The trip is from Lewis & Clark Monument, Illinois, to Kickapoo State Park, Illinois, by way of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Leadville, Colorado
Leadville, Colorado, is the highest incorporated city in the country. At 10,152 feet, they call themselves the 2-Mile High City. We had crossed Freemont Pass, which has an elevation of 11,318 feet, yesterday coming into Leadville. Visible side by side to the south of Leadville are Colorado’s 2 tallest peaks – Mt. Elbert (14,440 ft.) and Mt. Massive (14,429 ft.).
After resting a bit, we took a walk through the historic old mining town. It was a sunny day, but at this altitude chilly.
There were a lot of murals.
This mural was especially eye-catching. This is an actual event the town holds in the winter: horse-drawn skiing.
And this statue of a prospector, which I didn’t get a good angle on.
This old saloon looked impressive.
By the time we finished our walk through town we were finished. At this elevation we were gasping for breath. We had not had a chance to get acclimated, passing from the flatlands of Kansas up to over 10,000 feet in one day. That night it got down to freezing, but we turned on our tank heaters and we were okay. But the next night it was supposed to get even colder, so we decided not to risk it. We left the next morning for lower elevations and warmer temperatures.
Next Location – Top of the Rockies Scenic Drive & Glenwood Canyon, Colorado
