Kicking Off Camping Season in Fruita

In early March, the Intrepid Camp Gear team packed up the trucks for our first trip of the season. With camping gear loaded and mountain bikes in tow, we headed west toward the desert, aiming for warmer weather and some early-season riding near Fruita, Colorado.

After an easy four-hour drive down I-70, we rolled into Fruita under sunny—yet unexpectedly chilly—skies. Our pinned campsite on BLM land was just a short drive away, but a 30-minute pilot car delay at a construction zone tested our patience. When we finally arrived, we were met with a surprise—the rugged, remote site we had envisioned had been excavated into a gravel campsite. Not quite the backcountry feel we were hoping for.

After scanning the map, we found an even better spot—a prime site with 360-degree desert views. We set up camp, eager for the adventure ahead.

In the early hours of the morning, we were awakened by wet snow pelting the tent. Not exactly the springtime weather we’d planned for. We hid in our respective tents until the storm calmed down and hour or so later.  We cooked up a quick breakfast and headed back into town to seek warmth and refuge at a coffee shop, rallying our stoke to get back out there.  After guzzling down a warm drink, we headed back out into the hills.

To avoid another pilot car delay, we took the a different way around—choosing a rugged BLM off-road trail. What we didn’t anticipate was just how saturated the trails had become. A few inches of snow sat on top of six inches of slick, peanut-butter-like mud—not exactly ideal overlanding conditions.

As we crawled along the sloppy terrain, the real challenge appeared: a steep hill with an even steeper roller at the base. The group debated our options—push forward, turn back, or wait for the mud to firm up? With some hesitation, we decided to inch the truck up using Maxtrax and careful route-finding. It was slow going, but we eventually topped out, more or less home free from there.

After shaking off the mud-slicked adventure, we were determined to finally get on our bikes. Near camp, we found some half-decent trails, but after an hour, the frigid temps won out, and we called it quits. With the sun setting, we huddled around the fire, cooked up dinner, and settled in for the night.

Waking up on the third day we found clear skies and a new optimism for the trip.  After frying up some eggs, we packed up camp and pointed the trucks towards the bike trails.  We enjoyed fantastic riding with tacky dirt and a bit of mud spray for good measure.

It wasn’t the warm spring getaway we had imagined, but the unpredictable conditions made for an unforgettable adventure. Fruita, we’ll be back soon—hopefully with a little more sunshine next time.