I finally made it back to Colorado and pointed the Jeep toward Shrine Pass—just west of Denver—looking for mountaintop meadows, tall pines, and that “close your eyes years later and still see it” kind of camping. On the last stretch of pavement I did the usual quick map check, said goodbye to the interstate, and rolled into the dirt. A random little side road turned into pure luck: an epic, level-ish campsite with a killer view that I couldn’t pass up, even though it was still early in the day. Day one camping? Done. This stop was also the start of what turned into an almost three-month overland run, and it nearly didn’t happen. I got delayed days, went way out of my way, and my clutch blew in Topeka—definitely not my happy place. But Shrine Pass is. Up around 10,940 feet, the weather wasn’t exactly cooperating: rain, clouds, and then an evening snowstorm that pushed me into full “protect the awning” mode. The big takeaway: stuff is going to go wrong on the road, guaranteed—so I bring the most important piece of gear I own: a positive attitude. That (and a little heat) goes a long way when Colorado decides to dump on you.