At the last Happy Hour I’d vowed to make sure I wore hiking
clothes at the next one.Well, I just
didn’t feel like changing into hiking clothes just to go out.But I’d promised myself…So I asked the girls if I looked ok in my
jeans, work blouse, and heels.Yes, I
did, but they reminded me I was supposed to wear hiking clothes.We went back and forth on this a few times
(Emily:“Mom, you actually look good in
hiking clothes, you should wear them”) and in the end I just wore what I’d been
wearing all day.I was short on time and
wanted to get going.
I’d never been to the Cogstone Brewing Company before, but
my directions placed it right near the old Girl Scout Shop (kind of by Tees n
Time).I got there just a little after
6:30pm and backed into a space up front. I loved how the parking here was so much better than at the last HH!
As I walked up the front steps I met Scott again, who I will
forever remember as the “Cisco Guy”. There were a bunch of people already there, standing in the back corner
with their beer.
I went to get a beer of
my own at the counter, which wasn’t really set up for ordering that way.I got a red, and it came out to $5.41, which
I thought was a really odd number.How
are you supposed to tip on that?Then I
remembered this wasn’t a bar, it was a brewery, and they did things a bit
differently.Still though, shouldn’t it
have been wither $4 or $5 so a $1 tip would have been appropriate?Are you even supposed to tip at
breweries?I did, but now I’m wondering…
I digress.
When I got back to the 14er table they announced it was “Geek
Night” at the brewery, so it was going to be busy. It was basically a bunch of people who like
beer and geek trivia who meet every Wednesday at this particular brewery.
We made the decision to just go outside onto
the patio.
Just as a side note, Nate Pittman brought his dogs.Adorable!Oh, and these photos aren’t mine.I stole them from Stephanie’s post on the 14er page.I don’t feel comfortable yet taking photos at this event, but that will soon change.
It was cold, so someone tried to turn on the heater but
couldn’t get it working.I stood there
with Scott and Bill Anderson, who has the same tattoo I want to get on his arm
(hmmm) and works in the summer repairing trails above treeline on 14ers.He’s from Minnesota, has no kids but does
have a wife and dog.We discussed a way
to get to the Barr Trail through Green Mountain Falls, and then they brought
out the Pikes Peak Atlas.Which I need
BTW.Like, yesterday. It is a very detailed topo map of the Pikes
Peak region, including Mueller State Park. Most of the information it has isn’t available online (Stanley Canyon
still eludes me due to online directions). I was fascinated and we spent about 15 minutes pouring over it.
See? This is why I go
to these events. Apparently everyone
knew about this map and I didn’t. I don’t
know what I don’t know.
The conversation kept turning to Pikes Peak. I’m not sure why, but it did last time
too. Maybe because it’s the only peak I
have reference to. That needs to
change.
It was so cool listening to everyone else’s
conversations.At my table three people
were discussing their upcoming trip to Little Bear.They’d all climbed it before, but wanted to
try a different route.They were going back
and forth on dates, equipment, timing, weather, etc.I asked if it was ok if I just listened in as
they talked and they agreed.I couldn’t
help but be fascinated by their conversation. They were having the same discussions I have internally with myself
before going on a hike.I try to
describe this decision making to other people, but they just don’t “get it”.However, these were my people.We spoke the same language.Now I just need to find a way to get invited
to go along with them.
I went back inside to get a second beer (and had the same
tipping problem).
When I came back outside there were a few new people
there.One woman was from Southern
California, so we discussed some of the peaks there.I feel like I spend a lot of my time at these
events trying to prove myself.She’d done
Cactus to Clouds, but for some reason was sure it brought her to the top of Mt.
San Gorgonio.I assured her it was Mt. San
Jacinto (with views of San Gorgonio) and agreed it was a very challenging
hike.I hope to see her again because we
seem to have similar hiking abilities. She offered to share her pizza, multiple times, but even though I was
hungry I didn’t feel comfortable saying yes.
I overheard Yin Ling mention she was doing Rim to Rim next
week and tried to talk to her about it, but she was deep in Little Bear
preparations.When I was finally able to
snag her for details I didn’t get much: she was just a tagalong on the trip and hadn’t actually planned
anything.She didn’t realize the details
of the hike were so difficult to plan.How
can I be a tagalong?
Oh, and I shouldn’t have worried about what I wore.Sue Kim was there and she looked nice, so I
didn’t feel overdressed.
It felt like I left early but it was actually late when I
got home.I’d spent 3.5 hours there and
it had only felt like one.There is so
much I don’t know.So much to
learn.But what I really need to do is
just get out there so I can contribute to conversations and get some
experience.I’d love to be invited along
on some climbs, but I don’t think that’ll happen until I gain more
experience.I don’t feel like I made
much progress in the “hiking partner” department.I need to work on that.I also need to spend some quality time on
the14er site, getting to know how it’s used.
While hiking Castle Rock yesterday I saw this sign at the
base of the trail, indicating if you hiked the trail 4 times you’d have hiked
the equivalent of a 14er.
So much is wrong with this photo!Who’s idea was this, and how did it make it
this far?Flat 14ers?What?My
MBA is screaming“False advertising!”
In what way does this involve climbing?
