Dad and I, eager to start our backpack trip into the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness, find ourselves driving along the Crystal River looking for a place to spend the night at dark. We find mostly signs that say, “No camping within 1/4-mile of the Crystal River.” One tiny, overgrown road flies by, and I turn around to follow it. It leads to the Placita trailhead, about a quarter of a mile from the river, with a nice view. We happily settle into the back of the truck for the night.