Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak towers above the city of Colorado Springs
Elevation	14,110 ft (4,301 m)
Location	Colorado, USA near Colorado Springs
Range	Front Range
Prominence	5,510 ft (1,679 m)
Coordinates	38°50′26″N 105°02′39″W / 38.84056, -105.04417Coordinates: 38°50′26″N 105°02′39″W / 38.84056, -105.04417
Topo map	USGS Pikes Peak
Type	granite
Age of rock	~ 1. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, In topography a summit is a point on a surface which is higher in Elevation than all points immediately adjacent to The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, A mountain range is a chain of Mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys The Front Range is a Mountain range of the Rocky Mountains of North America that is located in the north-central portion of the U A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A topographic map is a type of Map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using Contour lines in modern The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Mountains can be characterized in several ways Some mountains are Volcanoes and can be characterized by the type of lava and eruptive history Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. The geologic time scale is a chronologic schema (or idealized Model) relating Stratigraphy to time that is used by Geologists and other 05 Gyr
First ascent	1820 by Edwin James and party
Easiest route	cog railroad or drive

Pikes Peak (originally Pike's Peak, see below) is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, 10 miles (16 km) west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County. A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak The Front Range is a Mountain range of the Rocky Mountains of North America that is located in the north-central portion of the U Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, El Paso County is the second most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States behind Denver County. It is named for Zebulon Pike, an explorer who led an expedition to the southern Colorado area in 1806. Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr ( January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American soldier and explorer for whom Pikes Peak Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common At 14,110 feet (4,301 m), it is one of Colorado's 54 fourteeners. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International Qualification criteria Not all summits over 14000 feet qualify as fourteeners Drivers race up the mountain in a famous annual race called the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC, also known as the The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle Hillclimb to the summit of Pikes An upper portion of Pikes Peak is a federally designated National Historic Landmark. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the

Geography and geology

Pikes Peak seen from the Cathedral Valley of Garden of the Gods. For the Garden of the Gods in Southern Illinois, see Shawnee National Forest.

Much of the fame of Pikes Peak is due to its location near the eastern edge of the Rockies. Unlike most other similarly tall mountains in Colorado, it serves as a visible landmark for many miles to the east, far into the Great Plains of Colorado. The Great Plains are the broad expanse of Prairie and Steppe which lie east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada As one drives south on Interstate 25 towards the city of Colorado Springs, it comes into view from a distance of more than 130 miles (209 km). In the US state of Colorado, Interstate 25 follows the north-south corridor through Colorado Springs and Denver. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, On a clear day, the peak can be seen from Denver (over 60 miles north), and from locations near the Kansas border to the east. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American "

Pikes Peak is made of a characteristic pink granite, called Pikes Peak granite. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. Pikes Peak granite is a wide-spread Geologic formation found in the Front Range of Colorado, including on its namesake Pikes Peak. The pink color is due to a large amount of potassium feldspar. Physical properties Orthoclase crystallizes in the Monoclinic crystal system The granite was formed by an igneous intrusion in the Pre-Cambrian, approximately 1. The Precambrian ( Pre-Cambrian) is an informal name for the supereon comprising the eons of the Geologic timescale that came before the current 05 billion years ago, during the Grenville orogeny. The Grenville orogeny was an episode of mountain-building ( Orogeny) associated with the assembly of the ancient Supercontinent Rodinia.

Name

During the period of exploration in Colorado, many would refer to the mountain as "Pike's Peak," after Zebulon Pike, the first white man who first documented it and attempted to climb to its summit. Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr ( January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American soldier and explorer for whom Pikes Peak The attempt failed to reach the summit for this attempt was made during the winter months. The snow drifts were reported chest high at the time of the climb.

Edwind James was successful to reach the summit in his attempt during a summer month's attempt. Later, some suggested "James' Peak," after Edwin James, the first white man who first successfully climbed it to the summit. However, in this area there was another, "James' Peak" which made identification of the peak a confusing issue. The name went back and forth until it was settled with a uniquely identifiable name.

Originally the peak was called "Pike's Peak", but in 1891, the newly-formed US Board on Geographic Names recommended against the use of apostrophes in names, so officially the name of the peak does not include an apostrophe. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic In addition, in 1978 the Colorado state legislature passed a law mandating the use of "Pikes Peak" only. Even so, the old name is often seen.

Discovery

Pikes Peak as seen from within Manitou Springs, Colorado. The City of Manitou Springs is a Home Rule Municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States.

The first non-natives to sight Pikes Peak were the members of the Pike expedition, led by Zebulon Pike. United States Army Captain Zebulon Pike led the Pike expedition ( July 15, 1806 &ndash July 1, 1807) to explore the south Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr ( January 5, 1779 – April 27, 1813) was an American soldier and explorer for whom Pikes Peak After a failed attempt to climb to the top in November 1806, Pike wrote in his journal (emphasis added):

. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common . . here we found the snow middle deep; no sign of beast or bird inhabiting this region. The thermometer which stood at 9° above 0 at the foot of the mountain, here fell to 4° below 0. The summit of the Grand Peak, which was entirely bare of vegetation and covered with snow, now appeared at the distance of 15 or 16 miles [24–26 km] from us, and as high again as what we had ascended, and would have taken a whole day's march to have arrived at its base, when I believed no human being could have ascended to its pinical (sic -- "pinnacle" was intended). This with the condition of my soldiers who had only light overalls on, and no stockings, and every way ill provided to endure the inclemency of the region; the bad prospect of killing any thing to subsist on, with the further detention of two or three days, which it must occasion, determined us to return.