I get someone out there is trying to encourage people to
exercise, and that’s great, but a sign like this is an outright lie.It’s giving people a false sense of achievement.I’ve hiked 14ers, and they are in no way equivalent
to walking around a park 5 times.In distance
yes.Technically distance wise they’re
the same.Comparing climbing a 14er to
walking on a flat trail in a circle?No.That’s like comparing someone who’s walked in
a straight line for an hour or climbing stairs for an hour. Or someone watching
a doctor give an operation and saying you’ve performed one.Comparing someone who’s flown a plane from
Los Angeles to Miami to someone who’s done it on a simulator.Can the person who used the simulator seriously
say they’ve flown?That it’s the same
thing?Yes, they went through the same
motions, but they aren’t the same!
This sign doesn’t take into account all the factors in
addition to distance that go into climbing a 14er.Things like elevation gain, the effects of
altitude, exposure, danger, route finding, fatigue, weight of necessary gear, obstacles
on the trail, etc.
This sign needs to be changed to:You CAN hike the distance.
I was alone today at work after 11:30am. I looked out the window, and noticed that while it was supposed to be cold and raining, the clouds had not yet moved in to the point where they were causing a problem. In fact, it actually looked a bit warm outside.
So I decided to hike Castle Rock. I’ve worked just outside the trail for over 5 years and I haven’t once hiked the rock. This is a shame, and something I intended to correct.
I’d done my research a while ago, and already knew the trail difficulty, directions, etc. The city page labeled it a difficult 1.4 mile loop, and strongly encouraged only fit hikers to attempt the trail.
So I drove to the trailhead and decided to take my lunch break hiking the rock. It was only 1.5 miles, so I should have plenty of time.
The trail was really well marked. Some of it even looked like a service road. It was all uphill to the top (obviously), but it was in no way a “hard” trail. So I ran.
The base of the rock looks pretty cool…
From the top I had a pretty good view of the entire front range, but it was really windy and the clouds were coming in for an afternoon storm, so the pictures aren’t too clear. Pikes Peak is in the middle/left of the photo below.
On the way down I took another part of the loop, and encountered a lot of railroad tie type stairs. I ran down those too.
At the bottom I noticed some of the trees were beginning to bloom, so I tried to get a cool shot of the rock. This was the best I could get.
As soon as I got to my truck is started snowing pretty hard, so I’d made the hike just in time.
Final thoughts: This trail was NOT difficult. It was really, really easy. So easy I ran. I was back at work less than half an hour after I’d left, including travel time and picture time. The rock is only 6224 feet, not that much of an achievement. But I climbed to the top, which was my goal, so I considered it a win!
I’ve been trying to attend one of these
events for almost a year but I just haven’t been available on the dates they’ve
occurred. I wasn’t available today
either, but our Rocket Troop meeting got cancelled at the last minute, so I
re-arranged an appointment for 8:30pm instead of 7pm and decided to go. By myself.
Going alone was a conscious
decision. There are several people I
could have invited, and who I would have enjoyed going with. Rebecca even offered to go with me and be my
designated driver, but I knew if I went
with someone I knew I wouldn’t have mingled and met other people, and that was
my main goal of attending this event: to
meet other like-minded 14er hikers and pick their brains.
I don’t get out much, so I had Rebecca
and Emily help me get dressed. Jeans and
a cami and heels. I felt
respectable.
Before leaving the house I quickly
posted to the event page: “Woohoo! I’m actually going to make it tonight! Long
time listener, first time caller… I’m excited to meet you all!”
I hopped in the truck and drove downtown
to the Cerberus Brewing Company. I’d
never been there before but had no trouble finding the place. Parking was insane! My truck was too big for their little parking
lot, but after a 20 point turn I was able to drive back out and was extremely
lucky to find someone vacating their spot just across the street. I pulled up as far to the curb as I could but
my truck still stuck out a little ways into the street. I was a bit of a hazard but I was legally
parked.
I saw people already seated that looked
like they’d be a part of the 14er crowd, so I quickly went to the bar to order
a beer. There were 4 of us in a line
that took 20 minutes. This was so not
cool! Since we were at a brewery (not a
bar), everyone in line ahead of me wanted to try several different beers before
ordering. UGH! The line at the bar should have been for
people who already knew what they wanted.
IMO, if you don’t know what you want, sit at a table and be served. Anyway, the bartender didn’t think far enough
ahead to take the order of people who knew what they wanted while those in
front of them were still deciding. When
it was finally my turn I asked for their largest option for beer (thinking it
was the 32oz) because I didn’t want to stand in that line again. I had hoped on ordering fries or something to
eat as well (I hadn’t eaten dinner yet), but that wasn’t possible at the walk
up counter. I was handed a 16oz Amber (which was very good
by the way) and headed out to the patio to meet some fellow hikers, resigned to
waiting in line again at a future point.
I saw two men sitting and talking at a
table outside that looked like hikers, so I introduced myself. No, they weren’t
hikers but bicyclers who’d just finished a ride. Whoops!
It was then I realized everyone there pretty much looked like a serious hiker. Gotta love Colorado!
We made small talk and I did get a lot
of great information from them about some trails at the Air Force Academy. We chatted for about 15 minutes before I left
them to enjoy their time.
Next I headed over to a circle of chairs
where everyone seemed to be introducing themselves. This looked like the right spot, so I made
myself comfortable and began chatting.
Some notes from the evening:
The brewery was crowded, especially for a Wednesday night. I’m not sure if it was because their beer is stellar (it was pretty good) or because they’re the only place to go in the area, but they were full from 6pm when I got there until 8pm when I left. Great for them, not so good for me (I’m not a fan of crowds or waiting for beer). I’ll probably visit this brewery again when I have more time and it’s less crowded. Just wondering when that may be?
