On this day in 1806, Zebulon Pike (amazing name) spotted the famous mountain that would eventually bear his name. Pike was a U.S. Army officer leading an expedition to explore the southwestern part of the Louisiana Purchase. He and his men attempted to climb the mountain, but struggled through snow and freezing temperatures, before giving up without even reaching the base of the mountain. The first European-American would climb it 14 years later. In the summer of 1893, Katharine Lee Bates wrote the words to the song “America the Beautiful” after admiring the view from the top of Pikes Peak. Lots of people have since climbed the 14,000+ foot mountain, but only 4 people can say they’ve done it while pushing a peanut up to the summit with their nose. Just this past summer, a Colorado Springs man completed the feat in 7 days, breaking the previous record of 8 days. He used a spoon taped to a sleep apnea mask, and did most of his hiking at night to avoid the heat and attention from onlookers. Learn more here.