DANGER CLOSE chipmunks, The Devil's Punchbowl, hand gestures & porcinis on Italian creek: COLORADO 2

Week three of my off road adventures in Colorado leads me to an unknown to me Mecca for offroading and epic boondocking spots: Taylor Park, Colorado. Join me as I navigate through "Colorado's deadliest trail", am lambasted by the local homeless chipmunk population for not feeding them, and learn how to properly speak an Italian word while simultaneously developing carpal tunnel syndrome due to improper hand gesturing technique.
Sit back and enjoy the slow degradation of my ability to speak due to too many IPAs paired with high altitude.
Watch in awe as I discover Mario's mushrooms, attempt to redneck David Attenborough my way through the fungal kingdom, and experience semantic satiation through the gratuitous usage of "Amanita Muscaria" as I stumble through the ethers of my vague memory to recall its legendary history and folklore.

[@Retired-nohurry]

Psychedelic mushrooms, high altitude and atvs, sounds like a great next video.

[@Timw927]

Beautiful views! I took a shot every time you said "Amanita Muscaria" So thanks for getting me drunk! Keep on keeping on brother!

[@downbytheriver501]

Anytime buddy! Next, I challenge you to have a conversation with any person under the age of 35 and take a shot whenever they use the word “like” or “literally” when not used appropriately.

[@Timw927]

@@downbytheriver501 I'd be drunk after a few minuets talking with them for sure! LOL! Hope you're doing well and come over to the East coast. We can get in the wind for sure.

[@downbytheriver501]

@@Timw927 what’s “get in the wind” mean? Are we gonna go sailing? 😂

[@Timw927]

@@downbytheriver501 LOL.. nope... two wheels, best time to ride is not in winter!

[@downbytheriver501]

@@Timw927 oooh I gotcha. WhAt you riding? I have had a tw200 last couple years and finally got my hands on a tenere 700. Been modding it gettting ready for some BDRs this summer!

[@BillSprague]

The Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels are curious little folks. Great campsite but the trail would not work for this old geezer. Thanks for another great video!

[@downbytheriver501]

The trail to pieplant mills is actually quite mellow! You could get a Subaru up to that part pretty easily. Thanks for watching bill!

[@mileswindham8336]

We always loved the Chipmunks, used to take M&M’s for them and Bird seed for the Birds. Chipmunks always got to the birdseed so we started taking Birdseed for them. They would get in our laps and would go headfirst down my shirt pockets.

[@downbytheriver501]

That would be adorable to experience

[@viorikarapatska8290]

Colorado wowowo how happy you are to travel🙏💚❤️❤️💖

[@downbytheriver501]

Thanks! Currently just hit the road again! I may be making more movies soon so stay tuned!

[@Jumpingtroutfitters]

Just found your channel! Great work, currently half way through your video’s. Can’t wait to see you one day in the mountains! I came for confidence in my f350 w/10-2ex and stayed because your so cool.

[@downbytheriver501]

Thanks Brian I appreciate it!

[@SueTay.]

Another great video 🙌

[@downbytheriver501]

Thanks!!

[@viorikarapatska8290]

Positive

[@KennyOfAllTrades]

Good to see you Vic. I'm always impressed with the locations you find, always beautiful.

[@downbytheriver501]

Thanks Kenny!

[@zachw8470]

Beautiful up near Taylor Park, was just up there 2 weeks ago, camped along the river. If you head down into Buena Vista, check out cottonwood Hot Springs and biking Burger in downtown Beuna. Cool camping spots up on 11 mile road.

[@downbytheriver501]

I definitely would nowadays but when I filmed this, it was around 100 degrees outside of high altitude. Had to stay way up high to escape the heat!

[@worklessenjoylifemore]

Another great video Vic 🤙 those 4x4 trips always look like fun!! Colorado is definitely one of my favorite states!!

[@downbytheriver501]

Yeah it was amazing!

[@Thesaltymedic36]

That’s a cool swimming hole that’s for sure. Nice camp spot but I ain’t messing with any mushrooms 🍄. I don’t know what is what and some will kill you 😂. Cool video 👍🏼

[@downbytheriver501]

Very true, but the nice thing about the edibles around here is they're easy to identify!

[@brianbouchard1947]

Thank you for your time showing us around Colorado.

[@downbytheriver501]

My pleasure! More to come!

[@fin1964]

amazing fottage

[@downbytheriver501]

Thanks! Colorado is a beautiful place.

[@janetalberico]

Too scary for me!!! Was that Zada whimpering?

[@downbytheriver501]

She’s just being a German shepherd. Second only to maybe a husky for being vocal/drama queens 😂. Males are even worse.

[@JamesVonwiegen]

Dope mate, heading up that way this weekend in BV now heading towards San Juans.