I was overdressed. Usually I say you can never be overdressed, but it was a bit of a detriment in this case. The women there didn’t want to talk with me, and the men didn’t take me seriously until I’d talked with them a bit and proved I was a serious hiker. Note to self: wear hiking clothes next time.
Everyone was nice and cordial. This was a nice surprise because there are a few trolls on the FB site and I was hoping this wasn’t a culture type thing.
There were probably 30 of us all together.
There were way more men there than women (by a 7 to 1 ratio at least I’d say)
There was a woman there who hikes Pikes Peak every month (she’s done this for 60+ months in a row). I’ve never seen her on a trail, but she hikes during the week so our paths wouldn’t likely cross. I’m really bad with names, but I think her name is Yin Ling.
Other than her, the other hikers had only hiked Pikes Peak once. This surprised me since its right in our backyard. I was very surprised to hear most of them took the Crags route, and those who took Barr Trail took the train back down. Hmmm. They seemed to think I was crazy for hiking it so many times up and back. Oh, and they were impressed with my time too.
There were people there of all different hiking abilities.
Half of us were first timers to the event, the other half were regulars.
I was by far the novice with only hiking one 14er, but gained points for hiking it so many times.
I met several people, but in no way had time to meet everyone. I felt as if I had to cut a lot of conversations off early because I wanted to meet more people and I was time constrained. I could easily have stayed a few more hours. I felt bad for leaving so early.
No one had a regular workout routine, they just hiked 14ers.
I’m really bad at remembering names, so here are the names of some of the people I met, in hopes I’ll remember them better: Stephanie, Joe, Matt, Scott, Yin Ling, Matt, David, Karthik (KK, works for CTU, West Cost Swinger, from India)
I felt as if everyone was asking me
questions, and I didn’t get enough time to ask them questions back. I did learn several things however. Flat tires seem to be a problem on many of
the 4WD trails. I should do these with
other people and preferably with someone who has a jeep.
At one point I asked the group I was
sitting with “So, what allows you to hike?” and was met with blank stares. I was sitting in a group with all men, and
this apparently wasn’t a concern to them.
Their hobby was hiking, so they hike.
End of story. It’s not the same
for women hikers. I’m a full time mom
and I work full time, but my kids are getting older. Having my kids in school and not working
Fridays is what allows me to hike at this point in my life. Once again, this concept was foreign to them,
so I moved on to another subject. Hiking
goals.
I was surprised at how many of them had
already hiked all of the 14ers and are now working on 13ers. I met one man who
lives 2 blocks away from me who’s already hiked them all (Scott Davis). His advice was good advice: the shortest or standard route isn’t always
the best route. Many of them are boring
and I should seriously look into all routes before making the decision of which
to take. This seems like pretty good
advice, and something I probably wouldn’t have considered. We exchanged phone numbers and while he isn’t
really interested in hiking the 14ers again, he’d be open to giving me advice
on them all if needed.
This event was really a good way to meet
people with similar hiking goals. Everyone
was sharing information on previous trips, planning new ones, talking about
gear, etc. I saw several groups make plans for backpacking trips and several
14ers right there. There are a bunch of
peaks I know I’ll want hiking buddies (especially ones with technical gear and
possibly a Jeep). I need to figure out
how to be a part of this, which means I’ll definitely be attending the next
14er Happy Hour (if I can make it… I’m seriously going to try).
I left at 8pm because I had an 8:30
appointment, but I left wanting more.
After meeting other 14er hikers and listening to their stories I’m more
excited than even to begin this journey. In the course of taking with these
people I realized if they can do it, I can do it. As I’ve told many hikers while hiking: Start and stop stopping. Just keep going and you’ll make it. There’s a
book title in there somewhere.
I’ve actually had the poster for a few days, but I didn’t have a frame, so this afternoon I went out and bought one. The poster looks much better inside a frame, even if it is a cheap one. I bought a simple frame at Walmart because I plan on opening and closing it several times over the next few years and don’t want to invest too much on something that will most likely break with overuse. Once it’s complete I’ll get a nicer frame for the poster. I hung it outside my bedroom door. Rebecca noticed it when she got home: “Oh, I see you already have your poster hung up.”
This 18 x 24 inch poster was designed as a kind of log of your 14er hikes. 54 of Colorado’s 14ers are represented from original paintings of the summits by Robert L. Wogrin. There’s a small rectangle below each peak for you to write the date you successfully summited each 14er. I plan to write the summit number in the boxes instead of the date, and I also plan to put a picture of me at the summit over each image as I progress. In the photo I’ll most likely be holding a cardboard sign indicating the name of the summit, elevation, and date. Yes, I know that’s a predictable and sort of following the crowd type of thing, but it’s what I intend to do. I’m open to other suggestions?
Another idea: Collecting a small rock (maybe 1.5 inches?) from each summit, then writing the name of the summit and elevation in Sharpee on the rock. If I’m successful, I’ll have 54 rocks from the highest points of Colorado.
I
actually made this decision a few weeks ago but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had
time to write it out.
I’ve
never had the goal of hiking The List.I know a few people who’ve done all 54, and a
few others who are currently attempting them, but I’ve never felt the pull. Until
recently.
The
increased parking fee I incurred last month at Barr Trail did it:I came to the realization I could either
spend $20 to hike Pikes Peak over and over again, or I could spend that $20 on
gas and add to my knowledge of 14ers.
