Pikes Peak greets every new year with the flash, sparkle and boom of pyrotechnics.
It’s a tradition that began in 1922. Five mountaineers, inspired by flares left behind during tourist season by trainmen of the Cog Railway, climbed through a raging blizzard to reach the top of Pike’s Peak. Just before midnight, the storm lifted. They made a bonfire of railroad ties, then lit up the mountain with the skyrockets they heaved to the summit. The next year, to help carry the load of fireworks, they added a man. And they did the same the year after that. It’s a tradition that has continued as the AdAmAn Club.
But these days, as the men and women of the AdAmAn Club embark on a 2-day climb up Pikes Peak every 30th of December, there is at least one difference from the early days: where each AdAmAn once hauled 25 pounds of fireworks, now their entire arsenal waits for them at the top, hauled up by the last cog train of the season.
About Colorado Postcards
Colorado Postcards are snapshots of our colorful state in sound. They give brief insights into our people and places, our flora and fauna, and our past and present, from every corner of Colorado.
