Twin Lakes - Leadville, Colorado - January 24th, 2024

Every year for our birthday (yes we have the same birthday), we plan a trip to get away from home, do some skiing and enjoy our birthday together. This past December after we made plans to spend our birthday in Leadville… we decided screw it! Lets make our birthday our wedding anniversary too and elope!

We went to town hall in Leadville, picked up the marriage license, and drove down to Twin Lakes just outside town and picked out a spot along the very frozen lake, set up the lawn chairs and unleashed our child to roll in the snow while Mom and Dad said some words, popped a bottle of champagne, and sipped lake side to celebrate our marriage!

Little did we know that later that week our future home would come on the market just before we left town and by April 1st we’d be calling Leadville home!

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Notice Nora's doggie anxiety in the form of her smudged signature

We spent the rest of our wedding/birthday week walking the dog around town, cooking dinner, snowboarding and eating Alysias homemade pistachio wedding/birthday cake.

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Leadville, Colorado

EST. 1878 - Elev. 10,200ft

A little about our new home…

Leadville is a historic mining town in the Arkansas river valley between the Mosquito and Sawatch mountain ranges. It is the highest incorporated city in the U.S.

A boomtown that started with a gold discovery but saw its biggest influxes of miners during silver rushes in the late 1800’s & early 1900’s - its well known for being a home to the Unsinkable Molly Brown and many other notable western characters. Today mining has mostly ceased in the area except the Climax mine - a still very active molybdenum mine outside of town.

The town of Leadville photographed from across the valley on Mt. Elbert. Behind town is the mosquito range and at the top left of the image you can see the Climax mine.

Our home, along with mostly every other in the neighborhood were originally build in 1950 in the town of Climax up at the mine for employees. In the 1960's, the mine decided to start mining under where the homes were located and relocated the homes d

Our home, along with mostly every other in the neighborhood were originally build in 1950 in the town of Climax up at the mine for employees. In the 1960's, the mine decided to start mining under where the homes were located and relocated the homes down Fremont pass into Leadville.

Leadville receives ~140in annually in snowfall. we couldn't see our neighbors front door until april because the snow banks on their side were so high. Our last snowstorm hit on May 12th with 2 feet.

Leadville receives ~140in annually in snowfall. we couldn't see our neighbors front door until april because the snow banks on their side were so high. Our last snowstorm hit on May 12th with 2 feet.

First thing we did after closing was rip up the old carpets and refinish the original hardwood floors that were still intact underneath

First thing we did after closing was rip up the old carpets and refinish the original hardwood floors that were still intact underneath

We spent a lot of evenings our first month like this - working, eating dust and drinking beers!

We spent a lot of evenings our first month like this - working, eating dust and drinking beers!

We had a lot of fun bringing all this to the dump... we got repeatedly got the uhual stuck in mud before being pulled out by a friendly individual who took pity on us and towed us out with his truck.

We had a lot of fun bringing all this to the dump... we got repeatedly got the uhual stuck in mud before being pulled out by a friendly individual who took pity on us and towed us out with his truck.

Before...

Before...

After!

After!

Not terrible for 70 year old floors!

Not terrible for 70 year old floors!

Our current project is going room by room redoing all of the drywall in the house. Its got a terrible texture on it and needs to be sanded, skim coated and painted.

Our current project is going room by room redoing all of the drywall in the house. Its got a terrible texture on it and needs to be sanded, skim coated and painted.

The view out our backdoor this spring. The snow had piled up so high that we carved out stairs for the dog to get out into the backyard

The view out our backdoor this spring. The snow had piled up so high that we carved out stairs for the dog to get out into the backyard

To Nora's delight... we had snowpiles linger in the backyard until the first week of June. Every afternoon Stephen would spend some time hacking at the icy piles of leftover snow and shoveling it into the sun to melt faster

To Nora's delight... we had snowpiles linger in the backyard until the first week of June. Every afternoon Stephen would spend some time hacking at the icy piles of leftover snow and shoveling it into the sun to melt faster

Puffy coats and hats required up here, even inside on the couch.

Puffy coats and hats required up here, even inside on the couch.

The view of Mount Elbert from our yard. Its the highest peak in the state of Colorado at 14,440ft

The view of Mount Elbert from our yard. Its the highest peak in the state of Colorado at 14,440ft

View of the Sawatch range looking south from the top of Mt. Elbert

View of the Sawatch range looking south from the top of Mt. Elbert

Leadville is a close drive to a handful of ski resorts with Copper MTN being the closest at 25 minutes away

Leadville is a close drive to a handful of ski resorts with Copper MTN being the closest at 25 minutes away

The backcountry skiing access is fantastic up here. A 10 minute drive gets you to trail heads with easy access to powder skiing - as long as your willing to walk uphill a little! This area is called the Box Chutes - a popular spring time ski on Mt El

The backcountry skiing access is fantastic up here. A 10 minute drive gets you to trail heads with easy access to powder skiing - as long as your willing to walk uphill a little! This area is called the Box Chutes - a popular spring time ski on Mt Elbert that we can see from our front door.

Stephen's buddy Jake, riding down Mt Elbert

Stephen's buddy Jake, riding down Mt Elbert

Nora is truly at home up here. Year round she gets plenty of walks on the mineral belt trail. In the summer its a bike path, in the winter its groomed for cross country skiing.

Nora is truly at home up here. Year round she gets plenty of walks on the mineral belt trail. In the summer its a bike path, in the winter its groomed for cross country skiing.

Alysia walking Nora down the Mineral Belt trail in April

Alysia walking Nora down the Mineral Belt trail in April

Nora playing in the snow on her morning Mineral Belt walk

Nora playing in the snow on her morning Mineral Belt walk

Stephen out with Nora for a quick ski outside of town

Stephen out with Nora for a quick ski outside of town

Stephen's Dad stopping to check out old mine ruins on the mineral belt

Stephen's Dad stopping to check out old mine ruins on the mineral belt

Nora sleeping in the sea of dandelions that is our backyard

Nora sleeping in the sea of dandelions that is our backyard

One of our local trails outside of town

One of our local trails outside of town

Please come visit!

We miss everyone very much and would love to see you out here sometime!

Please, please, please come stay with us! Our guest room is finished and there’s a little to do and see out here for everyone. Even if you aren’t nearby but in the state, just let us know - we are always happy to make a drive to see a familiar face!