Day 3

Today's post really needs to start with last night, just before I went to bed.  Jacob, Dad, Jen, and Jessica all went down swimming together, and when they came back up, Jacob grabbed me and said "DID I TELL YOU I ALMOST GOT MURDERED?!"  As it turns out, Jacob and Jessica went down to swim after Dad and Jen did, and as they were waiting for the elevator, an arm reached around the corner, grabbed Jacob's wrist, and screamed "BWRAAAHHH!"  As Jacob was dying of the ensuing heart attack, another patron of the Inn apologized profusely, as he thought Jacob was his girlfriend.  Yes, Jacob is that pretty.  Yes, Fate was incorrect in its vengence.  Pretty sure Fate was sposed to get Jennifer.

You wouldn't believe how many things around here are named after Pike's Peak.  Pike's Peak Grocery, Best Trinkets Pike's Peak, Your Pike's Peak Mom Goes to College.  Mom tried to pull up the directions to the mountain in the GPS...and yeah, pretty much everything has "Pike's Peak" in it.

And if you haven't figured out yet...WE'RE GOING TO PIKE'S PEAK!  As soon as Jacob head about the wind, he made sure to pack his hat...and a comb.  We're filling up at a gas station before heading up, and he's already whupped his comb out to fix his luscious locks.  I told him it's a lost cause, but ya know... Carly Simon had it right.

The weather is absolutely perfect today: 71 degrees and slightly windy, but to jen everything is "freezing" even though we're only 5 minutes up the mountain.  She must be nervous because she hasn't stopped talking since we started.

I was blown away by the fact that several people are skiing and snowboarding down the mountain.  They're my heroes.  The just sorta stare down the mountain, grin a little, push off, and cut down the slope like nothing I've ever seen.  Dad keeps acting like he's going to fall off the edge and the girls are freaking out. It really reminds me of my grandma when we were here last.

The wind and the snow up top are intense.  There are no wonders I can find to describe the majesty and grandeur of this place.  Our world is wonderfully made.  I got chills of patriotism reading the America the Beautiful plaque that overlooks the purple mountains and fields of amber grain.

Even though we had weak legs from oxygen deprivation, Jacob and I
ventured down to the Free Mason deposit, and then climbed down to a cliff.  It was totally worth it.  The view was spectacular.

Despite almost all the girls getting altitude sickness, we simply had to have the famous Pike's Peak donuts. They can only be made at this altitude, and they are delicious.  I've never had anything like them before.

On our way down, Jacob, Dad, and I made our mark on Pike's Peak.
  We climbed on tons of huge rocks (if you look closely at the picture on the right, you can barely see Jessica waaaaayyyy down below us.  Near Jacob's shoulder) that drop into oblivion, and we saw our first marmot!  I wish I could show you all the pictures we've taken...so many fantastic ones.

I always feel a strong sense of sadness leaving the great Peak at my back.  It leaves deeper resonances in my mind of things past and things to come.  I think a trip to Pike's Peak is amiss if you do not descend a person different from the man who ascended the mountain.

We spent the rest of our day driving all over creation in search of somewhere to eat (that's an entirely different story involving expensive bbq, the incompetence of Arby's workers, and exactly who's fault it was that we drove all the way across town for nothing.  I'll let you know as soon as we figure it out), and exploring a small area of Colorado called Red Canyon.  It's similar to a miniature version of Garden of
the Gods, which we'll be visiting tomorrow (AAAHHH!!!), and even
though it was a bit hot, Jacob and I found plenty of rocks to climb on.  Go figure.  And to do crazy Michael Jackson shadow poses.  As evidenced in the right picture there.  Grandma would be terrified, let me tell ya.

So that's today.  It's been great.  Jacob and I are watching MIB2 and eating pizza right now, and the rest of the fam is next door eating the same and watching the BBC Pride and Prejudice.  Super looking forward to tomorrow.  Can't wait to write to you all again!