Pikes Peak Drive (El Paso County, Colorado)

Originally, I had planned on hiking up one of the 14'ers while on this trip to Colorado, but between time slipping away, potential weather, and lots and lots of beer, I wasn't able to do any major hiking. Luckily, at least one of the 14'ers has a summit that is drive-able.

The winding road up to the summit of Pikes Peak is about nineteen miles each way, and includes some very tight switchbacks. At the tollbooth, the ranger warns that we should have at least a half tank of fuel and to use our lowest gear on the way down. Apparently, lots of people drive up un-prepared. Luckily, the Ford Fusion I'm driving is a hybrid, but I still check the fuel gauge just to be sure.

The drive up offers some majestic views, but other than the slow ascent, is relatively uneventful. It takes about 45-minutes to reach the summit, where a gift shop awaits. More interesting than the gift shop though are the views from 14,115 feet above sea level. This is not the highest I've ever been, but it's close. It's interesting to note the different though. When I hiked up Mt. Whitney, I was struggling to catch my breath, but here and after driving up (as opposed to hiking), I barely feel the altitude at all.

In the distance, smoke rises from a large wild fire. It's a clear day and I can see probably 100 miles or more in every direction. It is a bit cool up here and I throw on a sweatshirt before continuing my exploration. It's somewhat strange to see so many cars and people up here, but it makes sense. It's probably the highest point available to a lot of them.

I snap a few pictures and we had down the mountain, taking it extremely slow on our way down. Accidentally driving off the mountain would not be a fun end the day's adventure.