Friends of the Peak was founded in 1995 to be an active voice for Pikes Peak.
Mary Burger was one of the key founders and remained the driving force for Friends of the Peak for years, and still serves as an inspiration to current Friends who know her. Mary was on the board of directors from the beginning of the organization through 2010 and remained active, leading projects, through 2011. Mary was president from 1998 through 2007. Not only did Mary handle all the duties of president, but she also planned and led the volunteer trail projects and took care of the tools. For the 20th anniversary, Mary wrote her memories of the beginnings of Friends of the Peak.
Jim Strub, a long-time volunteer with Friends of the Peak and advocate for Pikes Peak, who served on the North Slope Watershed Committee and Pikes Peak Highway Advisory Commission, was involved with the Pikes Peak Multi-Use Plan and Ring the Peak from their inception. Jim wrote his perspective on the beginnings of Ring the Peak and the Ring’s status as of the 20th anniversary of Friends of the Peak.
The links to the right lead to Mary’s memories of the founding and early history of Friends of the Peak and Ring the Peak and to Jim’s notes on Ring the Peak.
Pikes Peak has been the focus of human activity for centuries, by Ute Indians, trappers and Spanish explorers. The Louisiana Purchase prompted scientific interest in the early 1800s, followed by gold miners, homesteaders, and entrepreneurs.
For a brief history of the mountain, visit the Aramark web site. The Pike and San Isabel National Forests web site has a good history of the Pike National Forest. For more detailed accounts of the early settlement of Pikes Peak, see a series of pamphlets available for sale at the Old Colorado City History Center. In 1916, Adeline and Augusta VanBuren were the first women to ride motorcycles across the United States and the first women to motorcycle up the Pikes Peak Highway. Since 1956, Pikes Peak has been the site of a grueling marathon. If you are a runner you may enjoy Matt Carpenter’s web site (click the Pikes Peak link). He also has an extensive bibliography of books on the history of the peak and running the peak. Matt also presents a very complete account of the Oil Creek Tunnel, one of the most interesting historic sites on the peak.
Many artifacts left behind on the mountain attest to this early interest. Hikers might encounter log cabin ruins, prospect holes, mines and mining structures. Trail users are urged to leave these artifacts where they find them, so that others may enjoy them. In addition, the area is rich in more prominent relics of the past, such as the Cripple Creek and Victor Historic Mining District, Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway and the ghost town at Oil Creek Tunnel, accessible from the Elk Park Trail branching off the Barr Trail at Barr Camp.
Historical USGS topo maps can by downloaded with these links:
1893 Colorado Springs
1894 Pikes Peak
Friends of the Peak Beginnings by Mary Burger
Ring the Peak Beginnings by Jim Strub
