Beloved store in small Colorado mountain town begins selling its cinnamon rolls again after Alexander Mountain Fire evacuation

The iconic and beloved Glen Haven General Store has reopened for business following a temporary evacuation due to Colorado's destructive Alexander Mountain Fire. The store, which is known for selling cinnamon rolls, was closed for several days during their peak sales season.

"It has been a bit of a rollercoaster," said Amanda Haskins, owner of the store. 

This was not the first time Haskins had to evacuate the area due to threat of fire, however it was her first time having to evacuate as a local business owner.

Haskins recently purchased the general store from the previous longtime owners.

"Tuesday night was the first night we got the rumor that we may need to pack up and go," Haskins said. "As a homeowner you are always worried about your house. But, as a business owner you are also worried about your business, but also about the lack of business and the ramifications of not being open over a weekend.

"We missed one of our busiest weekends of the whole summer."

The store closes for a major portion of each year due to fewer visitors during colder months in the mountains. So, closing for several days during the summer comes at a sharp cost.

"Summertime is it," Haskins said. "We have to make a year's worth of money in just the summer months."

Haskins said the weekend they had to close typically comes with very high sales every year as a local camp for kids ends, drawing in many parents and customers. She said the camp asked them to bake cinnamon rolls and make fudge, and they sold them in Estes Park at a booth to help make some money during the closure.

Skylar Lewis, an out-of-state guest, said he was pleased to hear Highway 34 had reopened and evacuations were lifting. He said he always comes to get a cinnamon roll from the general store when he visits Estes Park.

"My family has been coming down here for seven years now. Oh boy do I love these cinnamon rolls," Lewis said.

Lewis said he was confident the businesses along Highway 34 would bounce back strong now that the highway is opened.

"Back in 2013 they had a flood that hit this town. But they pulled through and I think they will still pull through," Lewis said.

"We are very thankful the firefighters were able to draw that line and it couldn't advance any further," Haskins said. "The community always rallies, and we love that."