So
I did some research.OK, quite a bit of
research.I pulled up an interactive map
of all 54 14ers in Colorado (yes, I know that number’s debatable) and seriously
looked into their complexity ratings.I
put together a spreadsheet, detailing elevations, round trip route lengths,
technical difficulty and drive distance from my house.
Over
75% of 14ers in Colorado are listed as “easy” or “moderate”, and all are within
a 6 hour drive.Most are under 10 miles
round trip, and attainable in a day, even with the drive. There are a few that
require technical training, and a couple of weekend backpacking trips are
necessary to accomplish some in the southwestern part of the state due to their
remoteness.But they’re actually quite
doable, and I’m in pretty good shape, so I don’t need to prep to get started. There
are a few where I could actually bag 2, 3, or 4 in a single day!
In
the beginning I was thinking I’d just do a couple this summer, but the more I
researched the more excited I got about actually making a goal out of The List.
I
bought the book 14er Disasters.I love these types of books because I can
learn from others mistakes.Hiking a
14er is no joke.There are many
obstacles to hiking at such an elevation, not to mention the distance you are
from help/rescue if something were to go seriously wrong.Which it does, even to the most prepared of
hikers.
The
first few pages of 14er Disasters mentioned The List was first completed in 1923.
Hmmmm.2023 is just a few years
away.I did the math, and I could
realistically conquer all 14ers by the 100th Anniversary of the
first duo to complete them. I love
goals, and this actually sounds exciting.
So
I registered on 14ers.com and made a profile. My accomplishments so far are actually quite respectable: I have
backpacking experience.I’ve summited all
the highest mountains in Southern California, as well as summiting Pikes Peak
12 times. Yes, I’ve only done one 14er, but I’ve hiked it 12 times.I think that gives me pretty good experience
with what a 14er has to offer in the way of weather, exposure, and the physical
toll the altitude takes on your body, not to mention the exhaustion from the hike
itself.
So
that’s my new goal.I’m currently
working out my summer hiking schedule, but I figure I’ll start with a few “easy”
ones just to get them out of the way and work my way up from there.
No,
I don’t plan on hiking alone.I will if
need be, but as soon as I get a schedule together I’m going to make the dates
available to all my Girl Scouts.I know
a bunch of them will be excited at the opportunity to hike multiple 14ers this
summer, in addition to Pikes Peak.Starting with “easy” ones will help me gauge
who’s serious enough to conquer some of the more difficult routes.
This whole week has been unseasonable gorgeous. I’ve been itching to get outside and hike, but we’ve been really busy with cookie sales, Girl Scout Meetings, etc. I could probably have gone this past weekend, but I’m not a fan of hiking on weekends (too many people). This week I’m working from home, which meant I could probably work really hard and get all my work done and still find time to hike. Today’s weather looked perfect, so I decided to hike today.
I got up at my normal time and went to the gym, ran 5 miles, lifted for about 10 minutes, then did half an hour of yoga. I came home, took Emily to school, and was off to the Incline. I’ve only hiked the incline once before (back in October of 2012), but I frequent the Barr trail to hike Pikes Peak. I figured I’ve got this.
I could actually feel the adrenaline start pumping as I neared the trail head. I was so excited to take this hike! It’s been way too long since I’ve been out (November 8, 2016 to be exact).
When I got there I was surprised to find the Barr Parking Lot had increased their fees, and required reservations through an app. NOT COOL. I was aware last year they were considering this, but didn’t think they were foolish enough to enact a $20 per day parking fee. They did however, and took it one step further by requiring you to plan in advance. Do they know anything about hikers?????
…I digress. There was a cop in the parking lot monitoring to make sure everyone had a pass (there were 2 cars in the parking lot at the time… not even paying for him to be there). So I drove around and looked for another place to park.
Yippee! I found one at $10 per day, only to discover it was limited to 4 hours. I’d need to be back at my car by 12:01pm. I inwardly cursed (this meant I’d ONLY be able to do the Incline, and not head to Barr Camp as intended because 4 hours wasn’t enough time for the hike. I once again asked myself “What is Manitou THINKING?????” and hurried because now my time was seriously limited.
It was 8am, so not many people were at the beginning of the trail when I got there. I started at a steady pace, and I’m proud to say not one person passed me on the way up, but I passed dozens of people. For a Monday, there were actually a lot of people on the trail.
I’ve only hiked the Incline once before, a long time ago before they “fixed” it. I remembered it being difficult, and cursing the fact I’d gone to the gym in the morning. This time it was challenging as well, but i knew what to expect. The only “bad” part was people blasting their music as they hiked. As if enjoying nature is too much to ask? News flash: no one else enjoys your music. Wear headphones please.
I didn’t stop until I was about ¾ of the way up, then I would hike 100 steps then stop to take 2 deep breaths and begin again. It seemed to work! I made it to the top in 33 minutes 39 seconds!
I stopped to take a few selfies (something I rarely do) and contemplated the rest of the hike. It seemed a shame to be here, pay $10 to park, and not get the most out of it I could (I did’t want to waste ANY of that $10). So I continued hiking, and instead of turning left to take the Barr Trail back to the parking lot I turned right and headed towards Pikes Peak.
