Day 4 – America’s Mountain & the Gods Residence

Snow-capped peaks jut out from the ground, towering over all. Marvelous from above and below, and the inspiration for “America the Beautiful”. This is America’s Mountain. This is Pikes Peak. Down below, beautiful rock formations, enlighten the land. The reddish rock beautifies the background of vast green mountains. Such beauty, and such elegance, that it just might be where the Gods reside. This is the Garden of the Gods. On the base of the Rockies, this is Little London. Welcome to Colorado Springs, CO.

Pikes Peak towers over the city of Colorado Springs, 14,000 feet into the sky, attracting visitors from all around the world to come and visit the summit for its stunning beauty and iconic presence along the front of the Rocky Moutain Range. Just below, the Garden of the Gods attracts visitors to see its breathtaking views and elegance, almost as if gods stay there. It’s a dream for some and a wish for others, and on July 1st, 2024, it was our family who set out to go up Pikes Peak and roam through the Garden of the Gods.

OUR DAY AT A GLANCE:

Jump to a section!

1. Up Pikes Peak We Go!
2. The Summit
3. Crystal Creek Reservoir
4. Garden of the Gods
5. Road to Glenwood Springs, CO
6. Recommendations & Takeaways

Good morning Colorado Springs! Time to set out for Pikes Peak, but before, you have to know how you’re getting to the top! Our initial plan was to drive up, but then we decided to go up by shuttle because the drive to the top is pretty challenging because of the slope along with the various twists and turns in the path with blindspots of what is ahead (good thing I forgot to book a timed entry parking). My father and I booked shuttle tickets, which cost us around $74. Calling the Summit Visitor Center, I still asked to check the current weather and road conditions up there, since it is better to be safe than sorry.

Guess what. The representative said that the weather conditions up there were clear, and roads were good, however, the temperatures are always 30 degrees below the temperature at the base of the mountain, in other words, the temperature in the city. The temperature from our hotel was around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (approx 21 degrees Celcius), which meant the summit was at a chilly 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celcius)! Putting on extra layers, we departed from our hotel, setting out for Pikes Peak.

If you’re wondering why Pikes Peak is named Pikes Peak, it is named in honor of Zebulon Montgomery Pike, an early explorer of the Southwest who first sighted what he called “The Great Peak” in an expedition in November 1806, even though he was unable to reach the summit. Hilariously, it turns out that he actually summited the mountain next to Pikes Peak.

There were a bunch of sights we saw up Pikes Peak Highway, mainly the lush vegetation and the variety of pine trees that highlighted the pictures. We even saw the “North Pole”, lol. Finally arriving at the Entrance Station, we were given shuttle wristbands, as well as pamphlets on the Pikes Peak shuttle service. Shuttles started from Mile 7, which meant we had a couple miles to drive before we could wait to board the shuttles arriving every 15 minutes.

A PPAM (Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain) Shuttle was really just a school bus used to seat passengers comfortably on the drive up the mountain. I recorded that two different shuttles ran the route up and down the mountain, hence the 15-minute estimated wait time. A minute after we parked, the first shuttle came around. Only a good number of passengers (20-25) are boarded into a shuttle, and the rest are cut off. We saw a cutoff line formed, so we knew we had to wait for the next one. Grabbing jackets, gloves, and backpacks with food and water, and using the restrooms nearby, our family was ready to hop onto a shuttle, admire the views, and reach the summit of Pikes Peak.

As we waited, I admired the views while my parents found another family (from Dallas, Texas) and started talking with them. Pikes Peak, as gorgeous as it was, right in front of me! What a sight. Even though it was July, snow was still visible in traces around the peak of the mountain. At last, our shuttle came by. I grabbed the first seat behind the driver as we boarded, my parents and sister diagonally behind me in the seat of the next row.

And there we went, up the 14,115-foot mountain, all the way to mile 19, aka the summit. Our driver was Sara, and she talked about the views of the peak, locations along the way, as well as recent events, such as avalanches, and tornados (what?!). I got to see every mile marker, and each one had a picture of a common animal seen in that area. The views were just mind-blowing. The higher you went, the smaller things got, but more beautiful too. Each and every green pine, all the lakes, just simply gorgeous.

Views up Pikes Peak:

The higher we went, the more the road began to weave too. I don’t know how, but Sara got us to the summit in 30-40 minutes. We made it. The summit of Pikes Peak, yep, we made it! The visitor center welcomed all arriving to the top. A sudden surge of cold air met us as we got off the bus, thanking Sara. Luckily, I had a winter jacket on me, so I didn’t really feel anything other than chilly air on my face. We swiftly walked inside, to the warm but vast visitor center.

State of the art, grand as can be, was the huge visitor center. Vast like a mansion, there was an information exhibit, and cafeteria, a huge gift shop, restrooms, viewing decks, and THE Grand Staircase. Now the reason I say that is because it’s simply huge, welcoming you into the world of Pikes Peak’s summit. It was around 12 PM, lunchtime! Finding ourselves a table in the cafeteria, we started to eat food my mom packed for the trip, admiring the visitor center and thinking about our time outside, exploring the peak…

Do you remember how I said the weather changes drastically up here at the summit? Well, what was supposed to be a clear day, with no cloud in sight, was blanketed with a thick layer of cloud cover.

