Day 01
Fri, Jul 17
Up the canyon.
Out of Lakewood around 2 PM, forty-five minutes up Golden Gate Canyon Road, in at camp by 3. Set up on sites 19–21, crack the first Banquet, and settle in. Cheeseburgers off the propane griddle for dinner.
Filed from Lakewood, CO · Fri, Jul 17, 2026
Two nights
in the pines
above Black Hawk
Two nights at Base Camp above Black Hawk — four of us, three tents, burgers and brats, a morning on Maryland Mountain, and a Sunday detour through the casinos on the way home. The bigger crew will be around; this page is ours.
§ 02 · The Route
Twenty-nine miles, most of them uphill.
Fig. 1 — Lakewood, CO → Black Hawk, COApprox. scale 1:500,000
§ 03 · Waypoints
The places we will, or may, stop.
- 01
Lakewood
Lakewood, CO
OriginGroceries handled before we roll. Blake meets us at Kevin's, then all four of us pile into the Tacoma — wheels up around 2 PM Friday. - 02
Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon
Black Hawk, CO
Camp · two nights661 CO-46, up Golden Gate Canyon Road at about 9,200 ft. We've got sites 19, 20, 21A, and 21B — check-in any time after 2 PM. Hot showers, restrooms, a general store with beer and wine, and Starlink wi-fi over the whole place. - 03
Hidden Treasure Trailhead
Black Hawk, CO
Saturday hikeMaryland Mountain trail system, just north of downtown Black Hawk. The plan is the ~3.5–3.8 mile route through the old Gilpin Tramway grades — trailhead sits at 8,218 ft, summit tops out around 9,210. - 04
Black Hawk Casinos
Black Hawk, CO
Sunday stopBreak camp Sunday morning, roll ten minutes down the hill, and donate to the local economy for a few hours before the drive home. Home by evening.
§ 04 · Itinerary
The shape of the days.
Day 02
Sat, Jul 18
Maryland Mountain, then nothing at all.
Bacon and eggs at camp, then the short drive to the Hidden Treasure Trailhead for the 3.5-ish mile loop on the old tramway grades. Sandwiches back at camp, then an afternoon of chairs, games, and Pacifico with lime. Brats for dinner.
Day 03
Sun, Jul 19
Oatmeal, tear-down, blackjack.
Oatmeal and fruit, break camp earlyish (checkout is 11), and roll ten minutes into Black Hawk for a few hours at the casinos. Slight chance of afternoon storms, but we'll be indoors losing money by then. Home by evening.
§ 05 · Provisions
The grocery list, in full.
Meat & Protein
- Ground chuck patties, 80/202 × $6.25$12.50
- Bratwurst (Original & Bacon Cheddar)2 × $5.92$11.84
- Bacon (Original & Smoked)2 × $5.97$11.94
- Deli hickory turkey0.52 lb$5.70
- Deli ham0.51 lb$4.06
- Deli salami0.50 lb$4.13
Subtotal$50.17
Bread & Buns
- Hamburger bunsgluten$2.97
- Bratwurst bunsgluten$2.50
- Sandwich breadgluten$3.37
Subtotal$8.84
Produce
- Shredded lettuce$3.97
- Limes$4.98
- Apples3-lb bag$6.53
- Red onion1.27 lb$2.07
- Bananas2.83 lb$1.42
Subtotal$18.97
Dairy & Cold
- Provolone slices$1.67
- Cheddar cheese$1.67
Subtotal$3.34
Pantry & Condiments
- French's mustard$1.54
- Ketchup13.5 oz$3.78
- Baked beans$2.77
- Hamburger dill pickle chips$2.94
Subtotal$11.03
Snacks
- Tortilla chips$3.97
- Trail mix$7.92
- Peanut butter pretzelsgluten$4.97
- Jack Link's peppered jerkygluten$13.87
- Jack Link's original jerkygluten$13.87
Subtotal$44.60
Beer
- Modelogluten12-pack$17.33
- Coorsgluten24-pack$20.66
- Corona Extragluten12-pack$17.33
Subtotal$55.32
- Gluten-free · split 4 ways
- $95.40
- Contains gluten · split 3 ways
- $96.87
- Beer tax · 8%
- $4.43
- Grocery total
- $196.70
Prices are straight off the Walmart receipt. Items tagged “gluten” are split three ways — Blake (gluten-free) shares only the rest. Full math in the Cost Breakdown below.