Patches of snow started around MM3, right where I’d scattered the seeds for Granny. I didn’t expect to see any flowers this early in the season (I’m thinking late May-August they should bloom), but I looked anyway. I did see a butterfly, which was awesome and odd because there were no flowers. Really cool though because they symbolize someone from heaven is watching you.
I made it to MM4 before deciding to turn back. I would have LOVED to hike further, but I heard hikers further up the trail (I didn’t want to play leapfrog) and I was cutting it close on time. So I took another quick selfie with the snow on the peak and headed back down.
On my way back through Granny’s area I saw 2 more butterflies and smiled inwardly.
I did end up seeing one flower on the trail. I was at MM2 when I saw a Pasqueflower. They are the first flowers to bloom in Colorado Springs. There’s usually a contest to see who can snap a photo of the first one to bloom every year. I’m sure my photo isn’t the first, but it was my first sighting of the year!
The entire hike I felt elated. This is why I hike! I could feel the sunshine on my face and smell the Ponderosa Pines. The wind felt amazing. I made it back down the trail and snapped a quick photo of the Incline, for my out of state friends who haven’t had the pleasure of taking the hike.
I’ll probably be back soon, but not too soon: that $10-$20 is going to limit my hikes. I’m thinking Red Rock Open Space is where I’ll head next (no fees).
I really didn’t want to go. I mean really. I didn’t. I’ve summited Pikes Peak 11 times (9 so far this year), and honestly I was “done” at about the 8th summit. Not done forever, but I felt accomplished and didn’t feel like I needed to hike again this year. Then some compelling reasons came up and the weather was unusually pleasant for this time of year so I went again. However, last time I missed a great photo op (due to clouds) and felt like I just HAD to summit again if the weather permitted.
The picture I wanted was specific. It required being above treeline before the sunrise. That means hiking about 9 miles in the dark and another mile in the dawns early light. Added to this is the fact I might not even get the photo. I needed a specific sunrise, and while Colorado has over 300 days of sunshine a year and there’s a 75% chance there will be no clouds on any given day, there’s still a possibility there will be clouds in the morning blocking the sunrise (like last time).
Did I mention the time change? I know from experience I can hike the required 10 miles in about 3 ½ hours. Starting at 2am that was more than perfect to be well above treeline before the time change, but with clocks rolling back an hour this week and the sunrise changing for this time of year I wasn’t quite sure of the exact time it would rise (no, those online sunrise/sunset indicators don’t count in this instance, since I’d be above treeline, miles above the city itself).
So I made some calculations and thought setting my alarm for 1:40am sounded like a good idea. It usually takes me an hour to get up, get ready, and make it to the trailhead (even with prepping the night before), so this should give me 20 extra minutes to get where I needed to be. Just trust me here, the math works.
I woke up and didn’t want to go. I looked outside, knowing there would be no moon because I watched it set while driving home the night before. I was looking to see if there were clouds. There weren’t. It was brisk and there were a lot of stars. OK, time to turn on the coffee.
I got dressed and added extra layers. Forecasts projected weather in the high 20s and very low 30s, with temperatures in the low 20s at the summit, not accounting for wind. I have Raynaud’s, which means I’m extra susceptible to frostbite and extreme changes in temperature. I put on two pairs of socks (one knee-highs), shorts, two pairs of pants (including thermals), a workout top, thermal sweater, and North Face Jacket (thanks Thomas). And two pairs of gloves. And a scarf for good measure.
I drove to Manitou. Slowly. I was actually going about 5mph below the speed limit (which for me is VERY slow). The temperature gauge in my truck kept dropping. It started out at 43, went down to 33, then up again to 36. Wonderful. It was going to be cold.
I drove through Manitou Springs and was greeted by a rather large buck
And a raccoon. The raccoon was expected: I’ve seen him and his pal a few times here as he favors this trash can. I backed up my truck to get a picture (no one else was on the road at 2am) and he scuttled away (hence the hasty backside pic).
I drove up the hill by the Cog Railway and was a bit disappointed to notice there weren’t ANY other cars in the parking lot. Hmmmm. I got out of my truck. It was more than brisk. I took my time paying the $10 parking fee at the meter.
You’d think by this point I was 100% committed to hiking Pikes Peak today. I mean, I’d eaten a big bowl of chili (with extra cheese) last night to gain calories, and this morning had a full spoonful of peanut butter/Nutella in preparation (adding Nutella actually helped make the peanut butter a bit more palatable this time: I ate the whole thing). I’d woken up at 1:40 in the morning, drove 30 miles to the trailhead, and was wearing triple layers of clothes. Yes, you’d think by this point I’d be certain I was hiking this morning, but I wasn’t. Even after paying the $10 parking fee. I slowly walked back to my car and added layers. It was cold. I hate being cold.
I’m not sure why I chose to start hiking, but I did. It was probably because I didn’t want to lose out on the opportunity to get that picture I wanted (because I really didn’t want to take this 26 mile hike in the cold).
I started at 2:43am. At MM ½ I began taking off layers. I was getting overheated. Fast. I could actually feel beads of sweat rolling down my breastbone. This was something new. It was cold out, but I was overheating. I contributed it to the fact I was wearing Thomas’ North Face Jacket. It was surprisingly lightweight, but quite a heater! I may be stealing it again in the future.
At MM2 I started putting layers back on. This change in temperature was to be expected. The temperature often shifts on this hike, and is usually pretty cold from MM2-MM5.
