Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak (formerly Pike's Peak, see below) is a mountain in the Colorado Front Range, near Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is named for Zebulon Pike, an explorer who led an expedition to the southern Colorado area in 1806. It is one of the 39 peaks in Colorado whose summits are taller than 14,000 feet (14,110, to be exact (4301 m) [1]). It is not the tallest, however; that distinction falls to Mount Elbert (14,433 feet (4399 m) [1]).
Much of the fame of Pikes Peak is due to its location near the eastern edge of the Rockies. Unlike most other similarly tall mountains in Colorado, it serves as a visible landmark for many miles to the east, far into the Great Plains. Pike's Peak or Bust became the slogan of pioneers who travelled westward from other parts of the United States. It is also notable for its imposing view: Image from the east (167Kb) and Image from the west (179Kb)
Katharine Lee Bates was moved to write the words to the song "America the Beautiful" after having visited the top of Pikes Peak.
Pikes Peak is home to an annual hillclimb race, made famous worldwide by a short film featuring Ari Vatanen driving his Peugeot up the steep, twisty slopes of the summit road. Tourists may also take a cog railway, the Manitou and Pike's Peak Railway, up to the top of the mountain.
Originally the peak was called "Pike's Peak", but in 1891, the newly-formed US Board on Geographic Names recommended against the use of apostrophes in names, so officially the name of the peak does not include an apostrophe. In addition, in 1978 the Colorado state legislature passed a law mandating the use of "Pikes Peak" only. Even so, the old name is still often seen.
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