On Top of the World

I know. I know.
14,110 feet is NOT the top of the world.
There are a lot of higher peaks in this country,
and Everest is 29,000+ feet!
I didn't hike up or down this mountain,
but reaching the top was exhilerating just the same!
Mr. Jones and I took nearly 300 pictures
today, and I am having technical difficulties with
the internet connection at the hotel,
so these are all the pictures I am uploading tonight!

This is The Cog Depot. It really hasn't changed
much in appearance since it was built in 1890!
This sign is hanging on an outside wall of the depot ...

It's a good thing there was a gift store there
because when I packed for this trip, I didn't take into
account that it would be COLD on top of this mountain ...
bare foot and sandals just wasn't going to be very
comfortable up there ... so I bought a pair of
Pike's Peak socks (!)
and a warm jacket before boarding the cog.
Some of the beautiful pine trees ...
The rock formations are incredible!
Steep granite cliffs ...
Cascading waterfalls ...
These pictures were taken through the windows
of the cog railway car ...
"I love you, LORD: you are my strength.
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior;
my God is my rock, in whom I find protection."
PSALM 18:1-2
This is Windy Point -- elevation 12,129 ft.
If you look carefully, you will see
bighorn sheep running over the rocks ...
our guide said they hadn't seen sheep up here
for over three weeks!
She also said this was one of the clearest days
with the bluest sky she had seen the whole season!
The sign outside the gift and sandwiche shop ...
The Continental Divide ...
Mr. Jones at the top, taking a photo of ME
at the top!
You can see for 250 miles up here --
four states!
Incredible beauty! Amazing!
Isn't it so awesome that the LORD
spoke all of this into existence?

This was our train that took us up and down
the mountain ...
This is the end of the line ...
Katharine Lee Bates, author of
"America the Beautiful"
came to the top of Pike's Peak (summer 1893)
and was so inspired by the view that she wrote the poem
that became so famous ...

"As for God, his way is perfect.
All the LORD's promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
For who is God except the LORD?
Who but our God is a solid rock?"

PSALM 18:30-31

The seats on the train are grouped in 3's and 2's;
but the 3's are sitting across from 3 more
and the 2's are sitting across from two others --
is that perfectly confusing?
Anyway, the two who were sitting across
from Mr. Jones and I were
this couple, Ron and Becky.
They are both retired, live in Toledo
and have three married children and
a few grandchildren as well ...
What nice folk!
About halfway up the mountain, Ron's camera battery
ran out of power!
We exchanged e-mail addresses
and are going to mail them our pictures ...

They took a picture of us, and we took one of them ...
It was only 30 degrees and windy on top of the mountain;
we had about 40 minutes to look around, grab a snack,
use the facilities, and then hop back on the train!
It actually took longer to descend the mountain
that it did to go up!
I love these rocks!
These pictures really do not do the beauty of this place justice.
But ... next week I will work on doing some editing
and perhaps I will show you more pictures then ...
Right now, it is almost midnight and I am too tired to think!
After we left Pike's Peak today, we headed
north on I-25 to Denver,
turned onto I-76 and headed east, northeast through Colorado
(which, by the way was pretty bleak driving --
flat, miles and miles of wheat ...
and no mountains!)
and then we drove on I-80 through Nebraska
to North Platte, which is where we are for the night ...

Tomorrow, our goal is Minneapolis by about 5:30 p.m.
Can't wait to see you, Adam and Emily!