[@downbytheriver501]

Darn! I’m back up in Montana. Hopefully one day we’ll cross paths again. I’ll be down in the desert SW for a large portion of this winter so hopefully we can connect.

[@JamesVonwiegen]

@@downbytheriver501 we essentially flip flopped I was in Idaho/Montana/WY all summer haha. I love BV. And yeh man not sure our plans for this winter debating on getting a fifth wheel toy haul all our toys!

[@downbytheriver501]

@@JamesVonwiegen nah, just get yourself an aluminum trailer like mine! You’ll get more space and it’s a little bit easier to maneuver around on forest service roads too. Plus it’s not as expensive to repair if you have an oops. You’re already halfway there with your current setup! Although the space with a 5th wheel is glorious. I do envy that.

[@scottfast03]

Awesome! Glad you’re enjoying CO! I was just camping along Pieplant road last week!!!! Wow what a small world.

[@downbytheriver501]

Oh nice! That place was probably my favorite experience for meeting people. I got to hang out with over 100 people in this area in the 2 weeks I was up there. I learned real quick on my travels up in CO that the off-road community is definitely a fun group to hang with!

[@scottfast03]

@@downbytheriver501 That’s fantastic. Glad you had a good time. You were in one of the Meccas for UTV adventures. Lake City and Ouray area is another. Did you go to the Taylor Park trading post? That’s my go to for fuel and water for my van, snacks, etc. they have a restaurant and cabins there too. In the summer it’s nuts. Super busy. I was there with my Moto doing the singletrack there. Technical and awesome. It was dreary and rainy while I was there too which is very uncommon here. Usually sunny almost every day!

[@downbytheriver501]

@@scottfast03 I did like the area, but it was kind of lacking for technical trails. There was one that was somewhat technical, the locals call it “the road from hell” I believe. I’d have to pull out my map to remember the name but it’s the one that can and did take me to the top of the aspen gondola(and then got kicked out because they closed the trail down…of course). Yep, I went to the TP TP many, many times. Loved being able to support those that support the OHV community. Went to the restaurant once. Was definitely the best restaurant within 15 miles 😂. Next time I go to the San Juans, I’ll station myself near lake city. It’s the last town in that area that still allows OHVs to drive into their cozy little town. Ouray, silverton, and telluride have all banded together to not allow UTVs to drive through their towns in order to make big loops on the trails in their area. Really peeved me off when I was boondocking on the million dollar highway and couldn’t feasibly run black bear pass to Imogene, then down to ouray, and back up to my camp spot. Would’ve cost me hundreds of dollars to have my UTV towed a few hundred yards in telluride to access Imogene after completing black bear, then having to get a shuttle in ouray back up to camp. Completely impractical and the restrictions are baffling to me. Those little mountain towns are missing out on BIG money by restricting access for the OHV community. In hindsight, I wish I had brought my TW200 on this trip because I could’ve expanded my abilities to explore those areas and also the TP single track looked amazing!

[@downbytheriver501]

@@scottfast03 it did rain a lot when I was up there too. Although only in the late afternoon. Which I welcomed because everytime it started to get hot up there, the storms would roll in and cool it off! I got to experience an entire summer where I didn’t have to deal with the heat, because I was around 10,000 ft the entire time.

[@scottfast03]

@@downbytheriver501 totally agree. It’s odd why they’ve restricted them. Lots of money in the UTV market since it’s blown up the last few years. the TPTP is definitely the best restaurant within 15 miles. Well, the only restaurant within 15 miles!! 😂😂😂

[@suetorkelson4862]

ALVIIIIIIIIINNNNNN!

[@doodles2814]

What a beautiful area to camp, Vic. It's been a while, glad to see you back posting, but certainly understand the need to take a break. Zeda was almost a mud ball, what happens when you get back to your TC when she's that dirty? Yeah, I can certainly sympathize with the wife not wanting to go on that trail, and I bet hubby heard about that, too! I don't think I'd go either, I'm older, all I see is what COULD happen and that's enough for me, LOL!

[@downbytheriver501]

Yeah I usually just make sure she stays cordoned to the linoleum and then deal with the ramifications in the morning. If she was even dirtier, I’d find a stream or lake and she’d self clean.

[@benjaminhrabina4194]

The guy walking the ATV should be on the high ground side. He’s got a better chance of counteracting the weight if tipping. He won’t get crushed either.

[@downbytheriver501]

I’m going to have to go back and watch this video to see what moment you were talking about but I’m sure you’re correct. Lot of people get injured or worse from simple mistakes like this….or putting out a limb to “catch” your vehicle from rolling. I’ve been guilty of the latter one time. Fortunately, nothing happened. It’s such a hard subconscious habit to break.