I hiked on in the darkness. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s “fun” to hike alone in the dark because it’s not. It’s scary. Yes, I’ve done it before, and I was doing it again, but only because I had a goal in mind. I REALLY wanted that picture. I had no desire to hike alone in the dark, but saw it as a necessary evil to reach what I was hoping would be a fruitful end result. It was a gamble I was willing to take.
On a positive note there was no wind. I didn’t see anyone at Barr Camp, but I didn’t really expect to as there weren’t any cars in the parking lot. I also didn’t expect to see or hear anyone, so all noises I heard were not expected to be human.
While I was still a bit uneasy about the hike (the whole alone in the dark thing) I was feeling pretty good about my physical stamina. I wasn’t freezing and while I wasn’t going for a personal best I was hiking at a pretty quick pace.
I was at about MM8 (no mile markers past 6.5 so I’m guestimating here) when the realization came upon me I might actually miss the sunrise. It was starting to get light and I was still over a mile from where I needed to be. At this point in the hike that meant about 30 minutes away. I could tell by the way the sky was brightening the sunrise would be a good one. I knew I was playing a game with the timing of this, but I’d be darned if I was going to hike 8 miles in the dark only to miss my photo op by 2 minutes because I wasn’t hiking fast enough. I did not want to take this hike again this year.
I took my hiking up a notch and felt it in my gluteus maximus.
No one was at the A-frame (as expected) so I continued on. When the sun rose I was exactly where I needed to be. It took about 15 minutes to rise, and I used all of those minutes to take pictures. I had an exact picture in mind and was going to do my best to actually get that picture I hiked all this way for. I had to take off one pair of gloves to make it happen, and about 5 minutes into taking pictures my fingers froze. I kept snapping pics. After taking about 200 photos this one was my favorite:
I started to get emotional. I got the picture I’d wanted, and I just realized I was hiking Pikes Peak, America’s Mountain, on election day. How awesome is that? I felt very patriotic, and a bit sad I was the only one experiencing this. In my head I sung “America the Beautiful” and the “Star Spangled Banner”. I went over the meaning of the words to the poems by Katherine Lee Bates and Francis Scott Key. Line by line. Yes, I’m a dork, but I was enjoying myself.
As I continued to hike I slowed down a bit, since I’d already gotten what I wanted. You might ask why didn’t I turn around and go back down the mountain, since I’d gotten the photo I’d come for? I was the only one on this mountain. I could just tell people I’d summited and no one would know the difference, right?
Well, you see, I’m stubborn. I was now about 2 miles from the summit (30-45 minutes). I couldn’t get this close and turn back. So I kept on. As the sun rose it got warmer (surprisingly, as usually it gets colder as I ascend). There was still ice in the granite. Not worth taking a picture of as it was more than but similar to last week. I found myself more thirsty than normal, and in need of more breaks than usual. I attributed it to “booking it” that mile and a half for the sunrise photo. I kept reminding myself to “stop-stopping”.
At 7:50am I summited. I was the only one at the top of Pikes Peak. I sat down in the window of the old Summit House and reflected on the hike so far. I was so glad I’d hiked today! I always am. I’ve never regretted a hike up Pikes Peak. They are always challenging, surprisingly different, and I always learn something about myself as I hike. As I munched on my snack of dried mangoes I composed a caption for my picture. I wanted to capture the experience and share it with everyone, but knew I’d never be able to. I’m pretty patriotic, and this election means a lot to me personally (another post), so I wanted to get it right. I’d actually teared up on this hike thinking about the awesomeness of it all. Here’s the caption I came up with:
It’s not safe to stay at the summit for very long (due to altitude, etc.) so I packed up and got ready to go. My fingers were starting to freeze again, but I took a few more pictures. I was trying to “prove” I’d summited without taking selfies (I’m not a fan of selfies). I liked this shadow idea, and will probably try to perfect it next summer as I don’t really like any of these. I feel no need to do so this year.
I saw a couple of pikas as I hiked down, but they are pretty elusive creatures. I’d see one run past, it would squeak, then quickly hide. Thus, no photos.
I made it down to the A-frame in pretty good time. I wasn’t going for a record, so I sat on a rock outside the shelter and edited my pictures a bit, then posted them to facebook. It wasn’t lost on me how awesome a view I had or how blessed I was to be right here, right now. I could see myself as if I were standing behind myself, watching me on the rock with the view. This is why I hike.
I regretfully started my decent again knowing I was dawdling. I saw someone running up. I couldn’t tell if it was a guy or a girl. It looked like a girl but he/she had a mustache? I once again thought to myself “no matter how intense you are, there’s always someone more committed than you.” I refuse to run. I didn’t see this runner again, which means I made it down before he/she did (a win considering he/she was running and I wasn’t).
I saw about 7 more people total. That’s very few people for this hike, but it was a Tuesday in November, and also election day, so I guess it was appropriate.
My mind wandered and I thought about the perfect length of time between hiking Pikes Peak. Two weeks ago I’d hiked it on a Saturday and then a Friday, and on Friday I was slower than normal (so 6 days in-between summits was too short). This time it had been 11 days since my last hike and I felt pretty good, but not 100%. I’m thinking 2 weeks between hikes would give me enough time to recover before hiking again.
I’m not gonna lie, I was looking for a bear this trip. I always am, but never seem to see one. I did get a little surprise however around MM1.5 on the way back: As I was scanning I saw a butt. Seriously. I stopped, turned back around to confirm, and yes, what I saw was a butt. But not one belonging to a person: one attached to a rather large mule deer with its back towards me, munching on leaves. I laughed and continued on. It actually looked at first like it belonged to a person… No picture because it was on the hillside over from me covered in scrub oak and wouldn’t have turned out.
