Pikes Peak

Several weeks ago, John had contacted an RV repair service in Colorado Springs about replacing our A/C unit and fixing our generator. This morning the mobile service technician showed up without the A/C unit!  It had not come in but was expected later on Monday.  The repairman worked on the generator and determined that it needed a new fuel pump and he looked at the A/C unit and determined it only needed a new motor which they could order and have tomorrow.

Now we can enjoy the rest of day.  Back when John and I were kids, we had at some point driven up to the top of Pikes Peak and we wanted to do it again since had been so long ago. We thought about taking the Cog Railroad but found out that it was closed down for a total makeover and wouldn’t open again until 2021.  The drive up is now paved (probably has been for a long time).  The peak is at 14,115 feet above sea level. We passed Crystal Reservoir but it had been drained for repairs to the dam.  Big foot has been sighted in this area but not today.

At about the 10,000 foot mark a sign read that we were 1 mile below the peak.  The total drive on the road is 19 miles but if you hike it is about 11.5 miles.  At the 16 mile mark we had to abandon our car and ride a shuttle up to the top due to construction all around the peak.  In about 3 years they will have several new buildings, new walking paths, new view points, a new restaurant and new parking area. So finding a place to view the valley below and the horizon beyond was next to impossible.  In fact, I slipped and strained my knee trying to get to a view point.  But, despite all of that, I’m glad we made the trip.  It was awesome!