Day 6: Leadville

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Friday started out as a lazy day. We decided to sleep in, have a late brunch and simplify things a bit. We decided against both a hard nature hike and the more "suburban" Beaver Valley hikes. Going to Leadville had been on our list of things to do earlier in the week, so we revisited that idea and made the one-hour trip south. Leadville was the center of Colorado mining ages ago, and has a scenic narrow gauge train ride that follows a former route to a mining camp. Leadville also hosts the two highest mountain peaks in the U.S., Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive, both over 14,000 feet in elevation. Leadville is a VERY different place from the resort towns 40 miles north - clearly a town that was once more prosperous, but still very rich in history. The evidence of lower incomes was evident, but there was a genuineness to the town. We found a storefront athletic wear/sweatshirt & outerwear maker (Melanzana) where they produce their hoodies and athletic shirts onsite. We each bought one but wanted the sleeves shorter, so they shortened them immediately and helped us place a to-go order so we could eat on the scenic train. The train ride was worthwhile - we had several great vistas of the valley below and full of history about the lead and molybdenum mining in the area. We went for the open area portion of the train so we could enjoy the fresh air. Passing so close to the aspen and spruce trees was great - they told us to keep our arms and head in, and I see why. We finished the evening up simply, the way the day started. We had planned to eat in nearby Edwards but two highly recommended restaurants turned out to be duds - high priced unimaginative menus without an atmosphere to match their billing. Overall, we have been VERY impressed with the restaurants in this area; Edwards has been a three-time disappointment.
All good things come to an end. We are packing bags for our flight back tomorrow. It has been a great trip.

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Photos

Leadville and Mt. Massive
second highest peak in the U.S.

Mt. Massive
Second highest peak in the U.S., also home to the highest elevation golf course in the U.S. I wonder how far my drives would travel in this thin air?

Valley below
North of Leadville