Well, I'm Impressed - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, I'm Impressed

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

With our plans to retire in July and move to the Colorado Springs area, I called Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort last night to go ahead and book an RV site. Jesse (SirWinston21) here on the forums had strongly advised that I book early in order to be sure of getting a site, especially for one where we would be there on a long term basis. (That because they close down and drain the pipes on part of the park for the winter season.)

Anyway, I talked with David, whom I think may be an owner...but not sure, and he made sure that he mentioned and booked us for a site where the morning sun would be quick about melting any snow or ice right near the entry of the RV. I really appreciate that he took the time and trouble to suggest what he did and then explain why. So, we are now booked for site 58-B beginning in July and going into 2015, with the option of being able to move if we find a site later that we like better.

Now, if I could only find some photos of site 58-B. Otherwise, I may be tempted to go see relatives in Colorado just so I can check out our future home site. Anybody on here that might have photos of 58-B? I think Jesse (SirWinston21) may have already left as they have workkamped there the last few summers.

Also, from the service I received, both when we were up there last month and over the phone, I think I can safely recommend Mountaindale as a possibility for others who might find themselves in the Colorado Springs area. It is certainly better than the ones that are actually in Colorado Springs.

Terry

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry:

Linda and I spent about a week at Mountaindale this past summer. Very nice park and yes, they were very nice and accommodating. We stayed in site 35. Sites 32 and 34 are just a bit larger and have nice fire pits behind and "down behind" as did 35. Site 36 is very nice as you will have no one on your bedroom side – but it is just a tad bit smaller so keep that in mind with your two trucks. Nice thing about all the sites mentioned is a clear satellite view among all the trees - and sun. We liked that. (All of this from my notes and travel log.)

If you go to http://mountaindalecampground.com/campsites/campgroundmap you should be able to view the sites from the map – with multiple pictures.

38.586264, -104.946826 are the coordinates and you can use Google Earth to check out the layout.

All that said, when I looked at the campground map I couldn’t find site 58B. Perhaps they are “special” - not on the map and for extended stays like yours and that's the reason for your question.

Hope you enjoy the area. We did.

Hope that helps a bit.

Bill

folivier · RV-Dreams Family Member

We were there in late April this year. Nice campground but kind of remote so a few miles to either Pueblo or Colorado Springs. Did they have any damage from the fires this summer? Hope not.
We were in 85 or 86 up on the terrace. Nice roomy spot but don't think it would be easy to get in or out of in the snow.
When we were there there were trucks hauling gravel or dirt down Barrett Road so there was a bit of noise and traffic but not bad.
The campground wifi (at least at our spot) was iffy. Almost unusable on a busy weekend. May be better down in your site.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

folivier wrote:
We were there in late April this year. Nice campground but kind of remote so a few miles to either Pueblo or Colorado Springs. Did they have any damage from the fires this summer? Hope not.
We were in 85 or 86 up on the terrace. Nice roomy spot but don't think it would be easy to get in or out of in the snow.
When we were there there were trucks hauling gravel or dirt down Barrett Road so there was a bit of noise and traffic but not bad.
The campground wifi (at least at our spot) was iffy. Almost unusable on a busy weekend. May be better down in your site.

No damage from the fires when we were there in very late August - early September. I actually didn’t notice any fire damage in the area at all and indeed yes, it is a bit far from CS and Pueblo. We chose it over some other “older” parks closer in because of site size, satellite and in-town congestion. Certainly no “it” factor. But a relatively nice park. True about the trucks. But we really didn’t hear them and they shut down at night. Just be careful coming out of the park. The trucks don’t slow down where they probably should.

Wifi was fine for us but we do have an external antenna with a Wifi radio on the roof. If there is any Wifi around we can usually receive it but our site was closer than yours to the office. We didn’t notice any particular Wifi “congestion” as such; maybe just lucky. Typical campground wifi speeds. As I recall Verizon voice and LTE data service were good.

We would stay there again and probably will when we return to the CS area for a visit.

