New Summit House On Track For May 2021 Opening

Two years and two months into construction, the new summit house atop Pikes Peak is starting to look like what we thought it would in the beginning.

The most recognizable feature so far is the grand staircase, which visitors will descend when first entering the building while enjoying an extraordinary view toward Mount Rosa to the southeast.

"You're starting to see the building really look like a building," notes Jack Glavan, Manager of Pikes Peak - America's Mountain.

Glavan manages the mountain, and says among the many recent milestones is the arrival of permanent power and other utilities inside the structure, and the transfer of the famous donut machine from the old summit house to the new one.

"Quite exciting as we go on through the rest of construction season," he said during a media tour on Monday.

However, the fresh ice on the fencing outside is a reminder that the construction season is winding down.

It was 10 degrees at the summit on Monday, which felt more like -10 with the wind, and propane heaters only go so far.

Nearly 100 members of the construction team go through the entrance gates every day around 5am, before working 8-10 hours a day.

Crews estimate they have 6 weeks to get the exterior walls and windows done in order to allow work to continue on the interior.

Rob Clough, the Project Superintendent with GE Johnson, hopes to meet that deadline.

"We've ordered most all of the windows, and those are progressing as well. With the windows being installed, we're working toward closing this thing completely for winter," he says.

Despite the extreme conditions, the work is on schedule, with about 65% completed so far.

Glavan anticipates the grand opening will be held sometime around Memorial Day of 2021.

He also noted that there is still about $3 million in private donations that still needs to be raised, and hopes the public will consider sponsoring a bench, plank, or paying for a spot on the donor wall.

Clough is especially proud that none of his workers have gotten seriously hurt or sick in these extreme conditions.

He is also excited that the public will now be able to experience the new summit house in a matter of months.

"I think as people come and start to visit Pikes Peak and come into the new visitors center, I think they're going to be just taken in by really the magnitude of what we've done here. We'll just cap what the views around us are all about.

As the caretakers of the mountain, Glavan hopes to get G.E. Johnson crews up there every day, even if they have to plow the road to do that.

As long as it's safe, they want the work to continue.