The fire station I stayed at last night is the highest in the United States. The people there were great and the place was surprisingly comfortable. Five miles after leaving this morning I passed a similar landmark, the highest town in the United States. Alma was founded as a mining town but is now kept alive by the heavy winter and summer tourism.
The highlight of the day was climbing from Fairplay, just shy of 10,000 feet, to the Hoosier Pass, at 11,542 feet. The snow was heavy, the air was cold, and the elation was high. It is the continental divide and the highest I will go during this trip. The climbing yesterday and this morning were well worth the 50 mile downhill that followed.
Breckenridge stands on the far side of the Hoosier Pass. The town stands out because it lies in the shadow of a ski resort (that looks like all runs are still open!) Because the town caters to tourists and vacation homes, it is kept very well, no buildings look in disrepair, and everyone seems like they are in a great mood.
By the end of the day I had dropped down to about 7,000 feet to Kremmling. The town is dominated by enormous cliffs on its western edge. I found a hostel run by a Slovakian couple who came to the country two years ago. After a year in Florida they decided they missed the mountains of eastern Europe and came out here. They took especially good care of me and moved a TV into my room (which would normally they reserve for their more expensive hotel rooms.) Another night out of the mountains cold!
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