Without Hesitation

I had to steal the Jimmy Cagney line from the 1949 movie “White Lightning”  (no I’m not that old!…just saw it on TCM!) because it really describes what it’s like standing on the top of Pikes Peak @14,115 ft. It’s COLD! -9, and it’s incredible! You can drive a car up or take the cog train as we did. It doesn’t take long to feel the effects of the high altitude. Walk a few steps and stop to grab a breath of very thin air! It takes this train 1 1/2 hrs .each way to make the trip. 45 minutes at the top is about all us flat landers can take!!

Our ride to the top. One of only three cog-wheel trains in the US.

At the top! Nearly level with the clouds and you can see the curve of the earth at the horizon.

As luck would have it the day was clear and we could see 5 states. On the other side of the viewing platform you see here was a drop of 3000 ft……straight down!

Looking straight up we are 2,000 ft. from the top where only a few trees survive in a wall of granite

They say you can see 5 states from here on a clear day. We had a clear day!

Susan taking a chance close to the edge!

This is where the maintenance crew for the railway used to reside when the train was steam-powered! They had one amazing front yard!! By the way, it wasn’t unusual to have 15′ of snow pile against the front door!! NO THANKS!!!