The Colorado Rocky Mountains are some of the most beautiful and majestic mountains in North America. The peak to the left of this mountain range is Pike's Peak, named after General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the first person to scale its 14,110 foot peak.

Click any of the images below to see more images of my trip to Colorado!

	This is a view of Colorado Springs as seen from the slopes of Cheyenne Mountain. In January 2001, I visited the Cheyenne Mountain complex to see the 1st Command and Control Squadron (1CACS), now called the 1st Space Control Squadron (1SPCS), which is solely responsible for receiving and analyzing all the data sent by the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) responsible for tracking the satellites orbiting our Earth. The small hut near the center of this image is the main checkpoint for all who enter or exit the complex.
	This is the peak of Cheyenne Mountain. The small antennae at the left hand side of the image are communications arrays for the Cheyenne Mountain complex within the mountain.
	This is another view of Colorado Springs as seen from the slopes of Cheyenne Mountain.
	This is the Rocky Mountains as seen from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
	This is an example of the amazing topography that can be seen in Colorado Springs. Cheyenne Mountain can just be seen in the background, but is mostly covered by the foreground hill.
	The peak at the left-hand side of the mountain range is Pike's Peak, and I was preparing to ascend this mountain with my 1998 Hyundai Elantra.
	Pike's Peak looks on ominously, as I prepare to ascend it with my car. There is a highway that leads all the way to the top, and I did not have time (or the energy) to scale it by foot.
	A smaller peak on the way to Pike's Peak. You can see the trees thinning out as the air gets colder with the higher altitude.
	The snow begins to get ominously closer as I keep ascending the mountains. A forest ranger truck is in the foreground.
	A ranger station sits about half-way up the mountain. They normally check your car's brakes as you descend the mountain. If your brakes are too hot, you have to wait at the conveniently placed cafeteria for 45 minutes until they cool down.
	The trees seem to give way to snow as the altitude increases.
	Looking down onto the lake far below. This lake is the same one that is in the main image above. It looked so puny as I continued my climb to the top.
	When I finally reached the top (after 1 hour), I found this plaque installed at the strangest position of the mountain peak. You literally had to stumble through jagged rocks and crevasses to reach and read it clearly. It is a plaque dedicate to General Zebulon Montgomery Pike, the first man to scale its 14,110 foot peak. I joked to an American tourist next to me that it was a Canadian who killed him at York (now Toronto) during the War of 1812, and so I had to keep my heritage a secret.
	When I reached the top, I found the topography stunning! This is in July, and you can see no trees at the summit, since it was too cold, yet I was in shirt sleeves and was quite comfortable. Maybe that day was unseasonably warm, or the nights were the cold times!
	Snow in July! Within the nooks and crannies of the summit, the snow was everywhere! I could literally reach down and scoop up a handful of the stuff. At 14,110 feet, snow could certainly be present at that time as well!
	A large sign said that I had reached the summit of Pike's Peak using the Pike's Peak highway. The elevation and temperature reading said it all.
	Snow in July! As I slowly descended the mountain (constantly applying my brakes), I saw this large snow bank still thinking it was winter. You can see it is well sheltered from the sun, and so it would melt very slowly at such a high altitude.
	Snow in July! A closer inspection of the roadside snow bank revealed that many people had written in it (in a nice way). This must have been some kind of ritual! I decided to do the same (see below).
	Snow in July! I wrote my name in the snow (in a nice way), and placed my hand print in it too! I wonder if it is still there after a few years time! It reads "Mikey 04".