Another siding comes up, Mountain View, which is the half-way point on the journey. At about the 5 mile point, the grade steepens again. Now we begin climbing in earnest. It is estimated that some trees on Pikes Peak are almost 2000 years old. Once we climb above timberline, the views become more expansive.
Timberline is the area where trees stop growing.
Here passengers frequently see Bighorn sheep and yellow-bellied marmots. Please see the section A bout Pikes Peak for more information on the life zones found on Pikes Peak. The last 3 miles are all above timberline. To the east stretch the Great Plains out beyond the border of Colorado and Kansas. On the western horizon, just slightly to the southwest, lies the collegiate range.