| Ask most people what the highest road in North | | | | pine forests spread out on the slopes below and |
| America is and apart from the inevitable "don't | | | | views across the Rockies to the snowy twin |
| know" your most popular answer is likely to be | | | | summits of Grays Peak and Torreys Peak to the |
| Pikes Peak. In fact the illustrious Pikes Peak Road | | | | West. |
| is the second highest paved highway in North | | | | Higher again and the road now wound its way |
| America with first place going to the less well | | | | around the side of the vast stony bulk of Rogers |
| known Mount Evans, a vast mountain rising to | | | | Peak, huge snowdrifts now having replaced the |
| 14264 feet on the Denver skyline in the Front | | | | trees at its side before crossing a more level area |
| Range of the Colorado Rockies. From the Mile | | | | of tundra to reach the frozen Summit Lake at |
| High City, Mt Evans rises not far short of another | | | | 12800 feet. My light headedness from the altitude |
| 2 miles vertically skywards. | | | | had returned and I got out into a cold and breezy |
| Having an ingrained dislike of human interference in | | | | day. A path led across the bare arctic landscape |
| these wilderness places, I had certain misgivings | | | | to an overlook where the Chicago Lakes Trail |
| about driving a car to the top of Mt Evans but I | | | | came up from the valley in which the lakes |
| was determined to have a look as the information | | | | themselves were visible some way below. |
| about the road I had seen promised a fascinating | | | | The last stretch of the Mt Evans Scenic Byway |
| day out - besides I could always return and | | | | climbed more steeply, zigzagging to and fro past |
| ascend the peak on foot when I was better | | | | banks of snow and shaley slopes up to the final |
| acclimatised. I wasn't going to attempt to hike up | | | | summit block of the mountain. The almost empty |
| a fourteener on my first day here! | | | | car park at 14130 feet was cold and windy - the |
| The road is known as the Mount Evans Scenic | | | | weather forecast was for 12 inches of snow to |
| Byway and leaves Idaho Springs (Route 103) to | | | | close the road again tonight - so breathlessly I |
| climb gradually through the deep forest groves of | | | | wandered up a short section of path through |
| pine and aspen trees that densely cloak the lower | | | | rocks and frozen snow to the actual summit. |
| slopes of the Rocky Mountains to the west of | | | | The view from here seems to stretch for an |
| Denver. The toll to drive the road was $10 and is | | | | eternity - the sea of snow edged peaks that |
| valid for 3 days which I thought was reasonable | | | | make up the Colorado Rockies are spread out in |
| as I ascended towards Echo Lake with views of | | | | a 180 degree arc in the West - from Pikes Peak |
| the snow capped Mt Evans and its satellite peaks | | | | in the South to Longs Peak in the North. |
| beginning to emerge through gaps in the green | | | | Eastwards, Denver is just visible and beyond, the |
| forest wall by the roadside. | | | | vast expanse of the Midwest plains leading out |
| Echo Lake was my first stop and I stood for a | | | | towards Kansas. The thin air was starting to |
| while by its tree lined shores contemplating the | | | | make me feel rather strange so I made my way |
| silent vastness around me. There was scarcely a | | | | back to the car park to descend. On its far side |
| ripple on the water's surface such was the shelter | | | | was the domed observatory operated by Denver |
| given by the trees. I was at 10600 feet and could | | | | University and the forlorn looking ruins of the |
| already feel the effects of the altitude so I | | | | Crest House snack bar which was destroyed by |
| wandered into the nearby Echo Lake Lodge to | | | | fire in 1979 and never rebuilt. |
| slow my rate of ascent. There's a gift shop and | | | | As I was about to leave, another car pulled up |
| restaurant and I decided an early lunch would help | | | | occupied by an English expat. He told me that he'd |
| my mild altitude effects so I opted for one of | | | | held his wedding reception in the Crest House |
| their excellent elk burgers - at least you know it's | | | | some years before the fire but the party had |
| free range! | | | | been forced to reconvene down in Idaho Springs |
| I learned here that the local bear population had | | | | when one by one, the guests had started passing |
| recently been active, with one particularly large | | | | out from the altitude. An amusing story but it just |
| black bear having taken to breaking into people's | | | | went to show that care is needed at this |
| outside larders for an easy meal. I would treat | | | | elevation. An aircraft flying 3000 feet lower than |
| the forest with a new respect having heard this! I | | | | we were now would be required to carry oxygen |
| was glad I'd stopped and the family who ran the | | | | or have a pressurised cabin. |
| place gave me a warm welcome. It was a shame | | | | I did return later in my trip to hike up the |
| they didn't offer overnight accommodation though | | | | mountain though weather conditions meant I |
| as I would have stayed a night and tackled the | | | | walked from Summit Lake rather than Echo Lake |
| Chicago Lakes Trail to Mount Evans. There is a | | | | Lodge. The trip up the road though is a brilliant |
| campground in the summer season though I didn't | | | | day out and the visual impact of the road on the |
| have camping gear with me on this occasion. | | | | landscape isn't so bad as I had feared at first. A |
| Once again I set off up the gradually climbing road | | | | good tip is to go when you've spent a few days |
| which soon ascended above the main tree line. At | | | | at the high elevations of the surrounding areas if |
| Mount Goliath I stopped again for a short walk to | | | | you can, rather than on your first day here! The |
| an alpine garden. Here there also grew some rare | | | | road is generally open from the end of May. Take |
| bristlecone pine trees and gnarled looking | | | | your time going up and enjoy the views and the |
| specimens they were too. Apparently some of | | | | wildlife. I saw marmots and bighorn sheep and |
| these are 1600 years old - a fact which I found | | | | there are also mountain goats around and about |
| amazing. They grew at the the treeline on the | | | | but do let me know if you see that bear. |
| edge of the open high altitude tundra with the | | | | |