A Mountain of Many Names

A Mountain of Many Names. . The Ute Indians say they have always lived in the hills of Colorado. They referred to the Rocky Mountain’s easternmost peak as Sun Mountain because it vibrantly catches the early morning rays. In the late 1700s, Spaniards referred to the peak as El Captain. It wasn’t until after the Louisiana purchase in 1803 that the lasting namesake set eyes on the mountain., A “blue cloud” in the Distance. Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike was dispatched in 1806 to survey the southwest section of that recent purchase. Pike kept a journal detailing his travels and on November 15 he wrote about a mountain or blue cloud in the distance he called Grand Peak. Pike and his men attempted and failed to reach the summit due to a blizzard on November 24, 1806., The first recorded ascent was in 1820 by botanist Dr. Edwin James. The leader of the expedition, Major Stephen H. Long, named the mountain James Peak in his honor. During the 1850s, Pikes Peak became the official name for the mountain., The Pikes Peak or Bust gold rush of 1859 brought thousands of opportunity-seekers to the slopes of the mountain and national notoriety., (caption: “I believe no human being could have ascended to its pinnacle.” Lt. Zebulon Pike, November 24, 1806.