[@mikegupguthrie-futurenomad7866]

Awe, it was cool Chip and Dale took the time to hang out with you! Great video, love seeing the Colorado high country...even on a not so nice day(s)! Glad to see you back to posting...was getting worried as it seems like forever since your last vid...was starting to think we might need to send the St Bernard's out to find you lol BTW - I can't remember (my age I guess), your NorthernLite is a 9.6 right?

[@downbytheriver501]

Yeah I needed a break from filming/editing. Just didn’t have the desire to sit down in front of a computer for 6-10 hours to sift through the hundreds of vid clips to make one. But I finally feel motivated again! Yessir, it’s the 9-6 QLE model.

[@mikegupguthrie-futurenomad7866]

@@downbytheriver501 No worries, completely understand the need to take a break...is nice to do from time to time. Anyways, glad you're back in the saddle, per se, and that we didn't need to send out the St Bernard's; although I'm sure you wouldn't object to the contents within the barrel around their necks lol **If you were going to buy a TC again...would you still pick the 9-6 or would you possibly go larger with the 10-2?** Since I hope to go fulltime at some point in the future, I'm liking the 10.2 for the extra storage inside the entryway; just not sure about the extra size/weight though

[@downbytheriver501]

@@mikegupguthrie-futurenomad7866 I’d definitely go for the 10-2. The extra height and storage would make living full time that much nicer. Plus the integrated generator, which is now very quiet unlike its predecessors, is well worth it for those times that AC power is needed. This could be negated, however, with a nice big LiFePO4 battery bank, DC to DC charger, and/or a large solar array and a large inverter. I’m in the process of figuring out how to cram a battleborn game changer 3.0 270 ah battery in my battery bank and a DC to DC charger before winter, since my existing 6 volt batteries are shot and solar basically doesn’t work up here in the north in the winter….unless I add another 300w of panels to my existing 200w setup.

[@mikegupguthrie-futurenomad7866]

@@downbytheriver501 great! Thank you for the feedback Vic. I’ve been leaning toward the 10-2 or an Arctic Fox 1140 (just not sure if I want to deal with a slide or not). I hear ya on the solar, plan on the maximum I can afford at the time. Good luck getting yours sorted out! You just need to spend more time in CO with 300+ days of sunshine a year lol

[@downbytheriver501]

@@mikegupguthrie-futurenomad7866 there are times when I certainly wish I had a slide or two. The northern lites can feel a bit cramped sometimes, but the weight savings, the strength of the camper due to its construction, their excellent customer service reputation, and retained value after purchase are all factors one must consider as well. But the prices have gotten ludicrous. Probably not their fault, though.

[@tpseeker3367]

Heeyyyyy there they are. Hate it when I miss Notifications. Good to see Zeda is still full of spit & vinegar. Ahhh nothing like a dog getting all muddy & making us smell like them. Should make a deal with the chipmunks. Trade a nugget of gold for a nut. Hey you don't have to drive around & make content all the time. Just set the camera up & just hit record or time lapse for 15-30 minutes. Using big fancy college words there Vic. Getting ready for a Date or Something??? Oh boy I was just waiting for the moose to drop. Butt where would store all that luscious meat though? Good to see you two again. Stay Warm & do yer best to stay Dry

[@downbytheriver501]

I’ve heard moose is delicious! I’ve been getting the hankering for some venison if any sort. Couple nights ago I had elk bugling all around me. Such an eerie and amazing sound. They were very close too. Yeah Zeda is a crazy pup. Hopefully she calms down a bit because it’s almost too much to handle 😆. Good point bout the cameras. It’s not that as much though as it is the editing. Can’t find the patience to sit down in front of a screen and watch myself stumble through all the raw footage and realize I have missed out on so much as far as being able to describe bettter how to make said video. Im getting better though. And I totally agree. “Semantic satiation” is a phrase that I’ve recently learned and hopefully I take it more into consideration during the narration process. I use many words and phrases far too often during the filming process and I hope I can break myself of these bad habits! Anyways thanks for watching buddy. Glad you were able to find my video. Most of my subs aren’t getting notifications because the algorithm is punishing me for not posting often. Cheers!

[@tpseeker3367]

Bought time to hit up one of the local butchers it sounds like@@downbytheriver501 . Ehhh no complaints from me on yer vids. Just Don't ever Change. Notifications are nice butt after a couple weeks I usually seek out who I like. I went through & seen your notification so I am getting them though. Thanks for taking us along & showing us some of the shenanigans you get yourself into & out of.

[@downbytheriver501]

@@tpseeker3367 you’re welcome. Not sure if I’m going to be able to release the next one this weekend or not. Really want to but I’m super busy this whole week and into Saturday; the day I usually edit vids.

[@jeff-le1tp]

Truck has an 8 ft bed?

[@downbytheriver501]

Yessir!

[@viorikarapatska8290]

Be careful

[@itinertantparishioner8092]

Hi Vic, Do you have an e-mail address?

[@downbytheriver501]

[e-mail]