§ 06 · Manifest
Who hauls what.
- Justin
- Groceries, beer, and the Tacoma — hauling the whole crew up the hill.
- Matt & Kevin
- Propane stoves and their own tents. Tent assignments to be negotiated on arrival.
- Blake
- Coolers and his own provisions. Meeting at Kevin's to ride up with the rest of us.
- Everyone
- Your own sleeping bag, pad, and pillow. The bigger group has chairs and the rest covered.
Pack for yourself
- 01Sleeping bag + pad
- 02Pillow
- 03Headlamp or flashlight
- 04Warm layer — nights hit the mid-50s at 9,200 ft
- 05Rain shell, just in case
- 06Hiking shoes for Saturday
- 07Sunscreen + bug spray
- 08Water bottle
- 09Cash for Black Hawk
- 10Camp chair if you've got one
§ 07 · Particulars
The details, for the curious.
- Camp
- Base Camp at Golden Gate Canyon — 661 CO-46, Black Hawk. Sites 19, 20, 21A, 21B. Check-in after 2 PM Friday, checkout 11 AM Sunday. Front desk: (303) 582-9979.
- Fire
- No open fires — propane stoves only, and we have that covered. All cooking happens on the griddles.
- Conditions
- Sunny and mid-70s both days, nights in the mid-50s at 9,200 ft — bring a warm layer. Slight chance of storms Sunday afternoon, by which point we're indoors at a card table.
- Signal
- Starlink wi-fi across the campground, cell service spotty in the canyon on the way up. Text the group before you lose bars.
§ 08 · The Reckoning
Settling up.
The ledger
Groceries — shared
Gluten-free items the whole group eats
Paid · Justin
Split · all four
$95.40
Groceries — gluten + beer
Bread, buns, pretzels, jerky & beer (incl. $4.43 beer tax)
Paid · Justin
Split · Justin, Matt, Kevin
$101.30
Campsite reservation
Two nights, sites 19–21
Paid · Matt
Split · all four
$115.00
Fire pit rental
Blake fronted it; $5 each from the other three
Paid · Blake
Split · all four
$20.00
Gas
Round trip in the Tacoma
Paid · Justin
Split · all four
$20.00
Trip total
$351.70
Where everyone lands
Justingets back $120.33
Owes for
- Groceries — shared4-way$23.85
- Groceries — gluten + beer3-way · Justin, Matt, Kevin$33.77
- Campsite reservation4-way$28.75
- Fire pit rental4-way$5.00
- Gas4-way$5.00
- Total share$96.37
Fronted
- Groceries — shared$95.40
- Groceries — gluten + beer$101.30
- Gas$20.00
- Total paid$216.70
Mattgets back $18.63
Owes for
- Groceries — shared4-way$23.85
- Groceries — gluten + beer3-way · Justin, Matt, Kevin$33.77
- Campsite reservation4-way$28.75
- Fire pit rental4-way$5.00
- Gas4-way$5.00
- Total share$96.37
Fronted
- Campsite reservation$115.00
- Total paid$115.00
Kevinowes $96.36
Owes for
- Groceries — shared4-way$23.85
- Groceries — gluten + beer3-way · Justin, Matt, Kevin$33.76
- Campsite reservation4-way$28.75
- Fire pit rental4-way$5.00
- Gas4-way$5.00
- Total share$96.36
BlakeGFowes $42.60
Owes for
- Groceries — shared4-way$23.85
- Campsite reservation4-way$28.75
- Fire pit rental4-way$5.00
- Gas4-way$5.00
- Total share$62.60
Fronted
- Fire pit rental$20.00
- Total paid$20.00