Pikes Peak Highway

The Pikes Peak Highway is a {{convert|19|mi|km|0|adj=on}} toll road that runs from Cascade, Colorado to the summit of Pikes Peak in El Paso County, at an altitude of {{convert|14115|ft|m|0}}.{{cite web | url= http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=JK1242| title= NGS Data Sheet for Pikes Peak| publisher= National Geodetic Survey}} It is at least partially open year-round, up to the altitude where snow removal becomes excessively difficult.

The rate structure varies depending on time of year and ranges from $10 per adult and $5 per child throughout winter up to $50 per carload (5 passengers or fewer) with discounts on additional passengers.{{Cite web|url=https://parks.coloradosprings.gov/pikes-peak-americas-mountain/page/hours-and-rates|title = Pikes Peak Hours and Rates|date = 26 February 2016}}

Highway

The Pikes Peak Highway was constructed in 1915 and financed by Spencer Penrose at a cost of $500,000, equal to ${{Inflation|US|500000|1915|fmt=c}} today.{{cite web|url=http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/HistoryGeography.htm |title=History and Geography of Pikes Peak |accessdate=2007-02-12 |author=City of Colorado Springs |authorlink=Colorado Springs, Colorado |year=2002 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061209095535/http://www.pikespeakcolorado.com/HistoryGeography.htm |archivedate=2006-12-09 |url-status=dead }}

An earlier road up the mountain, the Pike's Peak Carriage Road, dates back to 1888. Thousands of tourists traveled along the Pikes Peak Carriage Road up to Pikes Peak's summit. It was opened by the Cascade Town Company in 1888 and closed in 1902.{{cite news | title=Railroad gets Ute Pass on track/ Mountain land turned into summer havens | work=The Gazette | location=Colorado Springs, CO | date=June 5, 2001 | author=Jeanne Davant }}

Maintenance

It was maintained by Colorado DOT{{clarify|date=April 2018}} as Colorado State Highway 250 from 1939 until 1947. Today, the road is maintained by the city of Colorado Springs.

Races

The highway has been home to an annual automobile and motorcycle race called the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb since 1916.[http://www.ppihc.com/info/ Overview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130813100914/http://www.ppihc.com/info/ |date=2013-08-13 }}. Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Retrieved May 14, 2013.

Another race is the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb (formerly Assault on the Peak), first held in 2010.[http://www.ridepikespeak.com/ Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb.] Summit Cycling Productions. Retrieved May 14, 2013. The 2016 edition was also the first edition of the USA Cycling Hill Climb National Championship.[http://www.granfondoguide.com/Contents/Index/3132/phil-gaimon-wins-two-national-hill-climbs Phil Gaimon wins two national hill climbs] - Gran Fondo Guide

Environmental damage claim

Litigation was pursued by the Sierra Club in 1998-1999, on grounds of environmental damage from the gravel portion of the road.{{cite web | url = http://www.mesalek.com/colo/other.html#pptr M.E.Salek | title = Pikes Peak Toll Road | accessdate = 2007-02-25 | author = Matthew E. Salek | year = 2006 }} The environmental damage was caused primarily by the {{convert|150000000|lb|t|sigfig=1|abbr=off|lk=on|sp=us}} of gravel that washed away annually, the same amount that needed to be hauled up the mountain each year in order to maintain the road surface. Environmental damage included alpine ponds and wetlands becoming filled with gravel, and layers of gravel averaging {{convert|2|to|4|ft|m|1}} deep covering the forest floor below.{{cite news | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/11/us/car-racers-fight-for-gravel-on-pikes-peak-road.html | title = Car Racers Fight for Gravel on Pikes Peak Road | author = James Brooke | work=The New York Times | date=1998-10-11}} Pursuant to the settlement agreed by the Sierra Club and the City of Colorado Springs, the unpaved portion of the Pikes Peak Highway became a hard-surface road, despite concerns that such a project would radically change the nature of the annual automobile and motorcycle race. The paving project was completed on October 1, 2011.{{cite news|last=Rappold|first=R. Scott|title=Paving completed on Pike's Peak road, 13 years after Sierra Club suit|url=http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19016252|accessdate=17 June 2012|newspaper=Denver Post|date=1 October 2011}}

Pike's Peak Hill Climb champion Rod Millen warned that paving the road would put an end to the race.{{cite web |url=http://www.westword.com/content/printVersion/210371/ |title=Denver Uphill Battle - Westword |website=www.westword.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019184943/http://www.westword.com/content/printVersion/210371/ |archive-date=2012-10-19}} However, the race went ahead normally in 2012 and has continued ever since.