I was so disappointed. No, actually, really disappointed. I mean, coming from almost 1000 miles down south in Texas, riding a shuttle up to the top, being so excited to see… fog. And more fog. Miles and miles of thick fog. Wow. I’m just kidding. To be frank, I might have thought that at first, but then my parents told me to be optimistic, even though they were thinking the same.

We decided to explore more of the visitor center as clearly (clearly lol there was fog!!!!!) there was nothing for us to do outside. Spending quite a lot of time at the information exhibit, we got to know quite a lot about the history of Pikes Peak. I found out a lot about the native tribes there, races Pikes Peak hosted, some medical stuff about oxygen, comparisons with other mountains, as well as how it was the inspiration for Katharine Lee Bates, during an 1893 trip to Colorado Springs to write the poem “America the beautiful”.

Satisfying with my urge to know more about Pikes Peak, I finally met up with my parents and sister. Waiting in the front area for my mom to show up from the bathroom, my dad asked a ranger if the conditions would clear up. She said not until 5pm, but if we were lucky, in a few minutes. And as if my wishes came true, watching from the window, the sky gradually turned blue! I yelled out to my dad about the clear sky, and we rushed out to adore the views from 14,000+ feet above.

Running across decks to the edges, I could not believe my eyes. Gorgeous. Amazing. Simply breathtaking. I can’t describe it any further. That was the view of Pikes Peak. Various lookout spots marked cool views, such as the birds-eye view of the Garden of the Gods from a couple miles in the sky. I was just amazed. I don’t have words to describe what I saw, but I can tell you it was amazing. Here’s a gazillion pictures:

Yes, I know, there are a lot of pictures but don’t blame me. I don’t live in Pikes Peak. An expedition team once did, but I certainly don’t. So enjoy the 5-minute picture montage. Also, I can’t exactly put in captions for 300+ pictures because my computer might fail me (It took 3 minutes to load the pictures). ENJOY!

Anyway… Remember how I mentioned medical stuff related to oxygen before. Sorry if I didn’t but now I am. When you go higher above sea level, the lower the air pressure gets. And that’s how you feel like you might faint. Let me explain. The oxygen in the atmosphere on the Earth is always around 21%, so don’t think oxygen depletes as you go higher in altitude. It’s all because of the air pressure. The lower the air pressure, the more the oxygen molecules fly around in a sense. And because of that, it’s harder for our body’s respiratory system to take in oxygen. Enough of the medical stuff, you get the idea. Now back to Pikes Peak. It had been a good 2-3 hours of roaming around and huffing air as I ran/walked. But feeling as lightheaded as I felt after the 3rd hour, no sir… My whole family was also experiencing altitude sickness. And the only cure is: go to a lower altitude!

Yes, a true facepalm slap moment. None of us wanted to leave, but, you gotta do what you gotta do. We had 2 things left to do. Grab our Pikes Peak Donuts, run through the gift shop, and get down to a more breathable height. We got in the line for the cafeteria, which quickly passed, grabbed our donuts, and sprinkled them with a heartful amount of M&Ms and a little bit of sliced almonds. After spending some time in the gift shop, we went out to board the next shuttle. While my parents were down by the deck taking a few last pictures, then came the familiar big yellow vehicle: the PPAM SHUTTLE BUS! My sister and I raced to call them up, and then once we were all together, we got onto the bus ride down. Along with us and more people from the summit, there was a family who just came up, but weren’t properly geared (they were wearing shorts) and just as they stepped out they came back in. So folks, remember to dress appropriately for mountain weather.

The descent was pleasant until I sort of fell asleep. Don’t blame me, I was tired. However, I did get to see a surprise or two, being wildlife! A gopher basking around on a rock and a herd of female bighorn sheep and their lambs! What a sight. Honestly, it all felt complete now. The ride up to the summit, the views of the summit, the visitor center experience, the ride down with animal views, what a trip. I don’t know what happened after the bighorn sheep passed because I was drowsy and my eyelids failed me by closing. In short, yes, I slept on the shuttle.

Once we finally reached the parking lot, it was like we just completed a huge expedition. Finally being able to breathe was so relieving as we waved our driver and started to take off our jackets. It was a drastic change in temperature too! From almost frostbite hands to sweating with too many extra layers. Also, I noticed that the buses were marked with animals, Bighorn Sheep (our descent bus), and Moose (ascent bus).

It was fun while it lasted. Anything that god had planned was good for us. Speaking of GODS, the time had come for us to visit God’s Place of Residence: THE GARDEN OF THE GODS…

As we started leaving, getting back out and onto mile 7 of Pikes Peak Highway a nice and clear lake came into view: The Crystal Creek Reservoir. Pulling over for a quick look around. My dad, sister and I headed into the visitor center to check things out while my mom headed down toward the lake. After looking around at some things in the gift shop, my dad came to take us down to our mom.

