Edwin James is credited as the first person to reach the summit
of the 14,115* foot mountain to the north. The peak was called
James Peak after his successful climb, but renamed Pikes Peak to
honor the first American to discover it.
Ironically, Zebulon Pike never climbed the mountain that now
bears his name. He himself called it Grand Peak, but showed it
simply as "highest peak" on his map of the area. Forced to turn
back when he and his men attempted to climb it in 1806, Pike
predicted the mountain would never be climbed.
Millions of people have now reached the summit on foot, by train
(the cog railway), bike, or by automobile.
* Pikes Peak is officially listed as 14,110 feet, but modern
technology (GPS, of course) has shown the mountain to be 5 feet
taller than originally thought. The maps have not been updated due
to the considerable expense of doing so.