Climate

There is a SNOTEL weather station near the Glen Cove Visitor Center, located at the 13-mile marker for Pikes Peak Highway.{{cite web|url = https://www.cmc.org/education-adventure/trips/routes-places/pikes-peak-glen-cove |publisher = Colorado Mountain Club |title = Pikes Peak - Glen Cove |access-date = December 9, 2023}} At 11450 feet (3493 m), Glen Cove is in the subalpine life zone{{cite web|url = https://www.pikespeak.us.com/activities/drive-to-the-summit/#crystal |publisher = PikesPeakUS|title = Crystal Creek Reservoir to Glen Cove |access-date = December 9, 2023}} and has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc).

{{Weather box

|location = Glen Cove, Colorado, 2005–2020 normals: 11460ft (3493m)

|single line = Yes

|collapsed = yes

|Jan record high F = 54

|Feb record high F = 65

|Mar record high F = 73

|Apr record high F = 76

|May record high F = 85

|Jun record high F = 88

|Jul record high F = 90

|Aug record high F = 82

|Sep record high F = 74

|Oct record high F = 74

|Nov record high F = 58

|Dec record high F = 68

|Jan avg record high F = 47.6

|Feb avg record high F = 47.1

|Mar avg record high F = 54.2

|Apr avg record high F = 57.4

|May avg record high F = 63.4

|Jun avg record high F = 72.1

|Jul avg record high F = 72.9

|Aug avg record high F = 67.3

|Sep avg record high F = 65.5

|Oct avg record high F = 58.5

|Nov avg record high F = 51.4

|Dec avg record high F = 45.8

|year avg record high F = 73.6

|Jan high F = 30.7

|Feb high F = 32.1

|Mar high F = 39.6

|Apr high F = 43.9

|May high F = 50.9

|Jun high F = 61.4

|Jul high F = 64.1

|Aug high F = 61.5

|Sep high F = 56.5

|Oct high F = 45.9

|Nov high F = 37.5

|Dec high F = 29.8

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 21.0

|Feb mean F = 21.8

|Mar mean F = 28.2

|Apr mean F = 32.9

|May mean F = 40.5

|Jun mean F = 50.6

|Jul mean F = 54.0

|Aug mean F = 51.9

|Sep mean F = 46.8

|Oct mean F = 36.9

|Nov mean F = 28.8

|Dec mean F = 20.5

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 11.4

|Feb low F = 11.4

|Mar low F = 17.0

|Apr low F = 22.1

|May low F = 30.1

|Jun low F = 39.9

|Jul low F = 43.8

|Aug low F = 41.7

|Sep low F = 37.4

|Oct low F = 27.5

|Nov low F = 20.3

|Dec low F = 11.3

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -7.7

|Feb avg record low F = -8.4

|Mar avg record low F = -2.4

|Apr avg record low F = 3.7

|May avg record low F = 13.1

|Jun avg record low F = 28.3

|Jul avg record low F = 36.0

|Aug avg record low F = 32.7

|Sep avg record low F = 25.0

|Oct avg record low F = 7.1

|Nov avg record low F = 0.0

|Dec avg record low F = -11.2

|year avg record low F = -14.7

|Jan record low F = -21

|Feb record low F = -30

|Mar record low F = -11

|Apr record low F = -6

|May record low F = 2

|Jun record low F = 12

|Jul record low F = 22

|Aug record low F = 17

|Sep record low F = 6

|Oct record low F = -10

|Nov record low F = -10

|Dec record low F = -21

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 0.90

|Feb precipitation inch = 1.45

|Mar precipitation inch = 2.68

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.10

|May precipitation inch = 3.38

|Jun precipitation inch = 2.48

|Jul precipitation inch = 3.88

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.24

|Sep precipitation inch = 2.06

|Oct precipitation inch = 1.91

|Nov precipitation inch = 1.52

|Dec precipitation inch = 1.29

|year precipitation inch =

|source 1 = XMACIS2

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS2

|access-date = December 9, 2023

}}

|source 2 = NOAA (Precipitation)

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USS0005L11S&format=pdf

|title= Glen Cove, Colorado 1991–2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = December 9, 2023

}}

References

External links

[https://coloradosprings.gov/drivepikespeak Official website] by the City of Colorado Springs
[http://pikespeak.us.com The Pikes Peak Web site]
[http://www.mesalek.com/colo/other.html#pptr M.E.Salek "Roads of Colorado"]

{{Coord|38.90822|-104.98203|format=dms|display=title|type:landmark_region:US-CO}}

Category:Pikes Peak

Category:Toll roads in Colorado

Category:Tourist attractions in El Paso County, Colorado

Category:Transportation in El Paso County, Colorado