Why can’t you ski on Pikes Peak? A local historian has the answer

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - If you ever looked at the fresh snow on Pikes Peak and wanted to ski down its slopes, you're not alone. While in the past skiers used to glide down America's Mountain, shedding powder on Pikes Peak isn't allowed anymore.

This weekend, the Manitou Springs Heritage Museum honored the history of skiing on Pikes Peak. The museum invited speaker Don Sanborn, a local runner, racer, mountaineer, and historian, to help tell the tale of skiing's rich history in the Pikes Peak region.

Sanborn said skiing had a nearly six-decade long run. "It started out with ski jumping and then toboggan and then just normal skiing. You know, like we do today, but it was using very old equipment."

Ski jumping started in 1929 with the Silver Spruce Ski Club.  The group moved up to Glen Cove in 1935 and switched to downhill skiing, with a move of the area in the late 1940s.

One of the reasons for the end of skiing on Pikes Peak? Poor snow conditions. The end of skiing came in 1984, 55 years after the first ski jump.   

You can learn more about what happened at the new winter exhibit at the Manitou Springs Heritage Museum: "Ski Areas of the Pikes Peak Region."