City: Stranded hikers must pay for a ride down Pikes Peak

A proposal by the Pikes Peak Highway to implement a fee structure for hikers who ask for rides off the top of the mountain was adopted last week by Colorado Springs city council without opposition or discussion.

Highway officials say they have seen an increase in the number of hikers who arrive at the top of the 14,115-foot peak and, because they are tired or it is dark, call 911 and ask for a ride down. Highway officials will now charge $500 a person for such rides, which they say reflects the cost of bringing in employees who have gone home already to make the long drive up the mountain in the dark.

Under the fee structure approved by city council, hikers who call for a ride before workers have gone home will pay $100 each, and hikers who ask for transport from one location to another, such as from the summit to Glen Cove, during regular hours will be charged $20 each.

The council passed the measure as part of the consent agenda.