As most Coloradans know, the lyrics to “America the Beautiful” were inspired by a trek to the summit of Pikes Peak via prairie wagon in 1893. But when Katharine Lee Bates penned a poem called “Pikes Peak,” which became an American anthem after it was set to music in 1910, she could scarcely have imagined the great mountain becoming a trash heap. Outdoor recreation advocates fear that’s precisely what is happening to the majestic 14,107-foot peak that soars above Colorado Springs, along with the surrounding Pike National Forest. “We’re trashing America’s Mountain,” says Susan Davies, executive director of the Trails and Open Space Coalition of the Pikes Peak region. The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway.