Yesterday's post featuring Mt. Rainier and its 14,411 foot summit, accessible only by experienced mountain climbers, got us thinking about the other 14,000+ foot mountains in the US. Can you name the only four US states with peaks over 14,000 feet?
Correct! Alaska, California, Colorado and Washington State (sorry Hawaii, sorry Utah. Or the 5 states with no hill higher than 1000 feet? Florida, Deleware, Louisiana, Mississippi, Rhode Island.) So today we did the opposite of a Mt. Rainier 14,411 summit (where you must set out at midnight with a guide, a pick-axe and gloves) -- we drove to the summit of Pike's Peak Colorado at 14,114 feet. No parka, no pick-axe, no permit.
I have never climbed Mt. Rainier, but my guess is that there are considerably fewer Texans than we saw today on the Pike's Peak assault. And Pike's Peak has no skiing? Although Pike's Peak is in suburban Colorado Springs, the Springers must drive more than 2 hours to strap-on the boards. But Pike's Peak is still a real mountain -- here is nice cliff -- over a 6000 foot drop.
As you recall from our June 1 post on Timberline, Oregon -- the "timberline" in the northwest is generally between 6000 and 8000 foot elevation. But in Colorado, it's at 12,000 feet! In the northwest, there would never be a "sign" at 12,000 feet, unless you like your signs under 20 feet of snow! But on the way to Pike's Peak, 12,000 feet is just another switchback on the $12 toll road.
See you tonight at Red Rocks!
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