Just info

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
Bill,
You are right. The area with 58-B (with a number of other sites) is not on the map, but are located along the curve of the road to the left of the sites with the low 70's numbers on the map. When we were there last month, David gave us a map on which he "circled" that are and listed the site numbers within it. I'm at work and don't have that map with the notation, so I'll have to wait on it. I'll try to scan it in this evening so folks can see that there are sites in that area.
EDIT: Got home and scanned in the map, which is below. The circled area to the left of the low 70's sites shows sites 53 to 59. We were informed last month that the other circled sites are their sites set aside for long-term (or over the winter) sites. The line across the map indicates that everything on that side is closed and lines drained. I think they have also altered their peak and off peak seasons for the monthly rates. I don't know if the "seasons" have changed for non-monthly stays.
Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 19th of November 2013 08:13:52 PM

Terry:

Yes, now I remember those sites – in general. We walked by those during our evening walks. As I recall they are pretty well wooded and Linda confirmed my memory. I do recall that site 72 and 70 especially would be an extremely nice site. But I’ll bet it is already taken. However, 58B is probably a bit more secluded.

I doubt you would hear any noise (what little there was for us) from the road back there. It is pretty good way back to those sites.

I can’t recall if you use satellite or not but I am pretty sure you would need to use a portable dish. As to Wifi – I think I recall seeing new Wifi installations (access points) up in that area. So I think you signal will be fine without an outside antenna.

All from some notes and memory but for some reason we tend to remember parks. I think you will be fine site wise at least. But it is a bit of a trip into CS. I don't know what, if any, impact that may have on your work or other plans.

Bill

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I will also attest that there was no fire damage in the area of Mourntaindale, nor was there really any flooding issues there either. Two of the forest service roads out of Colorado Springs were closed because of flood damage. Gold Camp and Old Stage Road were ones that I really wanted to get back on for Fall colors. Flood damage also had Seven Falls closed.

I'm glad to see your comment about Verizon's LTE service at Mountaindale as that is what we are using right now. As for satellite, our receiver/dvr died on us last night, so I'm currently without satellite here in OKC. David said they had satellite options for something like $30 a month, but I don't know if they have the channels I like to watch. I watch a lot of Military Channel, History Channel, Discovery, and FOX News. I doubt that those are a part of David's package. I may have to take the money I save from having satellite and buy a bunch more John Wayne movies.

Terry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well, David came through again and sent me two pictures of "what used to be" site 58-B. It seems that some long term folks had decided to move from 58-B to 58-A, and because of being long term, it would have been something of an issue for them with regards to their mail. So, after the people moved, David simply "renumbered" the two sites. So, if you notice that the electric pedestal say 58-A when I mentioned we would be in "B", that is the reason. It certainly looks to be open enough that the sun will definitely help melt snow and ice.

Also, being that Jo and I like things that have a "Southwest" design to them, I really like the landscaping right at that site.

Terry

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry, you got a great site. Your door faces east and the deer like to wander thru there most every evening. You won't get shade in the summer till about 6 but you have a nice shaded area at the rear of the coach under the trees. Many of the sites used for long term are not on the website or in the transient rental pool so that is why you could not find a pic on your own. There is no ota tv or cell service ( a little for Verizon but you will need a network extender to get any reliability). David will rent you a Direct Tv sat and set it up with lots of movie channels for a ridiculously low price or of course you can use your own. He also provides a land line in the lounge for anyone to use to make calls anywhere in the lower 48.
Looking forward to meeting you this spring.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jesse,

We won't be there until mid July. We retire the first of July and plan to take a couple of weeks to finalize life in Oklahoma City and stop for a few days to visit my sister and her family in the Panhandle of Oklahoma. We are scheduled to arrive at Mountaindale on the 14th.

I may need an explanation for a good "network extender" for Verizon, and if possible, a recommendation for what equipment we may need. Both of our phones are on Verizon and our MiFi for internet is with them as well. We are currently with Direct TV, but our receiver/dvr just died last week, so we are without at the moment. We purchased our own dish for Direct TV and will have about 75-feet of cable, so we will keep that for possible use later. I'm even considering cancelling our Direct TV anyway. I'll mention this in another post in "Community Chat," but Jo went "Black Friday" shopping today. But what she ordered may prompt me to cancel Direct TV so I can apply the monthly charges for a while on an accessory for that purchase. Oh, and that purchase will likely be used on those deer.

