Eagle Plume’s Trading Post

By Wendy Rigby

Trail-Gazette

Abeloved and historic Estes Park inn has a new owner and a new name.

The Baldpate Inn which opened in 1917 will reopen in June with a new look and new owners, Mark and Meredith Powell.

The Powells closed on the proper ty in December of 2020 and moved from Parker, Colo., to a home on the proper ty off of Hwy. 7 at 4900 CO-7.

“We are the first owners in 104 years to live on site,” Meredith Powell said.

The Baldpate Inn was named after a popular mystery novel, play and films Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers.

According to Visit Estes Park, “Guests began bringing their own keys, from all over the world. The competition was so fierce to bring the most exotic key, the Maces began collecting them on display in the Inn’s famed Key Room. This was the beginning of the world’s largest key collection, which boasts over 20,000 keys to this day.”

The Baldpate Inn had been on the market for six years. Lois Smith had owned it for 35 years and ran it as an inn plus a restaurant that ser ved soup, salad and pies that was operational until October 2020. three children moved to the proper ty in December of 2020.

“It’s been a whirlwind of events,” Powell remarked. “We were able to sell our home in Park for the full price. We transferred our children from Douglas County Schools to Estes Park. We moved from a 4,900 square foot house to a 1,900 square foot house with three kids and a dog.”

While revamping some of the rooms, Seven Keys Lodge is renting out some of the cabins for the summer.

The famous Key Room is being turned into an upscale bar that be open to people staying at Seven Keys Lodge and the public as well, of fering cocktails in the evenings.

“We really wanted it to have an Ernest Hemingway/ secluded in a lodge kind of feel,” Powell explained. “It’s dripping in histor y. We’ve got a big stone fireplace, keys hanging from the rafters and elk antlers to hold the spirits. I’m hoping people will say, ‘I’m not going to a bar, I’m going for the experience.’”

The Powells are hoping to open the public areas and a few cabins on June 1.

They also have big plans for July through October when Seven Keys Lodge will host singer/songwriter events that will also be open to the public.

For more information on the lodge, visit sevenkeys lodge.com.

Seven Keys Lodge / Courtesy photo The Baldpate Inn (now Seven Keys Lodge) was named after a popular mystery novel, play and films Seven Keys to Baldpate by Earl Derr Biggers.

The Powells visited Estes Park over Memorial Day 2020. Even though, they had visited the area before, they fell in love with Estes all over again. As they were leaving for home, they passed the proper ty on Highway 7 and noticed the sign saying the Baldpate was for sale.

Two days later, the Powells came back to Estes Park to talk to the owner.

“You could call our decision to look into this proper ty as a mixture of mid-life crisis and COVID crisis,” Powell said. COVID hit when we were going host a music festival on our ranch in Texas. We had to stay in Texas for six weeks before we went back to Parker.”

The Powells had always dreamed about finding a place in the mountains and decided this strange time might be the right time to look for land.

“We literally spent all summer last year in negotiations, making up our minds,” Powell noted. “We came to an agreement. Then in October, we were afraid the proper ty would burn down during the wildfires.”

The Powells and their

Rocky from page 12

masks are required in all park buildings and facilities.

Keep it with you: If you brought it, take it with you. Trash pickup and restroom facilities may be limited in many park areas. Follow Leave No Trace principles.

Know your limits: Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the busiest search and rescue parks in the countr y. Many of these incidents could be avoided with visitors planning and making responsible decisions.

Details and updates on park operations and ser vices will continue to be posted on the park’s official website at www.nps.gov/romo through social media @RockyNPS or call the park’s Information Office at (970) 586-1206.

Established in 1917, this Native owned and operated historic trading post specializes in the art and crafts of the A American Indian. Contemporary works in jewelry, textiles, basketry, ceramics, sculpture, and beadwork, as well as historic pieces are available. Also housed at the trading post is the Charles Eagle Plume Collection of Native American Indian art, comprising over one thousand historic and prehistoric pieces from Native North America, Alaska, and Canada. Off the beaten path, nestled at the base of Long’s Peak, you’ll discover one of f the West’s best-kept secrets rich in the traditions and arts of the Indigenous American.

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9853 Highway 7 Allenspark, CO 80510 . 10 miles south of Estes Park on Scenic Hwy 7 Open 10 to 5 Daily Sunday's: Noon to 5. June - September . By Appointment or Chance Otherwise est. 1917 • 303-747-2861 . www.eagle-plumes.com