There were adventurers among us, and there were shoppers among us. We headed to Colorado Springs for the day Thursday to either ride the cog wheel train to the top of Pike’s Peak or hit the Current catalog store. Hopefully, you know me well enough to put me in the Pike’s Peak group.
After a late start to the day, we had to motor to make the noon train. Along the way, we soon realized that we wouldn’t make it there in time and the 1:20 train would be our goal. Of course when we get there, that one was sold out, so the 2:40 train had our name on it.
It’s about an hour and a half ride up, and you get to spend 30-40 minutes at the top before your train returns to the station. During the ascent, we were treated to spectacular views, witty remarks from our guide, and only one crying child near us. About half way up we made an unexpected stop to drop off two crazy hikers. Apparently, taking the train to the top is for wimps. Color me wimpy.
Pikes Peak is one of the two mountains in the area that are also accessible via car (Mt. Evans is the other). Closer to the top we were able to see some of the roads that are used for this purpose. Although quite wide, there were no guard rails, many hairpin turns, and it was crushed gravel. We were told there is an annual race up the mountain with the current record holder making it to the top in just over 10 minutes. That’s averaging over 100 mph. Maybe his motivation was the bathroom at the top. I’ve been there.
About 5 minutes from the top we were asked to close the windows that had been open the entire ride. It had been getting progressively cooler as we rose to higher heights and we were about to round a bend where the winds were whipping. When the train came to a stop at our destination we were greeted with mostly overcast skies, a balmy temperature of 40 degrees, very windy conditions, and much snow. Most of us headed for the bathroom which was conveniently placed at the back of the building. This allowed you to walk past the fudge stand, the fudge-covered donuts, and the racks and racks of souvenir clothing.
It was now picture time. Although the lighting was less than ideal, everyone on the mountain was snapping away. The girls had to do their “stand at edge and take a self-portrait” pictures, while I was mostly trying to capture the perspective of where we were. It was a pretty good crowd for a mid-week visit. Families waited in line to take portraits in front of the official sign, southerners were taking close-ups of the strange, white, cold precipitation, and a bro-fest (thanks for the term, Cari) was using a baseball bat to knock rocks out of the park. Funny, but wrong.
We found out the train runs year-round, although not quite as frequently during the winter months. Thanks, but I’m happy to stick with summertime rides. The gift shop at the bottom had some great historical posters of the different trains used throughout the 150+ years and the snows that needed to be cleared. The ride down was quieter as we reviewed the sights we saw on the way up. Some napped, some sat and stared, and some continued to take pictures. Oh, and some snacked on treats. The fudge is fabulous.