 Manitou
Springs 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
719 685 5401
FAX- 719 685 9033 -FAX
e-mail: info@cograilway.com
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Cherise
Selley -
CRS, GRI, ABR
"From My Family To Yours ... Bringing Families Home."
2139 Chuckwagon Rd. Suite 210
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80919
Email: cherise@selleygroup.com
Office: (719) 598-5101
Fax: (719) 598-2352
Toll Free Fax: (866) 766-9044
Mobile: (719) 337-9779
Toll Free: (888) 842-4196
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NOTE: The information contained on this Colorado
Springs real estate website is deemed reliable, but not guaranteed. Prices, availability
and other information is subject to change without warning. Please check with
your Colorado Springs real estate specialist, Cherise Selley, to verify information.
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