We sat along the bank of the lake and enjoyed the views, taking pictures, throwing rocks (my sister), and observing flocks of birds coming down to the lake and then flying out all at once. It made us feel peaceful and allowed us to relax after mountain action.

As we started to head to the car because it was getting late and we really needed to get to the Garden of the Gods, I found a couple pinecones I decided to keep. Then I saw him. Big and Beautiful, staring at me. BIGFOOT!!! Taking a picture with the familiar sasquatch, it was time to leave. We found good sticks that could help us hiking in the Rockies (2 days later – see days 6-8), and took off.

Colorado Springs was a nice and peaceful city based on the bottom of Pikes Peak, the front of the Great Rocky Mountains Range. However, it also hosted more than tourists getting around the mountains. It was also the home of the gods…

A little later than we planned, but surely there. This was the place where the gods lived. And I guess they were right, the rock formations truly lived up to their name. With a vibrant aura of the setting sun, the reddish rocks looked truly mesmerizing.

It only took us around 15 minutes to get there from the Crystal Creek Reservoir, and once we got in, it was just beauty from there. A welcoming rock greeted us once we got there, and we drove onto a parking spot. Racing out of the car, we got to see the rock formations right in front of our eyes.

My sister and I started climbing a rock formation for fun, as well as to see the views on the other side. After climbing and running around to various locations and taking picture after picture, we decided to head towards the visitor center. Tugging at a door only to find out that it was closed, I got a little cranky, but my mom reminded me that we could still walk around and see the viewing decks and balconies.

We saw various native flowers in the garden of the visitor center, named the Rocky Mountain Garden, and read over various viewing insights, naming peaks and formations we saw. You could see Pikes Peak, and clearly name the Kissing Camels Formations.

After adoring the views one last time, we had to lead pretty fast as it was getting really late, and we were delayed according to our plan. Off to Glenwood Springs, CO, we go!

And thus our adventures in Colorado Springs, CO, ended. Off we were to Glenwood Springs, CO, for a day to get a little R&R. And yes, we really did depart late and got to our hotel – The Grand Vista Hotel, Parachute, CO, around midnight. So if you need to travel, make sure you depart early!

Here are some things we saw along the way:

My sister and I took a rest along the drive by sleeping through most of it. Mind you, most of it was night, so we didn’t really miss out on much. Finally arriving at our hotel, we unloaded the car, checked in, and took a luggage cart up the elevator to our room. Who could’ve said that just a few hours ago we were at the summit of Pikes Peak as well as on the base of the Garden of the Gods? That’s more than 200 miles of a distance though. Well, there’s a great day, and another one awaits. It was late, and there wasn’t anything we could do except rest for the fun ahead. Goodnight from Parachute, CO!

If you’re preparing for a visit to Colorado Springs, CO, especially Pikes Peak and the Garden of the Gods, I’ve got some terrific recommendations and valuable takeaways to enhance your experience!

• Road Up Pikes Peak:
  • Hotel Stay – We stayed in Roadway Inn, Colorado Springs, CO. I recommend it for any group. It offers free breakfast, parking, and cable TV.
    • Eat a filling breakfast before you leave from your home/hotel
  • Depart early so that you can reach the summit earlier.
  • Plan how you will get there: Cog Railway, Shuttle, Hike, or your own Vehicle (motorbike, car, etc)
  • Gear up well, and call in for the latest weather condition reports.
  • Be prepared for low oxygen as well as frequently changing weather conditions
  • Enjoy the view!
• The Summit:
  • The summit is busy all day, but the public tends to slow down around after 3PM.
  • Explore nicely. There is so much to see, and all the exhibits are interactive.
  • If you want, grab the world-famous Pikes Peak Donut (basically a cinnamon donut baked at the top of the peak with additional things like nuts and M&Ms you can add). I’d give it a 4/5 stars…
  • The weather changes drastically outside, and the cloud cover might ruin your trip. Don’t panic, stay there, ask guides what to do, and try to enjoy yourself inside the visitor center itself.
  • Swing by the gift shop for any souvenirs. Honestly, the pictures you take are enough though.
  • That reminds me! Take lots of pictures. The views are breathtaking.
• Crystal Creek Reservoir:
  • Chill out down by the lake. You can also fish, walk the trails, and
  • Check out the visitor center there for information, and have another chance to grab a souvenir to take home! There are tons to choose from.
• The Garden of the Gods
  • To avoid crowds arrive early in the morning before 9AM or late in the afternoon after 3PM.
  • For the best views, show up around sunrise or sunset.
  • Set out a good amount of time to hike, walk, take pictures, and go to the visitor center
  • Arrive before 7 to get into the visitor center to get your park maps/info
    • Check out the viewing decks at the visitor center to name various rock formations
    • Make sure to take pictures!
  • Be careful if you climb some of the rocks
• Road to Next Location
  • Depart with the travel time in mind so that you can reach on time. In our case, we ended up reaching Glenwood Springs, CO, around midnight lol…

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