The rising sun hits this side of the 60-foot (18 m) rough granite pyramid. Constructed by the Union Pacific in 1882 it honors the Ames brothers, Oakes and Oliver, who were key early backers.

This was a landmark for passengers who stopped in the windswept town of Sherman, the highest point on the transcontinental railroad at 8247 feet. When the railroad bypassed this area for a lower grade several miles away, Sherman vanished--all except for foundation stones and a cemetery.

The Lincoln Highway originally took a parallel routing nearby, more than a decade after the town disappeared.

To bring everything up-to-date, a helicopter is silhouetted against a wispy cloud near the right top of the monument.