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Manitou Springs,
Colorado Cog Railway
 Since
1891, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway (the world's highest
cog railroad, the highest Colorado railroad AND highest train in
the United States) has taken passengers to the 14,110 foot summit
of Pikes Peak.
Just 70 miles from downtown Denver and 6 miles from downtown Colorado
Springs, this classic Colorado train trip is open from mid-April
through December.
The Pikes Peak Cog Railway is 8.9 miles long. The round trip
lasts 3 hours and 10 minutes. The first third of our trip is along
Ruxton Creek in Englemann Canyon. Here, the steep track follows
a cascading stream through dense stands of Englemann spruce, Colorado
blue spruce, as well as Ponderosa pine trees. Conductors like
to point out the various "faces" and shapes which, with a bit of
imagination, can be seen in the giant boulders. Right near the
Minnehaha switch (where the descending trains pass the ascending
train on many trips) is Minnehaha Falls.
The middle third of the trip is on a gentler grade. Right
below the old settlement of Ruxton Park, the train passes through
what is known as "Hell Gate", a natural gateway in the mountains.
Soon, the train passes near Deer Park, where passengers sometimes
catch a glimpse of mule deer grazing. Then the train passes over
the Four Mile Switch and gets the first glimpse of Pikes Peak! Another
siding comes up, Mountain View, which is the half-way point on the
journey.
At about the 5 mile point, the grade steepens again where the railway
begins climbing in earnest. Many of the trees in this area
are bristlecone pine, some of the oldest living things on earth!
It is estimated that some trees on Pikes Peak are over 2000 years
old.
Once the train climbs above timberline, the views become more expansive.
Timberline is the point in elevation where trees stop growing
because they cannot get enough moisture. This lack of moisture
is due to the presence of permafrost, a permanent layer of frost
just below the surface of the ground. What does grow is Alpine tundra,
a mixture of mosses, grasses and wildflowers, has adapted to the
extremely short growing season. Here passengers frequently see
Bighorn sheep and yellow-bellied marmots.
The last 3 miles are all above timberline. To the east the
Great Plains stretch out beyond the border of Colorado and Kansas.
To the south, the Sangre de Christo (Blood of Christ) Range stretches
south to New Mexico. On the western horizon, just slightly to the
southwest, lies the Collegiate Range. To the southwest, at the base
of Pikes Peak, sit the old mining towns of Cripple Creek and Victor.
Once upon the summit, if the weather is clear, you can see the skyscrapers
of downtown Denver.
Upon reaching the summit, you are provided with 40 minutes of
breathtaking views atop Pikes Peak. This time limit is for your
benefit, as most people tend to feel the effects of high altitude
(slight nausea, headache) after this amount of time. The railway
recommends that you budget your time accordingly. In the high season,
the summit house serves thousands of people daily. The staff of
ARAMARK (the concessionaire of the Summit House, which is owned
by the City of Colorado Springs) does an admirable job with a facility
that was built in the 1950's and was never intended to serve the
numbers it does today. Consequently, long lines are quite common
especially in the food service area. The lines are generally longest
at food service right after the train arrives. You can bring
food and beverages aboard the train (either your own or those
purchased from the Cog Railway Cafe), but due to the limited seating,
you cannot bring outside food or beverages into the Summit House.
MANITOU & PIKES PEAK RAILWAY
515 RUXTON AVE. / PO BOX 351
MANITOU SPRINGS, CO 80829
Phone: 719 685 5401
Fax: 719 685 9033
e-mail: info
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Jim T. Walters
5265 N. Academy Blvd. Ste. 3300
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Office: (719) 495-1745
Cell: (719) 460-0424
Toll Free: (800) 873-3303
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Copyright 2003 Broomfield
Designers & Jim
T. Walters
Colorado Springs Homes
Note: The information contained on this Colorado
Springs Homes website is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Prices,
Availability and other information is subject to change without warning.
Please check with your Colorado Springs realtor to verify information.
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