Leadville: Day Trip Series Part 5

Joel and I in front of Turquoise Lake. Photo credit: Daniel Kim

By Nate Van Noord (RO Staff)

Shortly after moving to Colorado in 2021, I heard about these hoodies made by a Colorado company called Melanzana. (It took me a few times to say it correctly). Occasionally, I’d see people wear them around town and the hoodies were easy to spot - brightly colored and often two toned. But I also heard the only place to buy them was at their store in Leadville - not even on their website.

When my buddies - Daniel and Joel - and I climbed Mt. Elbert last Fall (read story here), we stopped by downtown Leadville for lunch after. We walked past Melananza and looked inside. A sign said customers had to make an appointment to shop - months in advance! Daniel was intrigued and made an appointment for a Saturday in May.

Folks sewing hoodies at the Melanzana store

So this May (2023), the three of us made the two hour drive. We first stopped at Turqouise Lake in Leadville. The trails were too snowy and unfortunately we didn’t rent any showshoes from Routes. So we walked on the road along the lake. It was well plowed, closed off to motorists, and still had some nice views.

For lunch, we stopped into High Mountain Pies. The menu said the local favorite was “The Crocodile” - BBQ sauce, mozzarella, shrimp, bacon, jalapeno, and cream cheese. Sounded nasty but we ordered it. The bbq sauce was sweet, the bacon salty, the jalapeno spicy, and the cream cheese, well creamy. Somehow, a phenomenal combo!

After lunch, we walked the historic downtown, with many of the brick buildings over a hundred years old. We dipped into Melanzana for our 3 pm appointment. We perused the hoodies in the front of the store and watched people sewing the hoodies in the back of the store. Since we were only allowed to buy two items per appointment, I tried on like a dozen different ones to make sure I found the right one. And find it I did. I‘m wearing it right now and it feels just right!

Hiking The Crags - Day Trip Series: Part 1

The Crags Trailhead

By Nate Van Noord (RO Staff)

Since our cold-season hours have changed at Routes, and we are closed on Mondays, I have been taking day trips from The Springs.

Both friends and folks online recommended a 5 mile hike called The Crags. It is also known for being a trailhead leading up to Pikes Peak. So, I made the 45 minute drive from Old Colorado City to the trailhead in Divide, just past Mueller State Park.

The trail meandered past aspen groves in the last stages of yellow, wound along 4 Mile Creek, and was well marked with signage.

The dictionary defines a ‘crag’ as a steep or rugged cliff or rock face - which fits this trail perfectly. The granite found throughout the area erodes horizontally into monumental slabs or vertically into colossal cusps.

At the top of The Crags.

It was 800 feet in elevation gain to the top, where I soaked in a view of the Catamount Reservoirs and the Rampart Range. All the twisted conifers shaped by the wind also caught my eye. On a Monday morning, there were only few other hikers at the summit.

On my way back home, I stopped at Hungry Bear in Woodland Park for a brunch of buckwheat pancakes. A favorite of locals and tourists alike, the diner has hundreds of teddy bears hanging from the walls.

I’ve been told The Crags is a good spot to snowshoe, so I will have to return this Winter.