Blodgett Peak

Blodgett Peak
Blodgett Peak
	Blodgett Peak seen from the Blodgett Peak Open Space
Highest point
Elevation	9,430 ft (2,870 m)
Coordinates	38°57′32″N 104°54′26″W / 38.9588808°N 104.9072021°W
Geography
	Blodgett Peak Colorado
Location	3898 W. Woodmen Road, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado, U.S.
Parent range	Rampart Range
Topo map(s)	USGS 7.5' topographic map; Cascade, Colorado

Blodgett Peak is located in El Paso County, Colorado.^[1] Blodgett Peak is located in Pike National Forest.^[3] and at its base is Blodgett Peak Open Space of Colorado Springs.^[2]

Overview

The peak is located in the 167-acre Blodgett Peak Open Space along Rampart Range of the Rocky Mountains, which is a wildlife habitat, including the peregrine falcons, and trails for hiking. The terrain contains Pierre Shale, Fountain Formation, and Manitou Limestone. Flora includes scrub oak, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine.^[4]

The peak is accessed from Woodmen Road in Colorado Springs.^[4] It is 10.1 miles (16.3 km) northwest by west (bearing 309°) of downtown Colorado Springs.

Mountain

Blodgett Peak was named for a family that settled in an area now part of the Air Force Academy in the 19th century.^[3]

It was the 1959 runner-up site for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Hardened Combat Operations Center to the command center built in Cheyenne Mountain. NORAD was particularly interested in a Colorado Springs location, and the Corps of Engineers recommended the selection of Cheyenne Mountain in March 1959.^[5]^[6]

The Blodgett Peak was burned during the 2012 Waldo Canyon fire.^[4] After the fire, the Blodgett Peak Restoration Project was initiated to develop soil and erosion control measures, remove dead trees along trails, plant trees, and reseed vegetation. There was a combined effort of U.S. Forest Service crews, the Rocky Mountain Field Institute, Air Force Academy cadets, and the Mile High Youth Corp to restore the trails, remove hazardous trees, install log erosion barriers and other erosion minimization approaches, and plant trees and seeds. Funding was provided by Pikes Peak Community Foundation and Great Outdoors Colorado totaling $75,000 in addition to monies raised by McCloskey Motors. A tour of the open space, including the undamaged areas, was conducted by the City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services on August 29, 2013, and the open space area was reopened. The open space was one of the first areas affected by the fire to reopen.^[7]

Hiking

The main route, and the most accessible, starts in the Blodgett Peak Open Space and is approximately 5 mi (8 km) round trip. The hike gains 2,400 ft (730 m) in elevation, with the trailhead starting at 7,158 ft (2,182 m).^[8]

In March 2015, a man attempting to hike to the top of the peak was reported missing by relatives. After search teams were sent out, the man's body was found off of the trail among a boulder field. The trail is noted to be hard to navigate, especially since the Waldo Canyon Fire has changed the landscape and notable landmarks for hikers.^[9]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Blodgett Peak". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
^ ^a ^b "Open Space Areas". City of Colorado Springs. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ ^a ^b "Blodgett Master Plan" (PDF). City of Colorado Springs. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Blodgett Peak Open Space". City of Colorado Springs. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ Preface by Buss, L. H. (Director) (14 April 1959). North American Air Defense Command and Continental Air Defense Command Historical Summary: July–December 1958 (Report). Directorate of Command History: Office of Information Services. pp. 154–5.
^ "NORAD Hardened Combat Operations Center". NORAD/CONAD Historical Summary (unclassified) (PDF). North American Aerospace Defense Command. January–June 1959. pp. 96–97. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
^ "Blodgett Peak Restoration Project Tour". US Fed News Service, Including US State News. The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd. September 1, 2013. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
^ "Blodgett Peak : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost". www.summitpost.org.
^ Staff, KRDO.com (23 March 2015). "Hiker dies after fall in Blodgett Peak Open Space". krdo.com.