Summer has arrived in Colorado, and intrepid hikers have already begun flocking to the high country to tick fourteeners off of their lists. If your itinerary includes tackling 14,265-foot Quandary Peak this year, you’ll want to head across the street for a celebratory happy hour at Myla Rose Saloon afterwards.

Located inside an old-school lodge in the small town of Blue River—five miles south of Breckenridge—Myla Rose opened in late 2016 and has already garnered a reputation among both locals and passers-through as a laid-back, off-the-radar hangout. While a full dinner menu of elevated comfort foods can be enjoyed in the formal dining room downstairs, those in the know tend to gravitate towards Myla’s more relaxed upstairs areas (which include a quaint corner bar and lobby with fire places and worn-just-right leather couches) where the happy hour menu is served from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. If the weather’s nice, you’ll want to head straight for the patio’s unobstructed southwestern views of Quandary Peak. It’s just the place to quench your thirst with Colorado-born brews from folks like Left Hand Brewing Company and Broken Compass Brewing.

Wherever you choose to sit, you’ll find plenty of gems on the happy hour menu. The hearty Colorado green chile cheese fries, tender bison short-rib poutine, garlicky fried cheddar curds, and crisp roasted Brussels sprouts with zingy Louisiana hot sauce and house-smoked pork belly croutons all clock in at just $5 each. If you’re truly famished after scaling the mountain, opt for the hulking half-pound bison burger ($12), a juicy double-fister built with your choice of add-ons from Tillamook cheddar to caramelized onions to a soft fried egg.

Road-trip respite or post-hike hideaway, Myla’s views, saloon snacks, and Colorado brews make it the perfect high country stop.

4192 Highway 9, Blue River, 970-453-9491

Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake is a freelance writer and children's book author living in Breckenridge. When she's not writing about food and mountain adventures, she can be found on the river with her son, pug and husband.