ABC’s Good Morning America is planning live shots from the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak on Friday as part of its “America the Beautiful, 50 states in 50 weeks” series, with visitors invited to appear in the background of those shots.
The series celebrates the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s admission to the union.
As Coloradans well know, a view from the summit in 1893 inspired Katharine Lee Bates to write the poem “America the Beautiful,” which later was set to music that made it an American anthem.
Good Morning America is recorded live beginning at 7 a.m., East Coast time, with the recorded show airing in Colorado at 7 a.m. MDT. Sunrise here will be at 6:30 a.m., which will come 90 minutes into the show. A spokeswoman for ABC News said GMA will air “cut-ins” from the summit throughout the show.
The show also will include a feature segment on a day in the life of a cadet at the Air Force Academy and a 90-second segment highlighting Colorado history, attractions and notable figures.
Good Morning America is visiting every state in order of its admission to the Union, having begun in Delaware last July. It will conclude the series in Hawaii on the Fourth of July. Colorado is 38th in the series, having become a state on Aug. 1, 1876. In the series, it follows Nebraska and precedes North Dakota.
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Participants hoping to appear in the live shot must register on the . There is no charge.
According to the Pikes Peak website, the live shots on the mountain will happen if weather allows. Registrants are encouraged to check the weather report for Colorado Springs on Thursday evening.
The Gateway entrance to the peak will open at 3:30 a.m., with no one admitted after 4 a.m. All-wheel or 4-wheel drive vehicles are "strongly recommended," according to the website. One ticket per group is required.
