Pike's Peak

There are several ways to reach the summit of Pike’s Peak.  You can hike (the most popular trail is the Barr Trail), which consists of 13.5 miles uphill (Difficulty Rating:  Hard) and can be completed in six to 10 hours.  You can ride a bike via the 19.5 mile Pike’s Peak Highway.  You can drive on said highway, an option that some of our friends have told us about; like the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray, there are few guardrails, and we were told there is a mandatory stop halfway down to make sure your brakes are not burning up.  Or you can take the remarkable Cog Railway:

“The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is the oldest mobile route to the summit of America’s Mountain. Construction began on the famous route in 1889 and the first tourists made it to the summit in 1891. The route begins in Manitou Springs and ascends nine miles, traveling through Pike National Forest and past historic landmarks. Your ride includes interesting facts on the local flora and fauna, historic points of interest and a 40-minute stop at the summit to allow you time to take pictures, stretch your legs and try out the hot, fresh donuts that are cranked out daily.”

We decided to give our little Mini (and its drivers) a rest and take the Cog Railway, and we were glad we did.  The Cliff House was only one mile from the terminal and we made an early start for seats that, once again, Martha had reserved months ago.  The area around our hotel in Manitou Springs looked like an interesting place to explore, with little bistros and shops lining the steep, narrow streets.  We arrived at the terminal in time and boarded the train; our seats were in the very front so that we had an unimpeded view of the climb (and the backward descent on the way down).  There were signs posted in the terminal warning about altitude sickness, something we had not experienced thus far despite being at altitudes above 10,000 feet, and I wondered if it would affect us.

 

We began to climb slowly upward, while the conductor told us all about the scenery we were seeing alongside the train as we ascended the second most visited peak in the world after Japan’s Mount Fuji. 

The grade was 25%, which meant that the front car in the 200-foot train, where we were sitting, was four stories higher than the rear car.  He also told us that the song “America the Beautiful” was inspired by the mountain.  It is based on a poem written by the professor, poet, and writer Katharine Lee Bates during an 1893 trip to Colorado Springs; when she reached the summit, the view was so beautiful that it inspired her to write, "All the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse."

 

This was a good way to see the mountain, we realized, rather than out on the curving road to the summit with its many switchbacks.  We passed roaring mountain streams, and then were able to see spectacular views as we rose above the tree line.

 

The views at the summit were exceptional.  We were actually looking down on clouds in one direction.  Our conductor gave us an exact time to meet back for the ride down.  He stressed that if we failed to arrive on time, we would be hiking back down the mountain and might arrive at the base before dark. 

 

I had been running a mile or two off and on during this road trip and considered myself to be pretty fit.  But even I experienced the effects of 14,115 feet.  I was out of breath and actually felt a little faint, and I was not alone.  We read on a sign in the Visitors Center that the available oxygen here, compared to 100% at sea level, was only 60%.  After taking photos and exploring the summit, we went inside to find out about the famous doughnuts.  We are not big doughnut eaters these day, but of course we had to try them, just as one tries fish and chips in London.  It is said that the recipe is a secret one, and employees must sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure the recipe doesn’t leave the property.  It is the altitude that makes them so light and fluffy, though.  “The doughnuts are only good at the top of Pikes Peak; bring them down the mountain and they turn into doughnut pudding.”  I thought that would be an interesting experiment to try, but alas there were no doughnuts to take back down the mountain with us.

 

We arrived back at the railway on time and rode backward down the mountain, had a light picnic lunch at a table across from the depot, and got on the road again.  Hikers and runners kept going by, many of them taking the trail to the summit though likely not completing the entire climb. 

 

From Manitou Springs we continued east into Kansas.  It was flat country and not very exciting to drive through after all that we had seen on this road trip thus far.  Here we noted again the poverty of small towns, abandoned houses, boarded-up businesses in the nearly-empty towns we passed through.  After several hours, we arrived in Garden City, Kansas, and our hotel for the night - elevation a mere 2,828.