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Jerry Pillarelli | profile | all galleries >> Travel and Nature; Sites by State >> US Travel; by Trip, by State >> Colorado >> Pikes Peak – Colorado tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Pikes Peak – Colorado

Images of Pikes Peak – Colorado, taken in July 2016.

At an altitude of 14,115 feet Pikes Peak is ranked as the 31st tallest peak of Colorado’s 54 “fourteeners”. It is also one of the few which is easily accessible to anyone by car or train. The Pikes Peak Highway is a 19 mile drive that is both serene and exciting. The ride goes from thickly wooded areas to the desolation of the tundra at the peak with beautiful viewpoints along the way. But this is also the home of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, a grueling 12 mile sprint to the summit which traverses the varied landscapes of the mountain turning those viewpoints into a blur while also navigating hairpin cures and switchbacks. The road was no match for my Subaru as I crawled up the mountain behind slow tourists who undoubtedly did not appreciate the road itself as much as I but I could easily imagine what the drive might be like if I were free to drive it at a “more interesting” pace!

Once at the top awaiting my arrival, besides the amazing 360 degree views, there are the world famous Pikes Peak Summit House doughnuts. I had heard about this special high-elevation delicacy long before I made this drive; it wasn’t the reason I was here but it was definitely on the agenda of “things to do” on top of Pikes Peak. Because of the altitude these doughnuts need to be deep fried at lower temperatures and, so the story goes, the recipe must also be tweaked to get the optimum results. So after taking in the sights I headed inside the Summit House to get a Pikes Peak doughnut and a cup of hot chocolate. The doughnut is indeed unlike any I have ever had; it’s crispy through and through and loaded with oil. Not bad mind you, after all I’m not one to shy away from overindulging in things like chocolate, salt, candy or fried foods but I’m quite sure this doughnut jammed up some previously free flowing arteries! Just another day on the road…
Pikes Peak over the Crystal Reservoir along the Pikes Peak Highway
Pikes Peak over the Crystal Reservoir along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Pikes Peak as viewed from the Pikes Peak Highway
Pikes Peak as viewed from the Pikes Peak Highway		 Big Foot warning sign along the Pikes Peak Highway
Big Foot warning sign along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Mountainous area along the Pikes Peak Highway
Mountainous area along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Hairpin curve along the Pikes Peak Highway
Hairpin curve along the Pikes Peak Highway
Boulder outcropping along the Pikes Peak Highway
Boulder outcropping along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Boulders on a curve along the Pikes Peak Highway
Boulders on a curve along the Pikes Peak Highway		 The switchbacks along the Pikes Peak Highway
The switchbacks along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Mountain tundra at the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway
Mountain tundra at the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Rock formation in the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway
Rock formation in the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway
The Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway
The Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Weathered rock in the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway
Weathered rock in the Devil’s Playground along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Yellowbellied Marmot in the rocks along the Pikes Peak Highway
Yellowbellied Marmot in the rocks along the Pikes Peak Highway		 View of the valley from along the Pikes Peak Highway
View of the valley from along the Pikes Peak Highway		 The mountain tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway
The mountain tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway
View over the Catamount Reservoirs from the top of Pikes Peak
View over the Catamount Reservoirs from the top of Pikes Peak		 Sign at the Summit on Pikes Peak
Sign at the Summit on Pikes Peak		 Hiker and Pikes Peak fan at the summit of Pikes Peak
Hiker and Pikes Peak fan at the summit of Pikes Peak		 World famous “high altitude” doughnut at the summit of Pikes Peak
World famous “high altitude” doughnut at the summit of Pikes Peak		 The Cog Pikes Peak Railroad at the summit of Pikes Peak
The Cog Pikes Peak Railroad at the summit of Pikes Peak
Weather station at the top of Pikes Peak
Weather station at the top of Pikes Peak		 Tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway
Tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Flowers in the tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway
Flowers in the tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Tundra with flowers along the Pikes Peak Highway
Tundra with flowers along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Looking across the rocky tundra on the mountainside along the Pikes Peak Highway
Looking across the rocky tundra on the mountainside along the Pikes Peak Highway
Desolate mountain tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway
Desolate mountain tundra along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Rugged mountainside along the Pikes Peak Highway
Rugged mountainside along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Flower along the Pikes Peak Highway
Flower along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Rock outcroppings along the Pikes Peak Highway
Rock outcroppings along the Pikes Peak Highway		 Brake check station on the way down the Pikes Peak Highway
Brake check station on the way down the Pikes Peak Highway

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