Pikes Peak – Pink Granite

First, before climbing to the top of Pikes Peak along the Cog Railway, it is imperative we know what makes up the majority of rocks you will see. It was first brought to my attention by the conductor that the rocks were primarily granite. Upon further research, pink granite to be more precise. The granite found along Pikes Peak is light gray or light pink, generally deeply weathered revealing a light brown color. Most of the rock were coarse-grained, containing primarily feldspar, quartz, pyrite and mica. As shown in the picture below, it was not uncommon to use the rocks from the local area to build with. Most buildings along the way contained the pink granite within the structure in some shape or form.

Source: Pikes Peak. (n.d.). The Geology of Pikes Peak. Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain. Retrieved October, 24, 2010 from http://www.pikespeak.us.com/Learn/geology.html.