2012 Trip - Day 98

LakeshoreImages Home Page

2011 Trip across the US
Other Trips

Trip Index & Page 1

Previous Page

Wednesday, August 8 - Leadville Mines, CO - 26.4 Miles Today, 12,510.6 For the Trip

It was even colder this morning - 37°F when I woke up at 6:30. I didn't bother to turn the furnace on during the night, but with the inside of the trailer at 44°F, I fired it up before climbing out of bed. Dick and Anne are in Denver today but they gave me a key so I could do laundry & take a shower. I have still managed to find a way to avoid trying to shower in the Escape trailer. Not that it couldn't be done - there is hot water, a shower head and all, but the space it pretty tight for my 6' body.

After doing a couple of loads of laundry & my shower I headed out to the east side of Leadville to photograph some of the old mines. As far as I know, all but one of them are no longer active, but the weathered wood & colorful tailings piles are fun to shoot. The roads are all either gravel or dirt & the back of the RAV4 looks like it did in Utah, except the dust is grey rather than red. The view from the mines is magnificent. Even if they didn't find what they were looking for, I can't imagine the miners not appreciating the surrounding mountains. Of course they probably also cursed them since they had to find a way to get up & down them! While the mines are no longer producing minerals, some of them are open for tours. I included some photos from the Matchless Mine & Baby Doe's Cabin. I didn't take the tour.

There are a couple pictures of the Mineral Belt Trail. It goes all the way around Leadville, passing many of the mines, complete with signs identifying some of them. It is paved and open to walkers & bikes. After returning to town on 7th Street, I stopped to take a photo of Locomotive 641. At the station where it is parked they are still offering train rides through the countryside.

A Mine & View
A Mine & View
A Mine
Old Buildings
A Mine & View
A Mine & Tailings
A Mine
Old Buildings
Tailings
Part of a Mine
A Mine
An Arch
Tailings
Part of a Mine
A Mine
An Arch
A Mine
The Trail
The Mineral Belt Trail
Matchless Mine
A Mine
The Mineral Belt Trail
The Mineral Belt Trail
At The Matchless Mine
Baby Doe's Cabin
Baby Doe's Cabin
Another Mine
A Mine
Baby Doe's Cabin
Baby Doe's Cabin
Another Mine
And Another
An Old House
A leaning Building
Another View
An Engine
An Old House
A Leaning Building
Another View
Info About Locomotive 641
Locomotive 641
Locomotive 641

I walked down to Turquoise Lake to try for some sunset photos - Not one of the best, but OK -

Sunset at Turquoise Lake, CO
Sunset at Turquoise Lake, CO
Sunset at Turquoise Lake, CO
Sunset at Turquoise Lake, CO

 

Until Tomorrow!

Next


This page is maintained by: vermilye@oswego.edu
Last Update: August 9, 2012