The Strategic Military Advantage by Eric Swab

Pikes Peak offered advantages which lured the U. S. Military to select the summit for several research activities. Those advantages were high altitude, the resources of a nearby town, and the eventual summit house, offering accessibility and accommodations. Eric’s talk will address three research projects: enhanced weather forecasting, the effects of high altitude on human physiology and improved performance of World War I aircraft engines.

When Eric retired in 2004, he began hiking on Pikes Peak. He found the Peak littered with the remains of human activity. He became intrigued with the history of what he found and started a new avocation of research. As a volunteer for the National Forest he researched the history of Fremont Experimental Forest, the Skelton Mountain Ranch, the Manitou Incline and the Monument Nursery. His published books are “From Utility to Attraction: A History of the Mt. Manitou Park & Incline Railway” and “Fred Barr, Pikes Peak Entrepreneur”. Books will be available for purchase and autograph.

Guests are welcome! Membership in the Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners is open to all individuals with an interest in Western history.