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OPINION
I talked about this years ago, but I thought I would update it. Ever heard of Balanced Rock? No, Not the one in Garden of the Gods! Would you believe there are at least five in the Pikes Peak Region. One is near Jimmy Camp. Jimmy Camp Bluff, south of 94 and east of Marksheffel stands out by itself in the valley. On the northeast end is a spot called Balanced Rock. The others are in the mountains to our west. I found an old post card with a picture of a Balanced Rock that was supposed to be near Woodland Park, so I went looking for it. In my search I turned up the others. One is on Cameron’s Cone. That is the mountain between Cheyenne Mountain and Pikes Peak with the rounded top. It sort of blocks our view of the white mountain. It is a large oval rock, bigger by four or five times than the one in the Garden. It is perched on a couple smaller ones. There was a trail up the back of Cameron’s Cone from Halfway House on the Cog Railway. About half way up the trail, another one branched off toward the rock. A picture of it in the Gazette some 75 years ago said it was difficult to get to. Another one is west of the Air Force Academy, off Rampart Range Road. There is a road called Balanced Rock Road of Rampart to the east. In a picture taken about 90 years ago it looks like a big nose. It stands some 66 feet tall, but apparently is now hidden in the trees. One of the area trail guides says no one has seen it in years and its exact location is unknown! There are supposed to be two Balanced Rocks closer to Colorado Springs, one on Cheyenne Mountain above the old Stage Road, which is the access to the Gold Camp Road. Not as big as the one near Manitou, it is said to be in a spot where it could cause some excitement if it fell. One report said it had fallen, years ago. One is near Bear Creek Canyon, not far up the road, it too is now hidden in the trees. Up In Engelmann Canyon there are a few that could be called Balanced Rock, but they all have other descriptive names. To confound all this none are the one in the post card, I’m still looking for that one. I have learned of at least four more! each within an easy drive of here, but the unknown locations are still not located. I even have post cards for some of them. I have been given instructions on how to find the one near Woodland Park, but still have not located it!
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