Day 8: Fun Facts about Pikes Peak!

1803
Pikes Peak area obtained by the US as part of President Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase.

1806
President Jefferson dispatches Lt. Zebulon Montgomery Pike to determine the Louisiana Purchase’s southwestern borders.  Pike attempts to climb what he thinks is the peak on November 24th, but is forced back by snow for which he was not prepared.

1850’s
“Pikes Peak or Bust” is painted on many gold seekers’ wagons on their way west.  

1860
Construction of the Ute Pass wagon road begins.  It is the 1st road through the valley northeast of Pikes Peak.  US 24 now follows most of this route.

1894
When Katharine Lee Bates, a teacher from Massachusetts, traveled to Pikes Peak, she was inspired to write the words that would later become “America the Beautiful”.

2006
The Biegler-Yablonski clan accends to the summit, at an altitude of 14,110 feet above sea level.  They breathed air that has only half the oxygen found a sea level.  They braved the narrow, fog-covered, often guide rail-less hairpin turns, with Christine trying to use the passenger-side “invisible break” only about 3 dozen times.  They chewed lots of gum & sipped lots of liquid beverages to compensate for the air pressure changes & lack of moisture in the air.  They saw amazing views & will never forget this day.