The view from the top of a 14er has an entirely different meaning when you hike up!

The view from the top of a 14er has an entirely different meaning when you hike up!

Pikes Peak.

The inspiration for the poem that eventually became “America the Beautiful.” (Did you know that?)

This mountain stares at us almost daily. Why couldn't we hike up to the top?

This mountain stares at us almost daily. Why not hike up to the top?

This 14,110′ mountain towers over the city of Colorado Springs and greets us every day on our drives to work. We have a decent view of the mountain from our back deck and from the 2nd floor of our house.

A view of Pikes Peak (on the far right) from the 2nd floor of our house.

A view of Pikes Peak (on the far right) from the 2nd floor of our house.

Colorado has over 50 “14ers“, which is the affectionate nickname for the state’s 14,000’+ mountains. Pikes Peak is the 30th tallest of the Colorado Fourteeners, but has the second highest “prominence” in the state, with only Mount Elbert having a higher prominence. In other words, climbing Pikes Peak takes a bit more vertical effort than most of the others.

For Dave’s 40th birthday, he invited a group of friends to join us on a hike up the 13-mile Barr Trail from Manitou Springs to the peak. This isn’t a casual walk — while the first 9 miles or so are straightforward, once you go above about 11,000′ the trees disappear and you’re exposed to the elements — wide open.

We made it to the top at about 1:30pm on Dave’s 40th birthday. It was an unforgettable experience. Read on about our hike. More »

02. January 2014 · Comments Off on Colorado Discoveries 24: Pikes Peak Highway · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
That's the road we had just come up. Read on to learn more about the Pikes Peak Highway.

That’s the road we had just come up. Read on to learn more about the Pikes Peak Highway.

Greetings! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season these past couple months. I’ve plenty of catching up to do! Last week my in-laws were in town to celebrate Christmas with us. We were grateful for their company and for their taking a chance with the weather to fly out to Colorado from the east coast. The weather cooperated beautifully for their visit, in fact! We did quite a bit of sightseeing, including the traditional Colorado Springs sights: Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy. In fact, we all went to the Christmas Eve service at the Chapel, which was quite beautiful.

On the 24th we attempted to drive up the Pikes Peak Highway, but found out at the toll booth that the road wasn’t open all the way to the top due to icy conditions at the top that day. But that’s okay, we tried again on the 26th and the road was indeed open to the top. More »

In case you're wondering, yes, the air is VERY thin up there!

In case you’re wondering, yes, the air is VERY thin up there! I don’t know why I wasn’t wearing my jacket. I had one with me.

On July 10th my mom brought the boys to Colorado for us. They were staying in West Virginia so they wouldn’t have to endure the pain of the four-day westward drive.

I think they would have been okay on the long drive, but only because they would have been immersed in DVDs and their Nintendo DSs.

We got tickets for the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway during the weekend my mom stayed with us. It’s a great way for anyone to get up to the top of one of Colorado’s “Fourteeners.”

More »

The Incline itself is the green line, and you ascend from right to left. Then you take the crooked red line down the mountain. One mile up, four miles back.

The Incline itself is the green line, and you ascend from right to left. Then you take the crooked red line down the mountain. One mile up, four miles back.

Locals in the Colorado Springs area frequent this very unique fitness challenge: The Manitou Springs Incline.

Manitou Springs is one of the towns due west of Colorado Springs. It’s known as a vacation spot for their natural springs and boasts the home of the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway (for another post).

It’s also the town with the trailhead for the hiking trail up Pike’s Peak, the Barr Trail.

Not far from the Barr Trail is something called “The Incline”.

“What on earth is this Incline you speak of?” More »