Driving from Cheyenne to Colorado Springs on took about three and a half hours. We stayed in Colorado Springs on Sunday night. Colorado Springs is right at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and close to Pikes Peak. Our objective was to travel to the summit of Pikes Peak, 14,115 feet (4302 m), on Monday.
Pikes Peak is a poplar destination which one can ascend by train, by road or by hiking. The Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway was our choice. (It is a popular one. We made reservation long in advance).The cog railway is similar to the mountain railways in Switzerland and very much like the Pilatusbahn we rode in 2019. But the summit of Pikes Peak is more than twice as high as Pilatus and the base, at Manitou Springs, is much higher than Lucerne. Manitou Springs, at the foot of Pikes Peak and the location of the base station of the cog railway, is at 6,571 feet (2003 m). (Manitou Springs is nearly a suburb of Colorado Springs.) Our train was scheduled at 10:40 a.m. with the trip up the mountain taking about 75 minutes. The train first passes through Engleman Canyon, then Artists Glen,
a terrain of boulders and pine forests. The conductor noted the Ponderosa Pines and their signature colored bark. Hiking trails intermittently cross the tracks. Ruxton Park is a of six people, according to the conductors narration. But it has Colorado Springs Municipal Plant No. 3, said to be the oldest operating power station west of the Mississippi. Not far up the line from there is the Halfway House site. There was once a hotel here, but only ruins remain. The train now entered Pike National Forest. At Mountain View, Lake Moraine, the only natural lake on Pikes Peak, appeared below as the train ascended. Once above the tree line, the view really opened up. Across the valley, Almagre Mountain stood out. At Windy Point the train passed an old stone section house . The elevation here is marked as 12,129 feet (3697 m). Shortly the train stopped at Marmot Corner to allow a down train to pass. As if on cue, a marmot appeared trackside and posed! The conductor pointed out the Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine, still in operation. The rest of the way up to the summit was rocky terrain.
cog railway allows passengers 40 minutes at the summit of Pikes Peak. The air is noticeably thin here. Susan and I took photos of the view from the summit and then walked to the visitor center. We made time to try the Pikes Peak Doughnuts. Made at this altitude, they are light and fluffy. (It is said they would collapse if brought down to lower altitude.) Many visitors were here who had driven the Pikes Peak Highway up the mountain. As it was, there was just time to return to the train, no time to look at the visitor center exhibits. The ruins of the 1873 Summit House are along the path. It was soon time to reboard and the train was shortly on its way back down the mountain.
After our journey to Pikes Peak, Susan and I were ready for lunch. We stopped at Adams Mountain Cafe. The restaurant turned out to be find. It has an eclectic menu with organic and locally sourced foods and caters to vegetarian and vegan customers. I had the Peak Sandwich, on roasted turkey sandwich topped with melted white cheddar cheese. While driving around Manitou Springs, one notices that there
are none of the large chain motor hotels here. Instead, Manitou Spring is a haven of 1930s motor courts and vintage motels, all in excellent condition. It would be a haven for those interested in road trip culture.
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