Purple Mountains Majesty Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Katharine Bates was inspired to write a poem while sitting on Pikes Peak, in the heart of the Rockies, in 1893. That poem eventually was set to music and became the popular patriotic song which some think should be the national anthem.

Answer: British Columbia / New Mexico

The Rockies stretch all the way from the northern part of British Columbia, which is the westernmost province of Canada, down to New Mexico in the United States. New Mexico is one of the most southern states and borders Mexico.

Answer: Mount Robson / Mount Elbert

Mount Robson is the highest peak of the Canadian Rockies and it is located in British Columbia. It is 12,972 feet or 3,956 meters high. Mount Elbert is the highest U.S. Rockies peak, standing 14,440 feet or 4,401 meters high in Colorado.

Answer: Where rain water, snow melt runoff separates to flow to Atlantic & Pacific oceans

The Great Divide starts in Alaska, runs through the Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, the north/south length of the U.S., the north/south length of Mexico, then through Central and South America. It is an invisible water drainage dividing line. Rain and snow melt on one side of the line flows to the Atlantic Ocean and water on the other side flows to the Pacific Ocean. There are other continental divides in the Americas.

Answer: Lake Louise, Alberta

Lake Louise is called a town, a village, or hamlet. It is located 5,033 feet above sea level and is inside Banff National Park. From the town, you can see many of the Rocky Mountains including Mounts Temple, Niblock, and Whyte.

Answer: Banff

Although there are many reasons to visit Banff, the Rocky Mountains are a huge draw. There are several great ski slopes, and if most of the snow has melted, you can still ride gondolas, hike, bike, climb or soak (in the hot springs).

Answer: Gateway Arch National Park

There are so many wonderful sites to take in at these parks. The Great Sand Dunes Park in Colorado boasts the tallest dune in North America (750 feet). Yellowstone (in Wyoming) is famous for Old Faithful Geyser that blasts up to 8,400 gallons of boiling water as high as 185 feet straight up. The Grand Tetons in Wyoming has nearly 200 miles of hiking trails and the tallest mountain in the Teton range. Gateway Arch is in St. Louis, Missouri. Government parks help preserve the flora and fauna for future generations.

Answer: The bridge took 5 years to complete.

This bridge was completed in six months. It is almost 1,300 feet long, 18 feet wide and suspended 955 feet over the Arkansas River. Until 2003, it was the highest bridge in the world. The whole thing is part of a park with a cable car that travels over the gorge and a train that travels inside the gorge.

Answer: independent mountains more than 14,000 feet above mean sea level

Pikes Peak is 4,302 meters above sea level (14,115 feet). There are 54 fourteeners in Colorado and 88 in the U.S. The goal for some groups is to climb or ski as many fourteeners as possible in a lifetime. Within Colorado, several groups have been organized, some sports oriented and some nonprofits to protect the fourteeners and the recreational opportunities they provide.

Answer: hot air balloon

There is a 19 mile highway that you can use to drive up to the peak. There are souvenir shops and restaurants along the way. An annual race for cars and motorcycles has been run on this highway since 1916. Barr Trail is for those who prefer to get some exercise by running, walking, or biking up to the top. During the annual Pikes Peak Marathon, runners run to the top and back down to complete the race.

This trail is right next to the cog railway depot that will take you to the top of the peak. Once there, you should know that the temperature, even during the summer, rarely gets above 40 degrees.

There are also warnings about lightning strikes above the tree line. Snow, wind, rain or hail can blow up at any time. The US Army runs a research lab at the peak studying the effects of altitude on humans.

There is only 60% oxygen available as compared to sea level. After all these warnings, you'll find the trip worth it, if it is clear, the view is amazing, bring a panoramic camera.