Woke up at 6 am and Dave was going into Estes Park for a haircut when the barber opened at 7. He got a real buzz cut from a real old time barber. He came back and made eggs on the camp stove and then we broke down camp.
My aunt Joan mentioned that she and my uncle Larry were in Estes Park in 1978 and stayed at the Stanley Hotel and almost eloped. We drove by there and took some photos. Very nice place.
Onto highway 25 south to Denver to Manitou Springs to catch the Cog railway to the top of Pike's Peak. Dave had been stationed at Ft. Carson, near there, after Vietnam but never had the chance to go to Pike's Peak. Arrived there about 12:30 and purchased tickets. We got very lucky since all the trains were booked. They happened to have two seats available for the 1:20 train. We boarded and sat facing uphill on the way up but had a better view on the way down by switching seats with passengers. This is the highest cog railway in the world. The train was made in Switzerland which specializes in cog railways. This train ascends the mountain sometimes at a grade of 24% an incredible steep angle which car no car could probably accomplish. At times you are looking down at your shoes while going downhill. The scenery was very nice on the way up. On top of Pike's Peak, the conductor said you could see in to Kansas to the east and New Mexico to the southwest. A full view scan of 300 miles! The mountain was name for Zebulon Pike, an army officer who was leading an expedition in 1806 into the unknown territory of the Louisiana Purchase. On the plains of Kansas he wrote in his diary he could see a large mountain in the distance and he used it as a guide. Due to the snow in November, they were unable to reach the peak but the mountain was named for him. On the way up the mountain in 1893, Katherine someone, can't remember her last name, was so inspired by the beauty to write a poem, later put to music, which we know as "America the Beautiful". And it sure is.
After a brief stay at 14, 110 feet and two of their famous high altitude donuts, (a nice sweet taste) the train headed back down for it's hour and 20 minute descent. Forty years ago when Dave was stationed at Ft. Carson he heard the joke that the conductor still told on this trip. "If all the safety features fail there are two giant springs at the bottom of the hill that will stop the train, Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs."
We then visited the Garden of the Gods - beautiful red rock slabs sticking out of the ground for many miles paralleling the front range of the Rockies. They have been featured in many TV commercials.
Headed north on I25 to get a jump start on tomorrow and plan on being in Moab, UT tomorrow. Will then visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.
I have attached photos for today and yesterday.
No comments:
Post a Comment