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Ron's Pike Peak Post Merged :D

Ron J

Ron J

Active member
Last week i mentioned i visited Colorado Springs to see my Niece get promoted to Chief, in the Air Force. While i was there,we drove to Pikes Peak. Now being from New England, i have driven up the Mount Washington Auto Road a few times. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeast,and well known for unpredictable weather. The Auto Road goes to the 6,288 ft peak, which turns to dirt from hardtop,thru the tree line, and rather hairy at times. There is usually nothing,or maybe a log or two between your car,and the edge. When you look down,buildings look like ants, so i kind of knew what to expect,driving up Pikes Peak. Except on this ride up,i was a passenger.... I remember during my drives up Mount Washington,seeing tourist's loaded in extended Dodge window vans, going at speeds up and down the mountain,a wee bit faster than i would. Rod, my niece Judy's husband was driving. He had rented a Ford Expedition,which didn't matter,cause if i was going over the edge, even in an Army tank,would not help you survive! Here we are entering. [attachment 72816 PikesPeakColorado100.jpg] One of a couple of stops we made..[attachment 72817 PikesPeakColorado106.jpg] Getting up there, closer to snow...beautiful country...[attachment 72818 PikesPeakColorado114.jpg] Think they expecting more Snow?? [attachment 72820 PikesPeakColorado162.jpg] what a nice place for a hairpin turn! Only know of one sign like that in western Massachusetts,on Rte.2, its at a high elevation also, but not this high up,and a passenger!! Whoa![attachment 72821 PikesPeakColorado120.jpg] Our second stop..walk in snow, i"ll pass...but Judy's daughter lives in Florida,and grew up down South, so walking in this white crap, is a new to her. Not to me,its a reminder of what could be coming this Winter...:unsure: We aren't to the top yet..............more to come!!
 
I have heard of Pikes Peak before, but have never seen pictures taken by someone going up to the top. I assume that you could actually feel the temperature change as you got near the top, correct? I am looking forward to the next part of the story and can't wait to see some more pictures. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
ago and we when up it in and electrical storm that was some nasty. We were coming back from Mesa Verde, just south west of Pikes Peak, so decided to go up. Didn't see much as it turned nasty about half way up. It was slippery from then on up. Got to top and came back town and headed for Kansas. As we looked back coming down out on to the flat land the top of Pikes Peak was still socked in
with the a storm. Thanks for the pictures, I need more of the top as I never saw it....

George-CT
 
it is rough to breath up there. A few did not even get off the train.

Nice pictures
 
Never got up there yet! As usual, great pics Ron!
 
I was up in that sort of country yesterday Ron...... Chasing the ever illusive moose. :)

calm seas

Mikie
 
my oldest sister and bro-in-law have property in southwest colorado,there are mountain passes at 13,000 feet over there.went up the old wagon roads that they hauled ore out with,they are only wide enough for one vehicle and its straight down the sides.don't look:).nice pics.
 
glad you could do that trip and great pics as usual! Did you have to take extra salt with you so you did not go into shock?:biggrin:
 
Continuing our ride, as we got higher,you could feel the air getting thinner, and i was glad to be sitting on the left side too! [attachment 72869 PikesPeakColorado123.jpg] Didn't seem it would take more than a firecracker to set off an avalanche. Don't know how all the beautiful rock formations stayed in place. Most seemed to be a fine balancing act..[attachment 72870 PikesPeakColorado126.jpg] Rod did a pretty good job of driving,i felt comfortable,but only cause his Mom was sitting in the frt passenger seat,ready to swat him in the side of the head,if he did anything foolish! :D And of course, Judy being a Chief, could also order her Master Sargent husband Rod to be more careful if need be also. But Mom was really in charge,using her left hand, ready at all times to turn it into a weapon of mass destruction,on Rods right temple! He almost got it a couple of times! Seen it with my own eye's!! :D We finally mad it,as the sign reads! 14,000 feet is damn high when your not in a plane! We still needed to return to earth! As Royal stated, the air is thin. I could feel it,walking twenty feet! Like need to catch your breath,or a little nauseating? [attachment 72871 PikesPeakColorado130.jpg] Here is Christa, Judy,and myself.[attachment 72872 PikesPeakColorado131.jpg]The pile of rocks around that sign,reminded me of the way they buried you on a mountain,or a desert area! Hadn't expected to visit the Peak,nor did i even realize it was located in Colorado Springs. Very glad i went. Would have been quite a Motorcycle ride up here,if it weren't for the loose gravel roads. If someone hit the front brakes unexpectedly,on a bike,it would be over. Didn't see any cycles on top,but seen a view that were descending. Here is the Railroad car,Royal mentioned. [attachment 72873 PikesPeakColorado143.jpg] And here is THE END of the line,just 20 feet from the rear of the car. Its made in Switzerland by the way! [attachment 72874 PikesPeakColorado145.jpg] I can't imagine running,hiking or racing a vehicle up or down this Peak! You would need to be on some STRONG medication,legal or not, to try any of that! :D :D The surrounding view was fantastic! Rj
 
