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Southern Colorado cold spell brings -22 wind chill to Pikes Peak Monday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Would sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow change your mind about visiting America's Mountain?

That's what we asked visitors to Pikes Peak Monday.

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Visitors come from across the country and around the world to visit the popular, scenic attraction -- often planning their trips months or years in advance.

Occasionally, visitors don't dress appropriately for the experience -- so do they continue their trips anyway, or do they cancel?

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"I had a young couple from Miami come here, and they had never seen snow before," said Paul Kullman, a tour guide from Arvada. "They actually had Crocs on their feet, and just sweatshirts. So we had to stop at a store and had to buy some boots and a jacket, because they were not used to this cold."

Guinevere Wilson, a New Zealand citizen who visited the Peak, likewise found the experience new.

"I expected it to be snowy," she said. "I wasn't really expecting it to be as cold as it is, because it's below zero every day. That's very cold. It doesn't get that cold in New Zealand."

The upper six miles of the Pikes Peak Highway, including the summit, were closed Monday because of ice and low visibility.

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Visitors who spoke with KRDO NewsChannel 13 said that they continued their trip by bundling up as best as they could.

"I thought I was prepared for the weather," said Jennifer Curtis, of New Jersey. "I was warm until the wind started blowing. It's a balmy 54 back in New Jersey, so this is quite a difference."

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While tourists were disappointed at not reaching the summit, a Washington state visitor said he found another benefit.

"I'm here to get some exposure to some higher elevation, in preparation for hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro here in a couple of weeks," said Brian Petersen.

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Meanwhile, the Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway had one rail car in operation Monday but didn't go to the summit.

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Lauren Nickal, of Denver, and her boyfriend, Huejgo Thibeaud, of France, were among a steady stream of passengers who boarded the noon train.

"We didn't know about the conditions before we came, but we decided to go, anyway," they said. "We brought stuff just in case, so we're ready for the weather."

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Despite the cold winter on the Peak so far, it doesn't compare to the winter of 2018-2019 when avalanche warnings were in place, and the summit was closed for most of that season.

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Scott Harrison

Scott is a reporter for KRDO. Learn more about Scott here.

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