In celebration of our 25th anniversary, we took a two-day trip to the Colorado Springs area to ride the
cog railway to the summit of Pike's Peak. These pictures were taken on that trip, June 24 - 26, 2007

June 24th, 2007: Garden of the Gods. We could see this place really well from where we were staying. I think whoever named the
place had never seen Canyonlands or Arches National Parks. . Definitely an anticlimax.
But the souvenir store at the Visitors' Center was enormous!

Mountains they're not. But pretty in their own way.

June 25th: the Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway. These short but very powerful train cars, each powered by twin
diesel engines, climb Pikes Peak by litterally pulling themselves up the gear (cog) between the rails. They can handle up to
a 25% grade (a rise of one foot for each linear 4 feet of travel). Traditional trains can do, at most, a 4% grade (a rise
of four feet for each 100 feet of travel). I had done this ride when I was in junior high (notice, it wasn't called "middle
school" back then). $30 (each) well spent.

Steep!

From the summit. (Click the image for a larger version)

Timberline here is at 11,500 feet. Do you see the bighorn rams? No? Try the larger version of this picture.

Heading down...back to warm weather!

The Briarhurst. Our dinner venue on Monday.

To another, equally successful 25 years!

Beef Wellington, baked into a thin dough crust. Wonderful.

Foxtail, Our B&B...we were in the log section just behind the car.

Part of the interior. Nice, roomy place! Great breakfasts, too!