20070629 Friday
at RV Corral, Leadville CO (alt. 10,152')
49*F at 8:00am

We got up, but then loafed around the trailer for a while, waiting for the outside temp to get real. It finally got above 60* at 10:00am, so we set out then.

When I started the truck, I got a real shock. It took five seconds or more of cranking before the engine started as opposed to the usual 1/2 second. Then it smoked a bunch until it decided to stay running. Between the block being still at 40* or so, and the reduced oxygen, it was much harder to start. We're not at sea level anymore, Toto.

We started with a tour around Turquoise Lake, a large man-made lake west of town. Very pretty. Beautiful day. Took a bunch of pictures. Then we returned to town.

A brochure showed three separate tours going into the mineral fields east of town. We headed up the 7th street (extended) tour, which turned to gravel at the town border. We passed the remains of a number of mines and the turnoff for the Matchless mine - the most famous of them all. A merchant by the name of H.A.W. Tabor grubstaked a couple of miners who then found gold. After that, everything he touched made money. He erected the local opera house, and a large hotel, so visitors would be adequately accomodated & entertained. He then divorced his wife to marry "Baby Doe". After a while, his investments didn't do well and he lost almost everything. He lived on wages as postmaster of Denver, granted by friends. Baby Doe eventually died at the Matchless mine cabin, hoping for a return of the wealth.

We managed to get six miles up this trail, to the sites of Evansville & Stumptown before Dolores requested we go no further. It *was* getting bumpy.

Then we did the 5th street (extended) trail eastward. Here, we had no trouble to the end at 4.4 miles and almost 12,000' altitude. The Venir mine is at the end and has a turnaround from which you can get wonderful pictures of Leadville and Turquoise Lake beyond it. 

The altitude can wear on you, though. We returned to town & looked in bookstores for a bit. Then back to the trailer. I went out for a hike around town. I didn't find anything great, but I had a couple of great pale ales at Rosie's Brewpub. I returned & we took it easy for a bit.

Later, we walked up Harrison Avenue to dinner at Quincy's (prime rib). We returned to the trailer and we're staying in tonight tomorrow could be rough as we travel in 85-95* weather to Rock Springs, Wyoming (if we get that far).