Pikes Peak is America’s Mountain, but local skier and historian Don Sanborn (a graduate of Manitou Springs High School, class of ’77) knows it like none other.
He’s run in the Pikes Peak Ascent Half Marathon many times, and the Pikes Peak Marathon twice.
He was the Rookie of the Year, stock car division, in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2000, has been active with the race for many years and is the President of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Historical Association.
He was inducted into the AdAmAn club – the choice group of mountaineers who climb Pikes Peak and ring in the New Year with fireworks – in 2003 and is a past president of the club.
And that’s not even close to a full list of Sanborn’s Pikes Peak activities.
“Pikes Peak has been my playground for a good portion of my life,” Sanborn told the Bulletin, “And following in the steps of my family is what led me to many of the activities I’ve been involved in on the Peak.”
Sanborn was indeed born into connection with the mountain. His great-grandparents homesteaded on the west side of Pikes Peak between Divide and Cripple Creek; Sanborn grew up in Cascade.
“My mother’s father, Don Lawrie, has the most interesting history on Pikes Peak,” Sanborn said. “He worked for [Colorado Springs gold rush businessman and philanthropist] Spencer Penrose in the early days of the [Pikes Peak] highway, removing snow in the spring and driving tour cars in the summer. He later started the Pikes Peak Ski Club in 1935 and was the first Superintendent of the Highway when the City took it over in 1947. He’s the only person to have driven a truck to the summit completely off road, for a GM commercial in 1957.”
Sanborn’s father, Frank Sanborn, and his twin brother Nick Sanborn, both raced in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Nick won the stock car division five times and was the race CEO from the late 1980s through the 1990s.
“I’m at a point where I’m so full of stories from family, friends, and my own experiences, that I can’t go up the Peak without them spilling out unchecked,” Sanborn said, adding that his closing words in a “My Mountain” video interview he did for the City of Colorado Springs (available on YouTube) best summarized his relationship to Pikes Peak: “Pikes Peak is my mountain because it’s woven into the thread of my life and my heritage.”
Now we all have a chance to learn some Pikes Peak history from this resident expert. Sanborn will give a presentation titled “Ski Areas of the Pikes Peak Region,” concurrent with the opening of an exhibit by the same name on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m., at the Manitou Springs Heritage Center.
The presentation will discuss Sanborn’s grandfather’s work as the Pikes Peak Ski Club’s first president. Because of his and the club’s efforts, places like Pikes Peak Ski Area and Ski Broadmoor were successful for many years. The presentation will cover the evolution of skiing on Pikes Peak from 1929 through 1984, including but not limited to: Edlowe Ski Jumping Area and the formation of the Silver Spruce Ski Club; Glen Cove Ski Area and the formation of the Pikes Peak Ski Club; and Elk Park (Pikes Peak Ski Area).
In the presentation, you’ll hear stories of the dedication, perseverance and funding it took to establish and maintain the sport of skiing in the Pikes Peak Region under poor snow conditions. Plus, you’ll find out which amazing feat earned Lawrie a seat in the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame.
The exhibit will remain open until at least early June, according to the museum, telling the stories of the early skiing pioneers who were dedicated to promoting the sport of skiing within the Pikes Peak Region through a collection photos, maps and artifacts – including Lawrie’s wooden skis.
The Manitou Springs Heritage Museum (517 Manitou Ave.) may be reached at 719-685-1454 and ManitouHeritage@gmail.com and is online at ManitouSpringsHeritageCenter.org. Hours are Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. or by appointment.