As for the phone possibilities in the lounge for calling in the "lower 48," we don't really know anyone in the other 2 states anyway. One other thing, though. Does David have a list of the Direct TV channels that he can provide? Not that it is likely to have my favorite channels, but I can hope.

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm getting excited about moving to cold country.

Terry

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think David has all of the channels on the Direct TV and most movie channels. As for a network extender, David can fix you up that also but so many of the permanent people or long term people have them on the campground network you can just log on the whichever one has the most bars. They are not secured, just use the campground log on which is their phone number.

sirwinston21 · RV-Dreams Family Member

The weather is not too bad considering where the campground is but the extremes can really be extreme
We will catch up with you in Sept or Oct.

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry> We love to visit Colorado, but I am wondering something. Don't you get enough "snow and ice" in OK? biggrin

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Rick,

Only certain parts get enough snow and ice. This last storm hit the southwestern part of the state more than it did here in central Oklahoma. We had some pretty bad icing on the roads, and as usual, the idiots that don't know how to drive on it had accidents. It is amazing how many folks buy a four wheel drive and figure that they can drive however they want. Little do most know the two rules of four wheel drive:

1. Four wheel drive is guaranteed to be able to get you into a place where a tow truck can't get to get you out.

2. Four wheel drive will put you into a ditch quicker than two wheel drive does if you don't remember which way the front wheels are pointing.

As for Colorado and its snow and cold, it is different there because of the lower humidity and lack of significant wind. My father-in-law worked on a ranch in Colorado as a young man and said that unlike Oklahoma, if one was working, one could remove their coat and still be warm from working. In the Oklahoma Panhandle, where we lived at the time, one dared NOT take off their coat because of the wind chill factors.

Also, in all my years of photography, I've avoided the cold places. I need a bunch of photos with some snow it them.

Terry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm coming back to post a few more pictures of Mountaindale's site 58-A, but mostly to offer a hearty thanks to SirWinston21, otherwise known as Jesse, for his valuable assistance in helping me with finding exactly where site 58-A is located. The images below will give a better indication of how the site is with regards to the roads and such.

Thanks again, Jesse. Your help is greatly appreciated.

This first photo is one that I got by taking a picture of the grounds on my cell phone's Maps feature. Of all the satellite image options that I could find, my phone gave the best photo, although in the photo taken of the screen by my D300 doesn't give the image justice.

This next photo is "captured" using "Snag-It" to get the image from the Google maps program after inserting in the map coordinates that Jesse provided me. It really made it simple because there is a little green arrow pointing to the RV that was in that spot at the time the satellite image was taken.

Next are two more photos taken at ground level by David, the owner of Mountaindale. The give a wider perspective of the immediate area around the site.

Not that he is likely to be looking on RV Dreams, but just in case, thanks go out to David as well.

Terry

el Rojo and Pam · RV-Dreams Family Member

Terry and Jo wrote:
1. Four wheel drive is guaranteed to be able to get you into a place where a tow truck can't get to get you out.

Terry

LOL I always said 4 wheel drive lets you get stuck 50' further in.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I keep getting more impressed with our future "home" site. While I'm not a Facebook person, and no desire to become one, I got on Mountaindale's Facebook page and checked out a bunch of their photos. If you go to the link below and click on their picture of the deer and 4-wheeler folks on the road, you will find a series of 60 photos (some duplicated) of the campgrounds.

Mountaindale Cabins and RV Resort Facebook Site

Among all the interesting sites I saw there, I saw a very stark contrast from our present location.

Our current location with a Winter scene:

The stark difference is a winter scene from one of the cabins at Mountaindale:

Of all the years of my photography, I have very few "GOOD" photos of winter scenes with snow. I am SO READY for this move.

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 25th of June 2014 11:33:57 AM

MarkS · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm with you Terry. I've spent most of my AF years and all since I retired in the southern tier. I ain't crazy about cold but I really miss getting up in the morning to a fresh snow fall. We will certainly spend some winter months in the north. I have to go to Denver first to get my bed built. My nephew is already planning.

cherylbrv · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'll be happy to send some snow your way, Mark!!!