Pikes Peak

August 12, 2010







Pikes Peak

Dominating the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains 10 miles to the West of Colorado Springs is Pikes Peak, one of the most famous and accessible of the 54 fourteeners (mountains over 14,000 feet). The mountain is along the Eastern edge of the Rockies and its dominance over the surrounding area make it one of the most visited, historic and famous of the many peaks in the Rockies.

James



Kathy’s brother Chris and his family live literally at the foot on the mountain, in fact the famous Barr Trail trailhead and Cog Train station are only a few hundred feet up Ruxton Street from their home. The peak is one of the most accessible as one can either hike, drive or ride the famous Cog train to reach the summit so it is one of the areas greatest tourist attractions.

James & Michael





The peak is home to some famous races each year as well as the famous Pikes Peak hill climb auto race is held each year up the twisty, turny, no barricade having road that leads to the peak. Each year the peak is also host to a running race up the Barr Trail that Kathy’s brother runs each year in late August during which runners run up the Barr trail 13.2 miles up the side of the mountain. The very next day a Marathon is held in which runners run up and back down the mountain in a grueling test.



Garden of the Gods

There would be no such daring antics for Jim, James and myself who choose the slowest, but possibly most interesting way up to the peak, the famous Manitou to Pikes Peak railroad that is better known as the Cog train. The Cog railway uses a toothed rack rail between the running rails that mesh with a cog wheel on the train that enables the train to go up very steep gradients.





James

The Pikes Peak railway has been in operation since 1889 and provides a pleasant ride up the side of the peak that passes by many historic sites and reaches the peak in about 70 minutes or so. It is a strange sensation going up at such a steep incline, but well worth the effort as the views from the peak on a clear day such as we had are fantastic.

Jim, James & Michael



It is cold up there, it was 37 degrees on the day we were there (The temperature in Manitou was in the 80s), and the air is really thin as you might expect. The other thing is the train doesn’t allow as much time as you might want to take it all in. At least for us it didn’t though the vast majority of train-riding tourists in our group did little more than take a quick glimpse and head to the gift shop located on the summit.





We made a brief stop in the gift shop area to grab some of the world famous donuts that are made there. Something about the elevation makes them special, whatever it is they are tasty and well worth braving the gift shop hoards.

Kathy & Sophie