View from parking lot of the Leadville HostelI want to take a moment to talk about the place we stayed in Leadville. I am not normally the hostel type. I like gourmet food, cushy feather pillows, and fawning service. Still I liked this place enough to book it for the last weekend in July. It was comfortable, homey, and perfect for a group outing. There are private rooms and bunkrooms with varying sleeping capacities.
There are multiple common rooms as well. The basement contains a roaring stove with couches galore and a pool table. Close to the stove, heat was intense so if you are a delicate summer flower or hothouse succulent, you will feel right at home. Upstairs is another living room with wrap around couches surrounding a large screen TV. Behind this is a comfy couch ensconced in a picture window with views of the mountains. It is much cooler there of course, which would make it the perfect respite for my mother, whom I call “Judy of the Tundra” because of her whacked out thermostat. I was not about to ask, but it seemed like several hot flash mamas were enjoying it as well. Wool blankets abound, however, if you want to enjoy the sun and view without drastically lowering your body temperature.
The owners, Wild Bill & Kathy, hail from the Delta region of Mississippi where straightforward hospitality combine with the passionate vocalizations and rhythmic guitars of Blues. Wild Bill came to Leadville to ski but his soul is still in South. The hostel is covered in Blues festival regalia and the strains of Snooky Pryor resound from the large kitchen. Given the chance he will talk your ear off with the history of both his homes. He had us all watch a video on the history of the 10th Mountain Division, which trained for WWII at nearby Camp Hale. His unconsciousness ease in a room full of strangers makes him the perfect hostel host. Cathy is quieter but equally pleasant.
There is bottomless tea and coffee (for a small donation) in the kitchen. You can bring your own food and store it neatly in a named box in the fridge or pay $10 for dinner and $5 for breakfast. We opted for the latter, which was great. We had pasta and salad one night and pork loin the next. After a hard days snowshoeing, it is pleasant to hang around a large table and feed with friends.
Just to be fair, not all was perfect. Our room was in the basement and it was profoundly noisy. A 20-person church group came in at 1:30 in the morning dragging god knows what down the wooden stairs. The kids were screaming and doors were slamming. They were up again at 6 am to go skiing. The noise was thunderous and the 3-person communal bathroom filled with dripping teenagers. The adults were apologetic later once they learned they were not the only people in the 40+ occupancy basement, but this quickly evaporated the next day when the departed at 6am dragging what sounded like coffins up and down the floor and up the stairs. Later I saw that they had been dragging large, industrial sized boxes up the stairs. Most of our party stayed in the bunkrooms on the main floor, which not only had their own bathroom, but were also insulated from the cacophony below. If you are a light sleeper, stay in one of those rooms.
If you like people, are on a budget, or are just in the mood for something different, give the Leadville Hostel a try.