Sorry if the question seems stupid, but I would rather ride that train than drive up that deadly mountain. I liked this story and the pictures, especially the top picture on this thread where you are looking down into that valley. Thanks for sharing your adventure of driving up Pikes Peak, very interesting story. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
Sealey I think it was, It is a great way to get to the top. I have said it before. If you go up on the train get on the LEFT side. That is where you will get a great view all the way up. When you come back down you set in the same seat and it backs down. If you get a lousy seat going up you get it going back down.

If you ever get out there, don't miss that ride
 
You would not have to worry about sliding over the side and falling to the valley floor...dead as a door nail upon impact! Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
supplied parachutes to each passenger! :D Remember, its a "cog" railroad set-up. it climbs/descends with a gear type mechanism. The "cog" grabs the center track.[attachment 72902 PikesPeakColorado208.jpg] Sorry, i feel better with 4 wheels under my rearend! :D See how high you are? I don't like heights,or hanging off the top of the earth... .[attachment 72903 PikesPeakColorado209.jpg] Does go over any bridges or trestles? [attachment 72904 PikesPeakColorado144.jpg] Imagine going just a little closer? [attachment 72905 PikesPeakColorado145.jpg] I was close enough.....
 
Mt. Washington in NH. I've walked up the cog tracks when the train was not running, and ridden up it. Its all steam and quite a trip.
It has a cog or big geared wheel in the center that moves it up the rails, hence the name Cog Railroad. Here is one picture of it. If you google earth it and zoom in on Mt Washington, you can follow the tracks down to the trail head. We used to park there andhike up above the timberline. As you can see the level out the engine so the water stays in the boiler....

George
 
[attachment 72909 PikesPeakColorado159.jpg][attachment 72912 PikesPeakColorado161.jpg]Its har.d to imagine the scenery,picutres don't do it justice...like the photo's from Mike and Wayne's area of Canada Imagine getting the equipment up that high not to just grade the road,but hottop it as high as they did? It was a thrill,no doubt,and if you ever get out there,its worth the ride to the top. Rj [attachment 72906 PikesPeakColorado147.jpg][attachment 72907 PikesPeakColorado148.jpg][attachment 72908 PikesPeakColorado156.jpg] [attachment 72916 PikesPeakColorado163.jpg]
 
correctly,i think some passengers got hurt. I also heard if the wind is right,the smoke is terrible. I have seen it up close on top, quite a piece of machinery!
 
and cinders if wind is wrong... We used to use it or the autocar up if we didn't want to hike the Mt itself but rather hike all weekend above the Timberline on the ridges around Great Gulf Wilderness. That is one narrow sucker. Google that in Google Earth also... Pretty impressive. Thats my favorite spot in New England. We used to stay in the Lake of Clouds Hut. Great times there.

Here is a shot of the wind the right way.......

Geo
 
Are there no guard rails? What is to keep someone from going over the side? That is some beautiful country...you can see for miles. You were so fortunate to ride to the top of Pikes Peak...something that you will never forget, right? Ron, thank you so ever much for sharing all of this with us...it is fascinating to me. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas) :)
 
No where out west did I see them waste much money with barriers on the sides of the roads. Many times I'd be hanging out the passenger side window with camera while my wife drove and look down from the camera and figure we were dead. Good thing Jane never saw how close we were. Yet I loved it. My favorite one is coming from Calif headed east to Lake Tahoe and rounding the corner....That will test your heart.... I know Pikes peak would have also, but we had rain, clouds, fog and slick surface. Beautiful view for sure. Thanks for taking me back to see what I missed.... LOL, all of it......

Geo
 
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