Camping in Colorado

In late summer 2025, I spent two weeks hiking through the southern Rockies of Colorado. I combined parts of the Colorado Trail with several of my own route ideas to create a large loop through the mountains, including a section near Mount Sneffels where I took this photo.

The day before this photo was taken, I actually attempted to reach this exact campsite already. But while climbing higher into the mountains, I got battered by a massive snowstorm. Visibility dropped quickly, temperatures fell, and because I was not fully prepared for heavy snow conditions, I decided it would be smarter to turn around and camp lower on the mountain instead.

The next morning, the weather had completely changed.

Under clear blue skies, I started hiking early and climbed back up toward the ridge near Mount Sneffels. Knowing there were no reliable water sources higher up, I carried extra water and eventually pitched my tent high on the ridge overlooking the surrounding mountains.

It only took a few hours to reach the campsite, which meant I had almost the entire day to simply sit there and enjoy the landscape.

There was barely any wind, making it incredibly quiet. No sounds except the occasional distant bird or the soft movement of the grass in the breeze. The views stretched endlessly across the San Juan Mountains, and the entire afternoon felt calm in a way that is hard to describe.

I think moments like these are an important part of backpacking.

Not every day has to be about covering big distances or reaching the next destination. Sometimes the most memorable days are the ones where you slow down, stay in one place, and allow yourself to simply exist in the landscape for a while.

This was definitely one of the days I will remember most from that trip through Colorado.