This entry has led to an oft-stated claim that Pike said no one had ever, nor would ever reach the top of Pikes Peak. Placed in context, he is making a reasonable assessment of his men's prospects of reaching the top in difficult circumstances.

History

Prospectors in the "Pikes Peak" region of western Kansas Territory, ca. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP is the United States government's official list of districts sites buildings structures and objects deemed worthy of Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The Territory of Kansas was an Organized territory of the United States that existed from May 30 1854 until January 29 1861 when Kansas became the 34th 1858.

Climbing Pikes Peak, Colorado, in winter, rounding Windy Point, ca. 1890

The first European to climb the peak came 14 years after Pike in the summer of 1820. Edwin James, a young student who had just graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont, signed on as the relief botanist for the Long Expedition after the first botanist had died. Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Vermont ( is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The expedition explored the South Platte River up as far as present-day Denver, then turned south and passed close to what James called "Pike's highest peak. The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River and itself a major river of the American West, located in the U " James and two other men left the expedition camped on the plains and climbed the peak in two days, encountering little difficulty. Along the way, he was the first to describe the blue columbine, Colorado's state flower. Aquilegia caerulea is a species of Aquilegia flower native to the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to New Mexico

Gold was discovered in the area of present-day Denver, Colorado in 1858, and newspapers referred to the gold-mining area as "Pike's Peak. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States " Pike's Peak or Bust became the slogan of the Colorado Gold Rush (see also Fifty-Niner). The Pike's Peak Gold Rush (later known as the Colorado Gold Rush) was the boom in Gold prospecting and mining in the Pike's Peak Country of western The Fifty-Niners were the estimated 100000 gold seekers who streamed into the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory This was more due to Pikes Peak's visibility to gold seekers travelling west across the plains than any actual significant gold find anywhere near Pikes Peak. Major gold deposits were not discovered in the Pike's Peak area until the Cripple Creek Mining District was discovered southwest of Pike's Peak, and led in 1893 to one of the last major gold rushes in the lower forty-eight states. Cripple Creek is a statutory city that is the County seat of Teller County, Colorado, United States.

In July 1860, Clark, Gruber & Company began minting gold coins in Denver bearing the phrase "Pikes Peak Gold" and an artist's rendering of the peak on the obverse. Year 1860 ( MDCCLX) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year starting The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States As the artist had never actually seen the peak, it looks nothing like it. In 1863 the US Treasury purchased their minting equipment for $25,000 to open the Denver Mint. Year 1863 ( MDCCCLXIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the Treasury of the United States government. The Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint established in 1862 that is today operational and produces coins for circulation as well as Mint sets and

Katharine Lee Bates was moved to write the words to the song "America the Beautiful" in 1893, after having traveled to the top of Pikes Peak on a carriage ride. Katharine Lee Bates, ( August 12 1859 – March 28, 1929) is remembered as the author of the words to the anthem " America " America the Beautiful " is an American Patriotic song.

The uppermost portion of Pikes Peak, defined as that part above 14,000 feet elevation, was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the ^[1][3] The roadway and the visitor center at the top are regarded as intrusions that do not contribute to the landmarked area.

Pikes Peak today

View of Pikes Peak, from Woodland Park

Pike's Peak visitor center (summit)

There is a visitor center with a gift shop and restaurant on the summit of Pikes Peak, and there are several ways to ascend the mountain. A visitor center, centre (see Spelling differences) or visitor information centre may be A visitor center at a specific attraction The Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway is a cog railroad operating from Manitou Springs to the summit year-round, conditions permitting. The Manitou and Pikes Peak Railway (also known as the Pikes Peak Cog Railway is an Abt rack system cog railway in Colorado, USA, climbing A cog railway, rack-and-pinion railway or rack railway is a Railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The City of Manitou Springs is a Home Rule Municipality located in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Automobiles can be driven to the summit via the Pikes Peak Highway, a 19 mile (31 kilometer) road which starts a few miles up Ute Pass at Cascade. The Pikes Peak Highway is a 19-mile Toll road that runs from Cascade, Colorado to the summit house of Pikes Peak in El Paso County Colorado Ute Pass (el 9165 ft/2793 m is a Mountain pass west of Colorado Springs, near Divide. Cascade is an unincorporated town and US Post Office in El Paso County, Colorado, United States. This road, which is unpaved after the halfway point, was made famous worldwide by the short film Climb Dance featuring Ari Vatanen racing his Peugeot up the steep, twisty slopes as part of the annual Pikes Peak International Hillclimb race. Climb Dance is a famous Short film, which features Finnish rally driver Ari Vatanen setting a record time in a highly modified Ari Pieti Uolevi Vatanen ( (born April 27, 1952 in Tuupovaara) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the For the article about the bicycle manufacturer see Cycles Peugeot. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC, also known as the The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile and motorcycle Hillclimb to the summit of Pikes The road has a series of switchbacks, treacherous at high speed, called "The W's" for their shape on the side of the mountain. The road is maintained by the city of Colorado Springs as a toll road. The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, A toll road, (also known as a tollway, turnpike, pike, or toll highway, especially if it is constructed to Freeway standards

