Cog Railway Train

Here is the train that took us up Pikes Peak, parked at the base station at an elevation of approximately 6,600 feet (2,012 meters) above sea level.

After climbing to the top of the mountain at an elevation of 14,115 feet (4,302 meters) it didn't even look tired!

To climb all the steep grades (averaging 16%, steeper in places), it uses a cog system. The cogs in the train fit into the center cog rail, providing the needed traction.

I'm very glad the engineer knew how to park at the top - he stopped our train just in time!

This is what's beyond that buffer.

And here's one final look at our train and that end-of-line buffer.

I'll have more posts from this scenic railway soon. This series is for Our World Tuesday.

Timberline A-Frame

Last weekend we took the cog railroad up Pikes Peak. In 1993 I hiked all the way up the Barr Trail to the top. Here's a photo from that hike of the A-Frame shelter at timberline, around 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) above sea level.

If you've got old photos, please post them and support the Vintage Weekly meme.

High Skywatch

What's unusual about this ordinary Skywatch Friday photo?

It was taken on top of this mountain, at an elevation of 14,115 feet (4.3 km) above sea level. We took the cog railroad up there on Saturday - lots more photos to come from that trip when I get caught up. (The sign is outdated because the mountain is slightly higher than originally thought.)

Signs, Signs

San Francisco Bay

I hope everyone in the San Francisco Bay area is okay after last night's earthquake. Here are some photos of the bay in calmer times.

This one's looking towards Alcatraz.

Our World Tuesday

Settling In

Our new dog Laika has made herself at home.

She makes herself very comfortable!

And she's getting on very well with our older dog Socks - they will go up and sniff things together, and when Laika was at the vet today Socks was excited to greet her when we got back!

Camera Critters

Pets Forever

Saturday Critters

Moon Rock

Skywatch Friday

Muscoco Mountain Hike

Here's a hike up Muscoco Mountain, in another of our incredible city parks. It starts by crossing this stream.

Socks was leading the way up the mountain (this was before we got Laika).

It was steep.

But the views made it all worthwhile.

The mountains seem to go on forever. (The city is in the opposite direction.)

Any way you looked was beautiful.

I always love the pine trees that cover our mountains.

Socks was proud to have made it to the top!

And that's my weekly entry for Our World Tuesday; the blue skies make it a good entry for Blue Monday.

Barr Camp

From a 1993 hike up Pikes Peak, here's a photo of Barr Camp.

The whole Barr Trail climbs from Manitou Springs to the top of Pikes Peak in about 12.6 miles (20.3 km) and gains 7,900 feet (2,407 meters) in elevation along the way. Barr Camp is about halfway along the trail. And yes, we hiked all the way up in one day. There's a marathon each year that runs up and back, and the best runners can finish in about three and a half hours! Visit Vintage Weekly for more old photo fun.

Three Pronged Lightning

Here's a lightning photo I've not yet posted - three prongs, with the center one striking ground.

This was taken from my back deck, and is an obvious Skywatch Friday post.

Cable Cars

There's only one place I've ever visited that has these.

That was the turntable where they're turned around at the end of the line.

I tried to capture the hills in this next one.

They even go around corners!

Yes, of course these photos are from San Francisco. And they're for Our World Tuesday.

Beach Bird

Here's another photo from Pismo Beach in central California. I loved the sunset silhouettes!

Camera Critters

Saturday's Critters
I'd Rather B Birdin'

Black Forest Park Post-Fire

Those of you who have followed my blog will know there was a terrible wildfire in my area each of the last two summers; each destroyed hundreds of homes and thousands of acres. The one last year burned within a few streets of our house. Here are some more photos from my walk in the nearby Black Forest Regional Park, parts of which burned in last year's fire.

The burned area can be dangerous because in places the roots burned away, leaving the trees subject to falling at any time. However, where I entered the park (in the far southwest corner) no evidence of the fire was visible.

It didn't take long to reach areas showing signs of ground fire; these trees survived.

Walking further into the burn zone, there is a mixture of destroyed trees and those that survived.

But deeper into the fire zone, everything burned. These areas will take decades to regenerate.

You can see new vegetation shooting up through the ground.

I guess it did make the Pikes Peak views easier to see.

Our World Tuesday

Signs, Signs

Wiesbaden (2)

Here's another 1977 photo from Wiesbaden - I guess the trees were blooming when we were there.

Vintage Weekly