Day 2 was another longish drive, about 8 hrs to camp. I was looking forward to cooler weather. We all were looking forward to Colorado. Branden and Cathy made the group breakfast before heading out.

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On the road with Mike’s GX failing fuel pump going out, he called part shops along the way to find a fuel pump. Surprisingly no one had one in stock including the dealers. Some part stores could get it next day, but we couldn’t wait another day.

We took the risk and just hope it wont go out again for the trip. Worst case is just leave the GX at a repair shop, then Mike and his family could tag along in a 4×4 rental while in Colorado. We have 9 days planned, and that is enough time to have the GX fixed. If it ever came to that.

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For lunch, we had leftovers from breakfast and just ate while driving. We wanted to make to camp before it got dark. We had multiple fuel stops thanks to my Land Cruiser averaging 12-10mpg.

The drive had a change of scenery the higher we climbed. Then descent back into valley, and repeat. I had to pop my ears a few times. Lambo didn’t mind the ride, mostly slept the whole time.

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We cross through New Mexico and into Colorado. The sign we arrived at was a small sign. We all pulled over to take a picture. All for the experience and memories.

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We arrived at San Juan National Forest on a Thursday. I didn’t expected our area to be packed, but it was! The marked sites I pinned were all taken. But the trail continued for miles and that meant we have a chance of finding a site.

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With 5 rigs deep, it was hard find a space that could fit everyone, and the deeper we got into the trail the tougher it was. But nothing the Toyotas couldn’t handle. I found a site that was perfect for us. Branden went to scout around for maybe a better site, but we all decided this spot was the best one.

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The planned campsite is 6000ft elevation, but the one we found was 9000ft elevation. I figured 6000ft would be a nice introduction to the thin mountain air, but given the situation we felt the altitude change. Thankfully no one got altitude sickness on our first day camping in the mountains.

That day was my birthday and what a better way to enjoy it with some your friends. We did hot pot, because noodles is must for any birthday and hot broth is perfect for the cold nights.

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Stay tuned for Day 3.