Somehow we have managed to make it halfway through Colorado to Leadville. Leadville is the highest town in the USA at 10 152ft. It’s a neat town with an old mining culture. I could stay here for awhile, but with Old Man Winter nipping at our heels, it’s time to move on. As you can see, we have been incredibly lucky with weather thus far (for the most part). See for yourself:
The buffet the morning we left Grand Lake. It was done by an English lady witb a drinking problem. But boy – was it good!
Leaving Grand Lake.
This is for you Jill!
We have had our winter times…
We stayed for a night in Winter Park due to bad weather. We went into a coffee shop to use the phone. We ended up getting a free lunch and a place to stay. Thank you Michelle and AJ! It was fantastic!
Rollins Pass. Where the railway crossed at over 11 000ft!
Sometimes you just have to break the rules…
Sunshine and Lollies.
On the divide.
Nearing the summit of Stanely.
There are good parts of the trail, and bad. This is the bad.
Going up Vasquez Peak.
The Summit.
Looking towards Denver.
Mid morning snack.
Unfortunately large swaths of the forest here is dead due to pine beatles.
Ptarmigan Peak.
Looking down to the ski resort town of Silverthorne.
The CDT and the Colorado Trail have merged. The CT is 480 miles, running from Denver to Durango. It is very well maintained, compared to the CDT.
The CT.
Ignore the open ski hills… Gulp! They have been making snow, so some have already opened.
Summit of Elk Mountain.
Walking the ridge.
Corbett Peak.
Camp Hale. They trained 15 000 troups here for mountain combat during World War II.
Chilly mornings.
The town of Leadville.
Well, you’re certainly getting there – only one more state to go. That was a most exquisite little fox with an absolutely
magnificent tail – thank you for thinking of me. It is lucky that you are doing this trip on your feet otherwise you both should have gained about 20 lbs by now with all the fantastic food you have enjoyed.
I’ve been to Leadville! Brucie spends his summers near Salida. I stayed one night at the creaky old Delaware hotel. I think molybdenum was the mines claim to fame.
Great Shots.
Neat!! Loved that town!! Went to a steakhouse and got a 16 ounce Prime Rib for 15 Bucks!! Wow! I need to contact Uncle Bruce! Where does he go? We are in Canon City now, meeting up with Sis tomorrow for a weekend in Denver! Bring on the Buffets!! 🙂
Awesome pics & captions as usual boys! what an amazing adventure…glad you’re getting some good eats!
Love, Mom
Before Ducky & Muppet hit Town, the most illustrious, certainly the most literary visitor to Leadville, was Oscar Wilde. He visited the boom town in 1883, dressed in purple Hungarian smoking jacket, knee breeches and black silk stockings, coat lined with lavender satin, topped off with a sky blue cravat. And not a whisker to be seen anywhere. [Boys, your wardrobe needs a little sprucing up, I’d say.] He descended in a bucket to the bottom of a silver mine and saw the lode, which miners named after him, “The Oscar”.
Later, to great cheering, he dined, drank whiskey and smoked a cigar in one of the bars with the miners and their female friends. It was in this bar that he noticed the sign over the piano (a notice that he would later make forever famous in his lecture tour back in England, Impressions of America): “PLEASE DO NOT SHOOT THE PIANIST. HE IS DOING HIS BEST.”
Sun dance on Ptarmigan; holding the full moon on Corbett–FABULOUS!!!!
Glad you like the pics Dad and Nancy! Good history lesson as well!