I made it back at 12:23pm, making my total time 9 hours 40 minutes. Not bad, considering I took lengthy breaks this time. I drove home, took a bath, and was just getting into bed hoping to get a 2 hour nap before the kids got home from school when I got called into work. Immediately. To check an important voice mail. Lovely.
The alarm sounded at 2am, but this time I was ready for it! I jumped out of bed, looked out my window, and was excited to see the forecast for today matched what I saw outside: a perfect view of Pikes Peak! And, a little oddly, a half-moon (the forecast called for no moon at night… whoops!)
I turned on the coffee, made a Nutella and peanut butter sandwich (only because last time I hiked without eating first I ended up regretting it later: I wasn’t hungry. I took two bites this time and threw the rest away). I got dressed and ready to go.
I don’t live close to the trailhead, so while I left at 2:20pm I arrived at 2:50pm. There were 3 other cars in the parking lot, and one was a couple getting ready to hike. As I paid the parking fee (still $10! Woot!) and talked to them a bit. If I pass someone on the trail I always try to strike up a conversation (for safety reasons…) This was their 2nd 14ner and first time up Pikes Peak. I wished them luck. They started as I put the parking receipt on my dashboard. I began at 2:55am but quickly caught up to them taking selfies in front of the lights of Manitou Springs. I advised them the lights would get better between MM2-3, and since this was their first time on the trail to stay left if they got lost in the dark. I then gladly forged ahead. I’m not a fan of leap-frogging fellow hikers.
The night was clear and calm, brisk but not too cold: Perfect for hiking at night! Every once in a while I’d hear what sounded like coyotes in the distance, and I could smell a fire coming from somewhere each time a breeze rolled in. The half-moon was directly above me, and I could see shooting stars as I hiked (meteor shower tonight! I couldn’t have planned that any better).
The coyote sound kept on, but I could tell it wasn’t coyotes. It sounded like yapping, and came at intervals. I deduced there must be hikers up ahead.
At MM3 my deductions were confirmed. There were two women in their 20s hiking ahead of me (car number 2). Although they’d obviously set out at an early time they were in no hurry, chatting and giggling, having a great time together. They commented that I was booking it up the mountain, and for some reason I replied “I hike this trail quite a bit, so I’m always trying to improve my time”.
While indeed this is my 10th summit of Pikes Peak, I hadn’t set out to “beat my time”. I’m not sure why I said this, but once I’d said it I felt I should follow through. My mouth has a way of running away from me at times, and the only way to rein it in is to do what I said I was going to do.
I wished them luck and forged ahead, this time at an accelerated pace, figuring my mom would be happy I wasn’t alone on the mountain (I’d seen 3 women and one man so far, so if anything happened I knew someone would eventually catch up to help).
There weren’t any scary sounds tonight or shadows lurking in the dark, but at MM5 I suddenly came upon a rather large tree in my path. This hadn’t been there the other times I’d hiked, and was a bit of surprise, but I figured trees must fall all the time in the forest and didn’t think too much of it.
I passed Barr Camp in silence. There weren’t any campers on the outskirts, and I figured the last car I’d seen in the parking lot meant someone was sleeping at the A-frame. Over the next 3 miles I crossed about a dozen felled trees and got to thinking: I’d heard 94mph winds had hit Pikes Peak last week. They must have done some damage on the lower elevations as well!
I was making really good time but wasn’t checking the time. I kept my phone in my pocket and just trudged ahead, mentally calculating what time the sun was supposed to come up this time of year and comparing my time/position on the trail to previous hikes. I figured I was about 20 minutes ahead of my best time.
Someone was obviously staying at the A-frame because the tarp/curtains were closed, (car # 3… yes, I like to know who’s on the mountain with me so I keep track as best I can) so I took my first sip of water of the hike, put on my ski gloves over my cotton ones as my fingers were getting cold, and kept going. I wanted to see the sunrise from further up the peak this time. It took quite a while for the sun to rise (40 minutes or so from first light, about mile 10.5 up the trail), and before it did I saw a really cool night-horizon-rainbow (is there a scientific word for this?)
About 2 miles from the summit the sun finally rose. Yes it was amazing. No, my selfies were not.
From treeline until I summited I kept looking for hikers below me. For some reason it became a personal challenge to summit before anyone else made it past treeline. This was an irrational challenge with no scientific basis, but I succeeded and considered it a win! At 7:43am I summited Pikes Peak. That’s 4 hours 48 minutes, and pretty awesome! The summit house was closed, so I sat in the corner of the building, huddled out of the really intense wind for a few minutes.
I’d wanted to buy the new “Pikes Peak Book” only available at the summit (funding the new summit house that was under construction), but there’s no set time for the summit house to open, and while I could see they were beginning to make the donuts inside I was slowly becoming a popsicle, so I decided to take a selfie proving I was there and head down the mountain. I’ll buy the book next time.
It felt like I’d been up there for 5 minutes, but when I checked my phone it indicated it’s been 25 minutes. Time seriously has a way of getting ahead of you on the summit!
It was really, really windy. I tried to put my hair back into a bun but with my Raynaud’s my fingers were useless. I’m pretty sure I looked like a banshee, but didn’t intend to take anymore selfies so it was all good.