The most popular hiking route to the top is the Barr Trail, approaching the summit from the east. Barr Trail is a popular 126 mile Trail that climbs 7300 feet from Manitou Springs, Colorado, USA to the top of Pikes Peak. The trailhead is just past the cog railway depot in Manitou Springs. One can walk, hike, or bike the trail. Runners race to the top and back on the Barr Trail in the annual Pikes Peak Marathon. The Pikes Peak Marathon is a foot race that begins at the base of Pikes Peak, in Manitou Springs, Colorado, and climbs over 7700 feet (2347 Some have pursued oddball feats on the trail, such as dribbling a soccer ball or walking backwards to the top. In Sports such as Football (soccer, Basketball, Bandy and Water polo, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender A football is a Ball used to play one of the various sports known as Football. In 1929 Bill Williams of Rio Hondo, Texas, pushed a peanut to the summit with his nose over the course of three weeks. Rio Hondo is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. The population was 1942 at the 2000 census ^[4] Another route begins at the Crags Campground, approaching the summit from the west. ^{[5] [6]}.

Conditions at the top are, for the most part, not hospitable. The thin air contains only 60% of the oxygen available at sea level. Snow is a possibility any time year-round, and thunderstorms are common in the summer, bringing hail and wind gusts occasionally of over 100 mi/hr (160 km/h). Lightning is especially dangerous above the treeline. A signboard at the cog railway depot in Manitou Springs provides the summit temperature every day, a number that is rarely higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, even in mid-summer.

Since 1969, the summit of Pike's Peak has been the site of the United States Army Pike’s Peak Research Laboratory, a medical research laboratory for the assessment of the impact of high altitude on human physiological and medical parameters of military interest. The United States Army Pikes Peak Research Laboratory, or simply the “Pikes Peak Lab” is a modern medical research laboratory for the assessment of the impact of high altitude on human

Pikes Peak was once the home of a ski resort, but it closed due to a lack of snow; Pikes Peak does not receive the massive snowdrops that some other mountains do. Expensive snowmaking was required to make the resort feasible, and the high winds on Pikes Peak would often blow the artificial snow away ("to Kansas" as one of the former owners of the resort put it). Kansas ( is a Midwestern state in the central region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the American "

Cultural references

In the 1990 film "Goodfellas", Joe Pesci's character uses the expression "Pikes peak was a pimple then, wasn't it?" to describe the passage of time. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Goodfellas (also spelled GoodFellas) is an Academy Award winning 1990 Crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci (born February 9, 1943) is an Academy Award -winning American Actor, Comedian, Singer

Gallery

View from the top of Pikes Peak (October 2006).	The structure of the visitor center is visible in this telephoto image of the summit of Pikes Peak.	These hikers are negotiating the last few switchbacks near the top of the Barr Trail.	The view to the northeast from the top of Pikes Peak.
Pikes Peak viewed from Colorado Springs.	Sign at the summit of the peak	A picture of the Devil's Head Lookout with Pikes Peak in the background. Devil's Head Lookout is a US Forest Service Fire lookout tower located in Douglas County Colorado.	Driving through Colorado Springs, Pike's Peak towers over the city.

See also

• Barr Trail
• Colorado 4k peaks
• Colorado fourteeners
• Colorado mountain peaks
• Colorado mountain ranges
• Mountain peaks of Colorado
• Mountain peaks of North America
• Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains
• Mountain peaks of the United States
• Rocky Mountains

Further reading

• Rocky Mountain National Park: High Peaks: The Climber's Guide, Bernard Gillett, (Earthbound Sports; 2001) ISBN 0-9643698-5-0
• Rock and Ice Climbing Rocky Mountain National Park: The High Peaks, Richard Rossiter, (Falcon; 1996) ISBN 0-934641-66-8

References

External links

• USGS GNIS: Pikes Peak
• Live webcam view of Pikes Peak
• Rocky Mountains @ Peakbagger
  • Southern Rocky Mountains @ Peakbagger
    • Front Range @ Peakbagger
      • Pikes Peak @ Peakbagger
• Satellite Image of Pikes Peak from Google Maps
• Pikes Peak page at 14ers.com
• Pikes Peak on Bivouac.com
• Pikes Peak Country "Pikes Peak Travel Information" page
• Pikes Peak Cog Railway "About Pikes Peak" page
• Pikes Peak weather forecast
• Pikes Peak Panoramic Camera
• Computer generated summit panoramas North South index