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Old 04-28-2009, 09:49 AM
 
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Anyone ever take the Cog train up to pikes peak? I looked online and the prices are pretty high $$ about $30 for a round trip, I'm just looking for some feed back from folks.. I think im going to do it anyway and film the entire thing, this way i get my money's worth.... let me know of the good and bad of this.... Thanks
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:00 AM
 
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Gee, that'll be one exciting film.
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:04 AM
 
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Have taken the trip 3 times, well worth the cost. There is plenty of free parking at the station.

I believe you want an "A" ticket, the window seat that looks away from the mountain and has the best views.

You get about 45 minutes up at the top to walk around and take pix, etc, before the return trip, which must be on the same train you arrived on.
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:19 AM
 
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Mike, thank you for the reply... so you said an A ticket... Hmmm I would then be looking towards eastern Colorado? shouldn't i stick with the mountain views to the west? I took a road trip out there last year and went to Red Rocks.. took a bunch of film but was clumsy about my video shooting.. I was too excited and moving around too much, that when i finally got home and sat down ready to watch the film, it was all bouncy.. You could not watch the video without getting a headache.. I spent 2 days last year out there.. Took the family on a road trip... Very nice i want to move there...
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:28 AM
 
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I rode the train last summer. The problem with being on the mountain side is that the mountain is literally right there. It fills your field of view and you just see a bunch of rocks. The other side of the train could see for hundreds of miles. I was on the mountain side of the train. I have some pictures in my albums (click the picture icon below my name) to give you an idea what to expect. All of the long views were shot on top of the mountain or looking across the train out the other side's window.
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:34 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coloradohh View Post
Mike, thank you for the reply... so you said an A ticket... Hmmm I would then be looking towards eastern Colorado? shouldn't i stick with the mountain views to the west? I took a road trip out there last year and went to Red Rocks.. took a bunch of film but was clumsy about my video shooting.. I was too excited and moving around too much, that when i finally got home and sat down ready to watch the film, it was all bouncy.. You could not watch the video without getting a headache.. I spent 2 days last year out there.. Took the family on a road trip... Very nice i want to move there...
Seating is 5 across in 3-2 format, with seated marked as A-E.

The A-B-C tix are on the 3-seat side. Tix D-E are on the 2-seat side.

The A seat has the window side with views that first look to the east, then to the south, then west towards Cripple Creek and Victor, as the train moves up and around the mountain. Nearer the top, you get to mountain ranges that are WAY far south and west, perhaps a hundred miles away.

The E seat looks out a window at the side of the mountain, and once above tree line, the E ticket holder looks out their window at nothing but rock. Almost all of the good views are out the A side of the train. You can see it from the E seat, but you'd be filming the backs of people's heads. At the top you can get views in 360-degrees to all directions. The first 1/3 of the trip all seats are good, there are items of note on both sides, but once you get some elevation, the long views are out the A side.

Note, temps up top are ALWAYS 30-degrees colder than in COLO SPGS. If it's 45 here, it's 15 up there. And always windy.
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:38 AM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 35,071,597 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coloradohh View Post
Anyone ever take the Cog train up to pikes peak? I looked online and the prices are pretty high $$ about $30 for a round trip, I'm just looking for some feed back from folks.. I think im going to do it anyway and film the entire thing, this way i get my money's worth.... let me know of the good and bad of this.... Thanks
Well, personally I loved it. I do not care for Colorado much, and I could care less about the mountains (Pike's Peak included) and I am certainly NOT the railway fan that my husband is, and I don't like heights much. LOL but I can tell you that I really enjoyed the cog railroad.

It's a bit slow going, but on the way up you see a lot of interesting things. Ruins of old buildings, stunted cedar trees, interesting rock formation. It's really amazing once you get past the tree line to see how everything changes so dramatically. And of course, being up on the top of the mountain where the air is very rarified is fun too. I did get a major case of the "altitude stupids", which was kind of fun in its own way. People can get headaches too, but once you start back down, that goes away.

Funny, I remember the ride up perfectly but can't remember *anything* about the return trip (probably the alititude stupids). Thank goodness I took lots of pictures.

I highly recommend it. I'd pay twice the price or more. It's just not something you can do ANYWHERE else.

I really would not go though, with young children. I mean it can be very dangerous and frankly, I don't know how much they would really get out of it other than it being a fun ride.

20yrsinBranson
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:40 AM
 
Location: SW Missouri
15,853 posts, read 35,071,597 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Coloradohh View Post
Mike, thank you for the reply... so you said an A ticket... Hmmm I would then be looking towards eastern Colorado? shouldn't i stick with the mountain views to the west? I took a road trip out there last year and went to Red Rocks.. took a bunch of film but was clumsy about my video shooting.. I was too excited and moving around too much, that when i finally got home and sat down ready to watch the film, it was all bouncy.. You could not watch the video without getting a headache.. I spent 2 days last year out there.. Took the family on a road trip... Very nice i want to move there...
The view is out over the low lands/valley/city, not the mountains. The mountains look the same whether you are at 3,000 or 13,000 feet.

20yrsinBranson
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:53 AM
 
25 posts, read 126,090 times
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Thank you Mike and Escape California... Both replies were very informative.. I think i am going to do just that... We are going in Aug, i think we should be fine weather wise... but I will keep in mind what you said about it being windy up there... by the way can i drive up to pikes peak in my car if i wanted too? I dont live in Colorado and never been to pikes peak sorry for the newbie question....i heard you can but they don't have rails along the way up, so yes you can fall right off the mountain to your doom! how many accidents on average are there due to out of towners not knowing or not paying attention to the roads....
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Old 04-28-2009, 10:59 AM
 
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20yrsinbranson, you said don't go with kids? I have 2 little ones under 6 and 3 and i do plan on taking them... does the Pikes Peak Cog warn folks about this ahead of time? I have a backpack for the little guy, kind of like a hiking backpack, i can place him in there and off we go... are strollers a common thing to see on or up there? should i keep the kiddy stroller in the car? I dont plan to use it, anyone who has 2 kids knows that if you are carrying one, the other will not want to walk...
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