Pikes Peak

I won't go into too much detail about the drive up and down Pikes Peak. I think Jordan did a great job detailing that perilous trip in her recent blog post. Though I must say that since my last trip up to Pikes Peak when Joshua was two years old, they have paved much more of the road, and there are more guard rails than there had been.

However, this is the first time that I have been up Pikes Peak in a storm. I was skeptical as we started the drive as I noted the clouds that had settled right over the Peak and refused to move.

By the time we got to the top I knew we were in for it. We went into the visitors' center for our hot chocolate and donuts when I saw the first flakes fall. Actually, that high above sea level they are not flakes - more like tiny pieces of hail mixed with lightening and thunder that seem way too close for comfort.

Aidan was struck with a bout of altitude sickness, so as soon as he and Patrick made it out of the bathroom, we ran for our quick photos to prove we had been there and then made a dash for the car.
Here are the photos from the very scary drive back down the mountain. I must say that I wasn't as afraid since it was so cloudy that I couldn't see over the cliff edge! Although I knew it was there ....

By the time we got to the ranger checking for hot brakes, he said they weren't letting anyone else come back down OR go back up. The next few days there was a beautiful snow covering the mountains. Glad we left when we did!


And then arriving back down close to the bottom for some clearer, more beautiful views.


As always, I am happy to be at the end of this trip, although I put on a "brave" face for this kids ...

Visiting

The bulk of our time in Colorado was spent working on Marmee's house. She is now living in a fantastic new two-bedroom apartment in the southern part of Colorado Springs near the Broadmoor.

We worked packing things up, moving them, then unpacking. We also did quite a bit of cleaning out and moving furniture. The kids were great helpers and did a bit of schoolwork on the side. They also played a lot in the backyard in which I spent hours of my childhood.

We got to spend a couple of days with Aunt Vicki and Uncle Shannon. It was so good to see them.

We also enjoyed watching the deer in Marmee's backyard almost daily. The same family came to chew on what is left of Marmee's shrubs, and we also saw a fox twice. Once Gillian saw the fox with a squirrel in its mouth ...
For a fun day, we took the kids to the 'North Pole,' where I have been going since I was a child.
Not much has changed since I started going there over 30 years ago. Seriously? 30 years? I'm really getting olllllddddd.
The kids had a great time, though. It ended up being freezing cold, and we had to buy the kids sweatshirts by the end of the day. That's Colorado for you!

Go Air Force!

Beautiful day, great game (if not a bit boring at 72-0). It was the kids' first American football game ever. We went to this game the day after arriving in Colorado. I'm glad we did it even though we were exhausted. It was a great way to start acclimating. Especially to the altitude. Eating some Dippin-Dots
Aunt Blythe and Gillian
Cadets marching onto the field (and yes, we had great seats on the 50-yard line)The entertainment! This was the last of a series of parachutists - I've seen this at every Air Force game I've been to. This guy did a great job of carrying the American flag and it did not touch the field.


F-15 flyover. We were worried there would be no fly-overs because the team the Air Force played wasn't even a college we've ever heard of. But we were treated to this one fly-over - it was awesome, as always.

My Little Angel

We are in Colorado right now having a great time with Blythe and Marmee. We also enjoyed a short but sweet visit with Aunt Vicki and Uncle Shannon. I'm going to blog on all of that soon.

This, however, could not wait. Aidan found a pair of scissors lying around in Marmee's house somewhere ...
It could have been worse, right?