We briefly thought about riding our bikes up to the summit and back down again but then clearer minds prevailed. The jeep makes more sense and we could bring the doggies. A wonderful scary ride as you traverse the switchbacks without guard rails. Katrina kept telling me to move away from the yellow center line but I kept hugging it like Canberra’s comfy blankie. We drove past the spruces and tree line, past the reservoir, past snow, past the new parking facility all the way to the summit. Wonderful views enough though there was a haze in the air due to forest fires.
At the summit we learned that starting in July you will no longer be able to drive all the way up. You will have to stop at the parking area about 2,000 feet down the mountain and be shuttled up. I guess there is too much traffic like Chicago during rush hour.
We also learned that the COG Railway that connects the Broadmoor Hotel and the summit is closed and will not reopen as the cost to keep it running is too expensive. They still advertise to take the rail up and bike down so this must be a recent decision. So we arrived and drove to the top in the last month that anyone will be able to do so. Timing is everything!
The descent down was less nerve racking but I continued to hug the inside line. They hadn’t built any guard rails while we were on the top. About 4,000 feet down the Rangers stop you to check your brakes. If your brakes are 300 degrees they make you park until they have cooled down. Mine were 271 degrees. Onward, downward without trying to use the brakes. Now the jeep is a manual and I needed gear 1 1/2 which I don’t have so I could either keep it in first and be the grandpa holding up the line or try second and use the brakes hoping they wouldn’t fail plummeting us off the side for the fastest way down if you can avoid the trees and cliffs. I decided grandpa and life pulling over to let the speed demons run.
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