chapter 524

5/31/2019

Colorado Springs

Pikes Peak & Garden of Gods

link to Colorado 2019 photos

So on the first day of our vacation we flew to Denver and rented a car for drive to an Aurora motel after midnight. Arose early for drive down to Colorado Springs. Avoided a traffic jam and took the road less travelled, and it made all the difference. Found this beautiful foreground to compliment Pikes Peak in the background.

Hard to be negative with all the positive experiences but I have to say I'm still mad at the TSA agents for stealing my big tube of toothpaste and sun screen at the Albany Airport. She did feel sorry for me and let me have a little lotion.

Drove up Pikes 16 miles paved till we had to park for the 3 mile shuttle to the top as they are reconstructing the visitors center. So at this 13,000 foot elevation we hiked thru the snow just a little bit (peak is at 14,000 ft). They say you are supposed to acclimate to the elevation but here we are within the first 24 hours of take off from Albany, the low landers from the East Coast. Colleen was a little bit panicked with shortness of breath thinking she was going to die. Must admit I felt woozy too. But we lived, nonetheless. The scary part was riding back down in the shuttle with some retired driver guy who must have been 95. If he keeled over, we all die.

Beautiful visit to adjacent Manitou Springs (Algonquin for spiritual place) to visit the Garden of the Gods. I can feel the spirit , can you? You can drive around these rock formations for miles or can walk amongst them on walking paths or by horseback. It's all free - hard to believe. 

The lighting was a dull overcast until this storm blew in and the sky cleared. Magical.

This was just a dull blob a half hour prior without the sun.

The mule deer had just arrived before the storm. Very comfortable with people.

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