Latest News – September 24

Mosquito Pass Closed to Thru Traffic Due to Rock Slide

Lake County Sheriff Rod Fenske reported this mornng that Mosquito Pass has been officialy closed to thru traffic for the season due to a rock slide reported on the Park County side early morning on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Residents can still access Lake County Road 3 on the west side of the pass. Motorists are asked to use extreme caution in this backcountry area as the landscape and road conditions can be unstable.

The spirit of St. Patrick brought a nearly perfect day for the annual parade in his honor . . . . . . in September!     Photo: Julia Martinez

Motorized Tour of MBT’s Fall Colors Offered Tomorrow

Do you know someone who would love to get out and see the Fall Colors, but might not be mobile enough to do so? Well then, make plans to get them out on Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail (MBT) to see Autumn’s high alpine beauty TOMORROW Thursday, Sept. 25 for the  Phylis Hakala MBT Fall Tour.  This special tour is open to those individuals who do not wish to walk or bike the trail. The tour starts at 10 a.m.

Take advantage of this once-a-year motorized tour of Leadville’s Mineral Belt Trail coming up on Sept 25.

Once a year, since the MBT was established in 2000, the county lets a caravan of motorized vehicles on the trail during the fall foliage season. This special tour allows senior citizens and those people with physical challenges, the opportunity to observe the spectacular scenery. The event was named after long-time Leadville resident Phylis Hakala, who always made sure that the seniors and those less mobile were able to get out and experience the beautiful natural beauty surroundings.

Participants will be riding in selected vans. Contact Loretta at the Senior Center to make a reservation: 719-486-1774.

Leadville loves a parade, for the young and young at heart! Photo: Julia Martinez

Flight & Flapjacks: Airport’s Breakfast This Saturday

The Leadville/Lake County Airport will host its 6th Annual Pancake Breakfast Fly-In/Drive-In, this Saturday, September 27 from 8 – 10:30 a.m.

The 6th Annnual Fly In/Drive In Pancake Breakfast will be held at the Leadville Airport on Sept. 27

The new airport staff, as well as many others from the Lake County Public Works Department, will be serving up a hearty breakfast for $6/per person.

If you love airplanes and airports, or if you haven’t been up to the Leadville/Lake County Airport in a while, this is a great time to check out all of the upgrades and meet the new staff. There will be plenty of aircrafts “Flying-In” for the breakfast, most of which you could get a look at up close – something people don’t get too much opportunity to do in a post-911 world. So mark the calendar, and Leadville Today will give you another “gate call” as the date draws nearer. 

Come, Fly Over the Fall Colors at Twin Lakes 

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Meet New Staff at Leadville/Lake County Airport

Ladies and Gentleman, this is your pilot speaking. Please prepare to be introduced to the new staff at the Leadville/Lake County Airport!

The new High-Flying staff at the Leadville/Lake County Airport (left to right): Operations Technician Zach Dawson and Manager Levi Brown. Welcome to Leadville!

Levi Brown has been named Manager at America’s Highest Airport. Brown originally hails from Kansas, where he got most of his training and education. Brown holds a piloting degree from Kansas State University, and has also secured his certificated member status for airport management from Metro State University in Denver. His aviation career started as a commercial pilot.

“I enjoyed it, but you never know where you’re going to be at night,” says Brown. “And the pay isn’t as good as people might imagine it would be.” From there, he went on to do some aviation teaching, as well as time as a charter pilot, flying those big, fast jets around in Kansas.

Brown had originally applied for the Airport Manager position back in 2012. “I didn’t get it, so I went back to school and got my degree in aviation management,” explains Brown.

He also adds marketing to his list of credentials, which should come in handy as operations expand and the Leadville Airport grows its list of services offered at the facility. Brown is single and is looking forward to living the mountain life.

Fuel sales for planes is one way that the Leadville/Lake County Airport generates revenue.

Zach Dawson is no stranger to Leadville, but is excited to be working up at the airport as the new Operations Technician. Dawson was born in Colorado, but spent most of his youth in the farming and ranching fields of Montana.

He eventually came back to Colorado, graduating from high school in Boulder, after which he headed up to the mountains to pursue his love of skiing. After years of tallying as many ski days as possible in a season, a skiing accident slowed down his outdoors adventure, and Dawson set his sights on aviation, securing his helicopter license in the Pacific Northwest.

The kiddos enjoy seeing the planes up close and meeting the pilots at the Leadville/Lake County Airport’s Annual Drive In/Fly in Pancake Breakfast.

“I decided I like the sun and headed back to Colorado,” says Dawson, referring to the rainy reputation of the Pacific Northwest.  Like Brown, Dawson had applied for positions at the airport before and was called back this July to re-interview for the position of Airport Operations Technician. Dawson has also completed Colorado Mountain College’s Fire Academy class, taught by Captain Simon of the Leadville/Lake County Fire Rescue.  

Dawson is an outdoor-lover and while he still likes to ski, he now  looks at the “quality, not quantity” of his days on the slopes. Personally, a long-term relationship, a couple of dogs, and the love of the outdoor recreation keep Dawson busy during his off-time.

Workers from Lake County Public Works put the finishing touches on the foundation walls of the new 100 x 110 foot state-of-the-art hanger. The project should be complete in early November. The new facility will provide local pilots with a place to park their planes, as well as allow the airport to expand its operations and plans to draw in more corporate jet traffic from neighboring ski resorts.