Pikes Peak or Bust

August 10, 2008
Colorado Springs, CO

No, we didn't trade in the RV for a smaller model!

We made the trip up to the top of Pikes Peak (no apostrophe), catching a partial break in the weather. We had two choices for the ascent: drive or take the cog railway (actually, there's a third - hiking - but we weren't up for that). I flipped a coin and driving won, which gave us a little more flexibility. This was good since the altitude was still bothering Geri a bit.

The mountain was created through "uplifting", not volcanic activity, and the various layers or rock tilted at angles, some approaching 90°, are evident all over the area. The locals claim that it's the most visited peak in North America and the second-most visited in the world (guess the most - see below); some 500,000 people a year are supposed to reach the top. It's the easternmost peak in Colorado, and ranks 31st out of the 54 peaks over 14,000 feet in the state.

This part of the country was acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and surveyed by Pike in 1806. The term "Pikes Peak or Bust" was coined by gold seekers headed west in the Colorado gold rush circa 1859, since the mountain was a landmark they could see from days away (Conestoga's were lucky to make 15 miles per day). The first weather station on the summit opened in 1873 and the first road (a "carriage road") was built in 1886-1888 (just about the time my father's parents were born). Katherine Lee Bates wrote the words for America the Beautiful after visiting the peak in 1893. The current road was first constructed in 1915 for $500,000; quite a sum for a project driven by tourism as opposed to mining (the typical reason for construction in the mountains).

The drive up the mountain is taken on a 19+ mile toll road that's probably 75% paved and currently operated by the city of Colorado Springs (sorry, no National Park passes accepted!). The unpaved sections are well-maintained, and there was evidence of ongoing maintenance and improvement all along the route.

One of the popular tourist activities is biking on the Pikes Peak road. Dave would be disappointed though, since the biking is all downhill (riders are driven to the top in a van which follows them down for safety).

We stopped at one of several alpine reservoirs for a photo op before heading for the summit. There was a bit of low-gear driving on the way up, and especially on the way down (can't burn up the brakes!), but nothing that required 4-wheel drive. Once at the top, I poked around looking for additional pictures while Geri waited in the car. As it turns out, just after we got there clouds started to descend on the peak, so I had to work quickly. I managed to get a few shots before the clouds closed in completely, and a few more on the way back down. Click here for some additional shots.

Overall, it was a nice outing. In several ways, it reminded us of Haleakala on Maui.