Current stop: Hanover, Germany: A weekend in the Rocky Mountains around Aspen (Nov 3-4)

The next weekend was dedicated to the discovery of the Aspen and the region along Highway 285. Colorado showed itself from its best side: textbook weather and snowy mountains, but dry roads...
From Golden, we headed west on I-70 towards Silverthorne (where we did some shopping in the outlet center ☺). After a stopover for lunch at Frisco (and Dillon reservoir), we left the interstate near Copper Mountain and took US-91 ("Top of the Rockies") to Leadville, an old mining town at 10,200 ft altitude (see below). The sky was certainly at its bluest!

The shortest way from Denver to Aspen includes Independence Pass which was surprisingly still open. So we headed west on US-82 south of Leadville. The next stop was at Twin Lakes reservoir which lies picturesquely below Mt Elbert (14,400 ft = 4,401 m, the highest summit of the Rockies and the second highest in the Lower-48 after Mt Whitney, California).

After a long climb up, we finally reached Independence Pass, the summit of the Sawatch Range between Leadville and Aspen. At 12,095 ft (= 3,686 m), it is simultaneously the second highest paved road in Colorado and always closed after the first heavy snow falls in fall. This year, however, we were lucky and could take a few deep breaths of crispy mountain air before descending to Aspen.

Indepence, nowadays a ghost town in Roaring Fork valley, just below Independence Pass. It was founded in 1879 when gold was discovered which made it a thriving mining community. When the train came to Aspen and gold played out in the late 18000's, its inhabitants left this highly uncomfortable place.

Aspen downtown. No more golden leaves to see...

Galena street, Aspen.

Aspen town hall

One of the modest mountain homes which can be seen when driving through. Most of the really rich people live in more "isolated" parts of the town.

The next day we wanted to go further south and then drive back to Denver on US-285. So we crossed Independence Pass again and then followed Arkansas River south.