[Montycs]

Rode up to Leadville from Colorado Springs and it is a ride worth doing. Up Hiway 24 then into Leadville. Leadville is 10400 ft so no running without deep breathing and rubbery legs. Neat town and lots of good places to eat. I also averaged 54 mpg, which really surprised me especially two up.

 

[kmurphy165]

Rode up to Leadville from Colorado Springs and it is a ride worth doing. Up Hiway 24 then into Leadville. Leadville is 10400 ft so no running without deep breathing and rubbery legs. Neat town and lots of good places to eat. I also averaged 54 mpg, which really surprised me especially two up.

Howdy. I lived in Leadville the winter of '71 - '72. Initially I wondered why downtown had 3 foot high curbs. Come Thanksgiving whenthe city was just scraping the overnight snow level and puttng a layer of sand on it I knew. The curbs were now the normal 6 inches.

When the Climax Molybdenum (sic) closed, Lake County went through very hard times. Younger folks mainly live in the area, older folks and seniors tend to move to Buena Vista and lower elevations to escape the extreme winters. I have a certain fond recollection of -30 and 30+mph "breezes".

Gimpin' Karl

 

[Montycs]

I worked in at a copper mine in Tucson back in the 70's we produced a lot of Moly and was always tempted to try to get a job at Climax,glad I didn't in some ways, I have read that a mining company is exploring to open the Climax mine again. Must be something happening there, because the housing prices are really high for a town like Leadville

 

[markc]

The price of moly has gone up considerably in the past few years, mostly due to increased steel production in China and India. Phelps-Dodge plans to start production by 2010 (assuming the market doesn't go down again) and it's much easier to mine at Climax rather than at Henderson since Climax is an open pit operation.

 

[lurch102]

My grandparents lived in a cabin just the other side of Mt Democrat in Placer Valley (between Alma and the Hoosier Pass summit). Spent many a summer hiking between the two and later on riding 3-wheelers along the various jeep trails between Alma and Leadville.

 

[rodneyinmaypearltx]

This time of year, while we're bumping up against 100° on the red stick, you are to be envied.

I've done the drive you mentioned, although it was in a rented car 12 years ago. I'd sure like to be doing it now. The scenery is some of the best in the country, and the weather...

yep, you are blessed.

 

[Montycs]

Colorado is a great place to live, if we hit 90 it is rare. However, when we were coming back to the Springs we stopped in Buena Vista for lunch and the bike thermometer said 102. When we left Leadville it was 72. The scenery around Leadville is terrific, especially with all the mountains that are 14000 ft that can be seen. We rode the train up to Climax and that was very neat.

 

[smahon]

So how long did the round trip take? I might be looking to do the same ride as a warm up for CCR. BTW, you going to CCR?

 

[Montycs]

The ride took about three hours, only because we went into Fairplay, coming back it was three hours. It is a good road with some twisties and a bit of wind near Antero. It would make a good day trip and you can stop off in Woodland Park to have breakfast at the Hungry Bear. No not going to the CCR, we are planning on next year to to that or the MOA one.

 

[Torch]

My group is doing a "Butt Kicker" this Sunday, 510 miles...Leadville, Independence Pass, McClure Pass, Crawford, North Rim of the Black Canyon, Gunnison, Monarch Pass and back home yeehaaa...