Today, we turn our eyes back in time, to the Mace family soon after
they set up their Homestead. The
Maces had a natural gift for hospitality which would shape their future, and
the lives of many they encountered.
In those times, traveling was not easy or quick. Although the Baldpate property was located in the remote mountains of Colorado, the Maces were
not destined to be lonely or have much "goof off" time! A stream of hikers and travelers passed by on the
road, and the Maces provided lodging and meals to folks so often that it
inspired the construction of several “tourist cabins.”
Ethel Mace described the decision this way, “We decided to
build a hotel or inn because it seemed that the guests might prefer to be able
to eat and sleep here without having to worry about supplies. It was kind of
funny because neither of us knew anything about hotels. I had been in one once
and Gordon had about three or four times. We bumbled along though, and when we
had finished, there were more guests than we could accommodate.”
The Mace family utilized their considerable talents and applied
them to the surrounding natural resources to create the cabins and eventually the main lodge, building them
by hand from hand-hewed timber cut from the property.
Over the years four guest cabins were
constructed and remain popular guest destinations to this day. While so far, we have not found accurate
building records, we’ve pieced together the most likely development in our Seven
Keys Armchair Tour.
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| Twin Sisters Cabin |
Just to the west of the Homestead, our Twin
Sisters cabin is believed to be one of the first “Tourist
Cabins” built. As you may detect from the framing of “twin” doors on its front
porch, this cabin was originally a duplex cabin, each with one small bedroom
and bath.
Twin Sisters cabin was updated by the Smith family in 2002,
while Jen and her husband Pete were working at the inn. Pete jumped right into
our family’s do-it-yourself methods, never shying from the challenge. Twin
Sisters is now an updated delightful four person cabin, with a cozy gas
fireplace, luxury bathroom with “twin” headed shower.
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| Pinetop Cabin |
East of the Homestead is our Pinetop
cabin, which we believe predates the Baldpate main lodge as well.
It was originally a two bedroom cabin
that was renovated in the 1990s. Nestled
in the pine and aspen forest, Pinetop is now the perfect sweetheart getaway with
its queen canopy bed, sitting area with gas fireplace, whirlpool tub for two,
and a delightful outdoor porch with rustic railing.
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| Wrangler Cabin |
Our Wrangler
cabin was initially our most primitive cabin structure with just a
stone fireplace for heating and a partial dirt floor. We are guessing it was originally
the living quarters of the Baldpate Stables horsemen.
One of the most colorful
characters involved at the stables was Chuck Malone. His name is carved in the
wooden mantle above the fireplace, along with what could be the Baldpate brand.
Tune in for a future post to learn more about the Baldpate Stables!
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| Handyman Paul |
In the 1980s, our Wrangler was also the home of the Baldpate
Metro District’s handyman, Paul and his two dogs, Brown Dog and Black Dog. Paul always had a story to share and checked
in daily to see if there was leftover pie that needed to be eaten (most often
with a generous helping of ice cream).
The Wrangler cabin was renovated by the Smiths in 1995. It is now a delightful two bedroom cabin with original antique tub and native stone wood burning
fireplace.
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| Vally View Cabin |
Since the roof of our Valley
View cabin is visible in some of our earliest photos we think it was constructed
shortly after the main lodge, around 1921. Charles Mace used it as a home before his Tikitiboo homestead was built near the top of our driveway.
Valley View was also known as “the Mitchell Cabin,” derived
from a family who rented it each summer for a number of years. In the 1990s, this cabin was the favorite of actor John Ritter, of Three’s Company fame, where he stayed
with his family each summer at Baldpate.
Our Valley View cabin was the first big renovation project for
the Smith family in 1989. Updated
heating was added to create our delightful three bedroom cabin. Still, history
shines in the original unique red stone fireplace and seriously long skis
used now as only as wall decoration.
So, when you are ready to "goof off," which cabin will be your favorite?
Written by Liz Rodgers & Lois Smith
Sources: Baldpate
Seven Keys Armchair Tour & Baldpate Archives
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