My first trip up Pike's Peak was in the 80's so we're counting that as trip one. Trip two was in the car with my dad, brother, and his girlfriend on a beautiful afternoon. No one got sick up the windy roads or was taken out by altitude sickness and we even got pretty close to a deer on the side of the road (a live one).
Our timing was perfect as it was a clear, warm afternoon up there and we got to watch a storm slowly roll in without getting caught in it. It was beautiful.
On our way back down we stopped at a lookout point where you could clearly see the southernmost burn area from the Waldo Canyon Fires. This one came almost up to Highway 24 which parallels Manitou Springs and leads to the foot of the mountain. You could see the red lines across the roads from the fire retardant and I realized how terribly close it was to the structures nearby.
Brett's suggested we drive up once per season. I can't wait to see all the Aspen in the fall.
-Rachel
