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THE PARK
Pikes Peak, with its height and
position in the Front Range, was the first landmark seen by settlers
heading west. Explorer Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, on assignment
by Thomas Jefferson, first saw the mountain in 1806. He was thwarted
by a blizzard in his attempt to scale the "GreatPeak."
The first recorded successful ascent was
made by a scientist named Edwin James in 1820. In 1858 Julia
Archibald - sporting bloomers - became the first woman to tag
the summit and spent two days on top. The footpath up the eastern
face was re-worked and built by Fred Barr between
1914 and 1918. It was pick-and-shovel duty, with an occasional
dash of black powder for moving rocks and trees.
WALKS
Dogs are welcome to tackle the
Barr National Recreation Trail all the way to the summit.
Near the top there are rock steps that most dogs can negotiate.
The 13-mile pull to the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak begins
in Manitou Springs at an elevation of 6,300 feet. It is the biggest
elevation gain of any trail in Colorado, with an average grade
of 11%. Serious canine hiking indeed. Barr Camp, where Fred ran
a burro concession, is at the halfway point and makes a handy
turn-around point for those not prepared to make the assault
on the summit. There are three miles of hiking above the treeline
and the peak gets afternoon storms nearly daily so come prepared.
The Barr Trail is well-trod and well-marked.
It gets extremely hot in the mid-summer and there is no natural
water for your dog on Pikes Peak.
BONUS
Pikes Peak is the most-visited
mountain in the United States - a half-million people make their
way to the summit every year, most in their cars. When it opened
in the Fall of 1888, the 14-foot wide Pikes Peak Carriage Road
was billed as the highest road in the world. The first automobile
chugged to the summit in 1901 - today the climb is 6,710 feet
over 19 miles on the toll road. Not many people go through the
toll to hike. But at the base of Pikes Peak is a one hour out-and-back
ramble
through the aspen groves, pine forests and impressive boulders
of Crowe Gulch. This land was opened to homesteading in 1862
and the Crowe family was one that tried but farming was difficult
in a place where snow could come in July. The Crowes
abandoned their 160-acre parcel before the five years of residency
required for ownership. There is no charge for this peaceful
canine hike; just tell the folks at the toll booth that you don't
want to drive to the top, just hike in Crowe Gulch.
DIRECTIONS
In Colorado Springs, take Colorado Boulevard into Manitou Springs
and turn left onto Ruxton at the west end of town. Follow Ruxton
past the cog railway and turn right up a short hill to the Barr
Trail parking lot.
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