Double the Blessings: Colorado - Day 2

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Colorado - Day 2 - Pike's Peak

I supppose no trip to Colorado is complete without a train ride up a mountain... and the mountain we picked was Pike's Peak. It was 95 degrees at the bottom of the mountain and 52 at the top... it felt great! Here all 5 of us are on the cog train and ready to go!

This waterfall was one of my favorite sights on the trip up the mountain.

We liked how you could see the types of trees change the higher up you went... blue spruce then bottle-brush pine, then aspen, then ponderose pine and then nothing.

Rylan was sure he would see a mountain lion!

There's the summit! Still a far way off, but oh so pretty!

This is the spot that Katherine Lee Bates rode up to on a horse-drawn carriage and was inspired to pen the words "America the Beautiful." I agree with her - it was beautiful! Almost too beautiful for words!

And then we finally got to the tree line! This was really high!!!

The terrain changed drastically to rocks, rocks and more rocks!

We were so lucky and got to see three big-horn sheep! Can you spot them below??? Their camoflague is really good!

We made it to the Summit! We only got 30 minutes at the top for fear of altitude sickness. And that 30 minutes FLEW!!!

Jacob, Jason and Dad went into the world's nastiest bathroom. There were no lights and Jason used his phone as a flashlight. And the smell was more disgusting that words can describe. The building below was the original house for folks who made it to the top.

Here we are with the train! It was such a clear and perfect day! I have to admit though, I was ready to get back on the train... the altitude really messed with me!

Another view! You can see 5 states from the Summit.... OK, CO, NM, KS and WY. I'm not sure which ones are in this photo, but it is still pretty!

At the top we were all encouraged to buy the famous Pike's Peak do-nuts, so we did! They were nutmeg, cinnamon cake do-nuts. All but Rylan loved them!!