On September 1st, 2014, Elder DeCoria and I decided to take a break and drive to Colorado Springs and find Pike's Peak. It ended up being about a 2 hour drive. The drive up the mountain was 19 slow miles filled with curvy hair pin turns and amazing scenery. There are parts that are even dangerous because you are on the edge of the road and there are no guard rails. You have to turn off your air-conditioning and on the way back down, there is a brake check and if your brakes are hot, you have to park your car for 30 minutes so the brakes will cool down. The elevation @ the top of Pike's Peak is 14, 110 feet and the air is mighty thin. I have never been that high before other than in an airplane that's pressurized. When we got out to walk around, we had to breathe shallow because our lungs couldn't take a deep breath and it was very windy and chilly. We were both rather dizzy and you feel weird and even when you walk, it feels like you can't walk a straight line. It was a very interesting experience feeling a bit of altitude sickness. They have signs stating that babies under 6 months should not be there and also anyone with a breathing disorder or heart disease. You were so rewarded when you finally reached the summit that it was worth the effort. We were as highs as the hawks and higher than all the mountains around us. I felt like I was on top of the world and I like that feeling. We took several pictures to remind us of this amazing experience. And I still love Colorado....The woman who wrote the words to American the Beautiful had just visited Pike's Peak in the late 1800's and then wrote the inspiring words to that great song.
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| At the very top - 14,000+ feet |
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| What a View..... |
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| At the lodge where you let your brakes cool off |
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