I love this beat up old mining town.
It sits at an attitude and altitude (both!) above 10,000′ above mean sea level, it hosts Leadville 100-mile mountain bike race (and run!) and Boom Days (mining events and burro racing!), and it is a photographer’s Eden. The place has all kinds of bizarre mine ruins and talings, decrepit old buildings battered by the harsh winters, plenty of mountain characters, and the Continental Divide in the distance.
Here are just a few Leadville images from a quick, one-hour, sunrise photo walk a few days ago…
The Opera House:
The Golden Burro Cafe:
A very odd place:
Free Air (you’ll need it at this altitude!):
And finally, the not-to-be-missed Miracle World Museum:
I need to spend a few days in this town with the camera and tripod…so many possibilities!
Love your shots. I grew up in that old mining town. Every one of your shots made me smile with a great memory.
Felecia, thanks for dropping by! I have never lived there, but I love that old town that bears the scars of those harsh winters at altitude (and, of course, years of mining operations). What a place…and what a place for a photographer! I had an old college friend who lived there for years–Jim Kirschvink, married to Martha. They were both ski instructors at the local ski area and then ran rivers in the summer. What a life! Anyway, thanks for the nice words.