Day 53: Rodeo Days

One of the many traditions that the guests and staff of The Baldpate Inn enjoy each year is attending Estes Park's Rooftop Rodeo. The rodeo may be small, but it packs a punch and has won several PRCA awards for being the best rodeo in the nation. 

The much-loved rodeo parade winds through town, filling the streets with horses. Children compete in Mutton Bustin’, much to the delight of all. (Unfamiliar with Mutton Bustin'? Imagine small children hanging onto bouncing sheep, attempting to stay onboard for six seconds!)  The evenings are capped off with a professional rodeo.  

Rodeo events in Estes Park have been around at least as early as 1908, so we are certain that many guests and staff throughout the years have enjoyed this event. Undoubtedly, bravado horseman Chuck Malone, who operated the Baldpate Stables would have put his rodeo skills to the test. 

As you may recall from our Celebrities post, famed Hollywood actress Lana Turner visited The Baldpate Inn in 1941 to commemorate the opening of the Rocky Mountain National Park for the summer season, with a key that was donated to The Baldpate Inn. During that visit, she was named Honorary Rodeo Queen 1941. 

            Lana Turner, Hollywood movie star with MGM, was to be the honorary queen of that 1941 Rooftop Roundup. She was named by local cowboys in May when she visited the area for a LOOK magazine travel feature. Humphrey Bogart of Warner Brothers was named honorary parade marshal.

-         Source: Rooftop Rodeo History        

Do you have a rodeo memory to share? 

Dust off your boots and join us at the rodeo for an impressive display of agility and skill. The 2017 Rooftop Rodeo runs July 5-10. Make your B&B lodging reservations at The Baldpate Inn now and plan to be in Estes Park for this special adventure! 

Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 49: Hiking from The Baldpate Inn

Estes Park is a hiker’s haven, and The Baldpate Inn is a wonderful place to start many hikes! With a spectacular view of Longs Peak and Mount Meeker greeting you at the top of the driveway, it’s hard not to be inspired to head for the hills! 

Guests and staff alike have taken advantage of Baldpate’s proximity to Longs Peak, making that VERY early morning start much more bearable. The fact that the Baldpate staff will send you off with a bag of goodies makes the “alpine start” that much sweeter. The hike up 14,259 foot Longs Peak is indeed long, but absolutely worth it in the end.

Brad, Greg and Jim on Longs Peak summit

Happily, there are also many hikes that can begin right from The Baldpate Inn that do not require you to be an insanely-early-morning-person! 

If you want to head downhill first, you can consider the Homer Rouse Memorial Trail.

Lily Mountain, across from The Baldpate, stretches above Lily Lake, and offers the starting point several hikes with stunning views. Estes Cone is also nearby.

For those who don’t need to stand on the top of a mountain to feel like they’ve enjoyed their hike, Lily Lake’s wheelchair accessible loop trail is beautiful and often serene. (Well, serene until you startle a deer and it yells at you).

Lily Lake with Mount Meeker and Longs Peak above

Twin Sisters Mountain is right behind The Baldpate Inn. As reported to me by a tourist encountered on the trail, with a definitely-not-from-Colorado accent, “That there is some real live mountain climbing!”

And indeed, it is always advisable - for a hike of any length - to be prepared with the 10 essentials, and keep your eye on the weather. And even if you are just hiking from the Baldpate’s Key Room to the Dining Room, remember to stay hydrated due to the higher elevation.  Hydrating along with a piece of pie totally counts! After that hike, you’ve earned it.

Cheers and happy hiking!

Written by Liz Rodgers

A younger me perched on a rock outcropping of Lily Mountain

Day 42: Baldpate Horses and Livery

Horses have always enthralled me! As a young girl, I spent hours dreaming of riding horses. Staring out the car widow, I’d imagine the scenery rushing by was flying under me and my trusty steed. 

Where I dreamed of being 24/7

I have always enjoyed visiting The Baldpate Inn, and I’m still invariably drawn to the old black and white photos of the Baldpate horses and livery.  Who were these lucky folks beaming from the saddles? What trails did they ride and what stories could they tell?

Not much written history exists regarding the Baldpate Livery, especially during the earliest years, but we know it was an important part of life at the Inn. Horses were still a main method of transportation at the inception of the Inn, gradually replaced by automobiles. Although Baldpate no longer has stables, trail riding remains a popular attraction today with many stables in the area for our guests.

In the days of the Baldpate Livery, guests and tourists enjoyed trail rides into Rocky Mountain National Park, and up towards Longs Peak.

 

One of the most well-known characters associated with the stables was Chuck Malone. He ran the Baldpate Livery and guided tours for 20 years; our best estimate is that he started in the late 1920s. Chuck and his dog, Buster, kept things lively and entertaining, and often a bit on the wild side. Legends circulate of his fortune-telling penchant, and on occasion, riding horseback into the main Dining Room of the hotel! Chuck’s name and a Baldpate brand remain carved into the Wrangler cabin’s mantle. 

Care to have your fortune told?

This $1.00 lesson seems like the best buck you could spend for an adventure! 

Do you have a tale - tall or otherwise - of The Baldpate Livery or horses? Please tell us about it in the comments below! 

 Written by Liz Rodgers

Day 6: Lily Lake

Lily Lake was once owned privately by The Baldpate Inn, and is now part of our Rocky Mountain National Park. For our guests even today the area still feels like our own outdoor retreat with the majestic backdrop of Longs Peak. Enjoying it today, it is hard to imagine when older guests tell us the lake was named for the lily pads that once covered it.

  

Love this old photo sent to us several years ago by the Massaro family in Florida, taken they believe in the 1950s, of Mrs. Massaro and her sister escaping to the Lake.

Be it watersports at Lily Lake, horseback riding, or long distance running, Baldpate has long connection with wellness and outdoor activities. 

Not real certain it truly qualifies as an extreme sport, but these early photos at Lily Lake of water skiing via horse power, seems a little crazy in my book!  

Maybe one should actually call it surfing???

Written by Lois Smith