After three miles (4.83km) of steep, sweaty climbing, we spot two local hikers ambling down the trail and strike up conversation. One of them, Ben Johnson, shares that he has ridden his bike to the top of the mountain twice. “Getting up high on Pikes Peak and looking out, it’s beautiful,” he says. “America is phenomenal. E pluribus unum: out of many, one. I still believe that.”










































































































































