Other van campers
The answers tell you what’s tolerated, what’s enforced, and what the culture actually is. They also tell you which towns and businesses I’d want to return to.
Castle felt open and welcoming.
Big Sky felt like it wanted my lift ticket but not my van in view — even though the land along 191 is National Forest. The contrast was striking.
Down Days Matter More Than I Think
On the December trip, I built in more stationary days. This time, I mostly rotated between driving and riding.
The only real down days came at Crowsnest Pass — and those ended up being some of the best days of the trip.
Hiking. Dogs running. No lift lines. No logistics.
That rhythm shift made everything feel better.
On longer trips, I need to intentionally schedule decompression days. They’re not wasted time — they’re part of the trip working properly.
Grooming Quality Can Override Snow Quality
This trip made that lesson very clear.
Whitefish had difficult snow and poor grooming. Nakiska had difficult snow and excellent grooming.
The difference in experience was massive.
Snow matters. But mountain management matters just as much. I’ve started evaluating resorts less by snowfall totals and more by how they manage what they have.
Efficiency Is Sometimes the Right Call
I paid to stay in the Targhee lot instead of chasing dispersed camping.
I stayed at a Walmart instead of hunting for something prettier.
I went back to the same laundromat in Great Falls multiple times.
Not every night needs to be romantic. Sometimes the right move is the one that makes tomorrow easier.
Border Crossings Require More Than I Think
The crossings themselves were smooth — I knew what to expect from December.
But returning to the U.S., there’s now an additional CDC dog import form requirement beyond just vaccine records. It wasn’t requested this time, but it could have been.
That’s another checklist item going forward.
The Dogs Are the Trip Barometer
When the dogs get:
Forest time
River access
Off-leash movement
Social time with other dogs
The trip feels better.
When it’s drive → ride → drive → ride without much roam time, the energy tightens up.
Their behavior reflects the rhythm of the trip better than anything else.
