Sunday, July 31

Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak overlook
Eitan and I top Pikes Peak, the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. The ultra-prominent 14,115-foot 'fourteener' is located in Pike National Forest, 12 miles west by south of downtown Colorado Springs. The mountain is named after American explorer Zebulon Pike who was unable to reach the summit. The peak is higher than any point in the US east of its longitude.

I love this photo, which is how I see myself in my mind's eye. Were it always so.

Me: "You guys come a long way?" [15 or so bikers on Harley Davidsons, leathers, bald heads and American flag bandannas]
Biker 1: "From Iowa. Outside Des Moines."
Me: "Is it your crew? Do you guys always travel together?"
Biker 2: "Yeah, you could say we've known each other for a while."
Biker 1: "Just need to hit the road every now and again. Get out and see things, y'know ?"
Me: "I heard that."
Biker 1: "They killed another cop. Today, in Baton Rouge."
Me: "What is going on in this country ? Every day there is a shooting somewhere."
Biker 2: "It's no small thing when they're shooting police. Somebody's got to go away for that."
Me: "Why do you think it's happening?"
Biker 3: "Not my business. But if I had my way, no police would get shot."
Biker 2: "You got those problems in England?"
Me: "No. No guns either."
Biker 2: "That's your opinion."
Me:
Biker 3: "The guns aren't doing the shoot'n."