I actually saw someone about a mile down the mountain. He looked really fit and was wearing an overnight backpack. I surmised he’d stayed at the A-frame, talked with him a bit to find out this was the case, then wished him luck. His 5 buddies were about 100 feet behind them. They all looked to be in tremendous shape but extremely tired.
I went another mile and a half before seeing anyone else: it was the couple I’d seen in the beginning of the hike. They’d made pretty good time! They only had about an hour to go. I gave them some advice on the 16 Golden Stairs and the false summit, then trudged on.
I had the A-frame to myself so I had a quick snack. I was finally defrosting so I took off my ski gloves and just kept on my cotton mittens. I took a picture of the A-frame and the ingenious way the inhabitants the night before had moved rocks to keep the heat in. This was something I’ve never been strong enough to do, and seriously hope future inhabitants keep in place, as it’s simple genius if you’re strong enough to move the rocks! We’d previously used out backpacks.
I could hear the two women I’d passed earlier on in the hike chatting, so I took a “secret” route around to avoid them (sorry, I’m not one for small talk if I can avoid it), and trudged on.
It was here in the daylight I realized what an impact the previous week’s wind had caused: the damage was insane! Felled trees everywhere for miles! Granted, they were mostly Aspens whose time had come, but the trail was also littered with large pine trees 4 feet or more in diameter. I moved what I could out of the trail as others had obviously done before me (I could see this in the light of day), and hoped the caretakers at Barr Camp took advantage of all this free firewood. Fast, before a forest fire took care of it for them.
I usually stop at Barr Camp to use the restroom, but I’d made such good time so far and I wasn’t in need of using the facilities so I just kept going. I did stop really quick to compare the view from last month and today (almost a month apart to the day…)
I made it down the mountain and back to my car at 12:03pm. I’d summited Pikes Peak and hiked back down again, 26 miles and over 16,000 feet in elevation change, in 9 hours 2 minutes. To qualify for the Pikes Peak Marathon you need to be able to do it in 10 hours. I felt like a rockstar!
I woke up at 2am a bit confused.Why was I getting up this early on my first
day off in over a week?Oh yeah,
hiking!I rolled out of bed and looked
out my front window at Pikes Peak.As
usual, the weather forecast for the peak was wrong.It was supposed to be a clear day, but I
couldn’t see the summit house light, which meant the peak was covered in clouds. Drat.
I went online to check my favorite Pikes
Peak weather forecast (because it’s the most accurate).It was last updated at 1:30am and said it
would be windy after 10 am with a 20% chance of snow before 10am.
I gave it some serious thought. I don’t
function well in the cold, but it’s almost October: this might be my last
chance to summit all year.And it wasn’t
really supposed to be cold, just windy. Whenever
I can’t decide I decide to go.I’ve
never regretted this decision, and always give myself the authority to turn
around if it becomes too dangerous to continue the hike.
My camelback was already packed with
water, sunscreen, gloves, and snacks.I made
some coffee, skipped on breakfast, and drove the 35 minutes to the
trailhead.There weren’t any other cars in
the parking lot.This made sense:
Manitou City Council just announced they were raising the fee to park at the
Barr Trailhead to $20 per day, effective immediately.Obviously people got the message and are
staying away.I feel sorry for the
caretakers at Barr Camp:They’re going
to lose out on a lot of revenue.But I
digress.
I began at 3:04am.While I couldn’t see the peak, I could see
the crescent moon and several constellations in the night sky.The air was crisp and the stars
twinkling.I’m not a huge fan of hiking
at night without a full moon.My
headlamp works wonders, but it doesn’t do much for depth perception.The first few miles of the trial are always
visually stunning at night on Barr Trail. The lights of Manitou and Colorado Springs are mesmerizing.Crickets sang as my mind wandered.
This will be my 9th summit of
Pikes Peak (7th this year alone). I’ve always wanted to see a bear while hiking the Barr trail.I know they’re out here, as I’ve seen pictures
of bears on the Incline.I also know
they’re a nuisance in the city, so at some point I should come across one.Around MM2 I turned the corner and was
shocked to see two eyes looking at me from about 6 feet in the air.I immediately thought that was strange
because the parking lot was empty.No
one else should be on the mountain.I
shook my head and looked again.This
time the eyes were on the ground, shifting back and forth.
Yes! I was finally seeing a bear!I
reached for my camera and thought sarcastically:“Great, the first time I see a bear on the
trail and it’s too dark to take a picture! Oh well, I’ll just enjoy the experience.”I moved my head again, and as I watched a
large pair of antlers came into focus.It wasn’t a bear but a very large buck
standing about 12 feet away from me.His
head came up again and he stared me right in the eyes.He was much larger than me, so I decided to
just wait him out.He tilted his head down
and forward and I thought “OMG!He’s
going to charge me!”He honestly looked
like he was contemplating the action. Then he slowly walked a few steps into the brush.As soon as I couldn’t see him anymore I heard
him rushing through the underbrush, quickly bounding away.
Well, that was a fun experience!From that point on for the rest of the hike
in the dark the shadows played tricks on me. Each shadow I saw was another creature lurking.I didn’t see any more glowing eyes, but there
was a lot of rustling.
Did I mention the wind?It was fantastic!It felt like I was living an experience out
of Sleepy Hollow.There I was, the first night of fall, hiking
miles away from civilization, in the dark, with just my headlamp to guide
me.I could hear the wind snaking its
way through the canyons for miles before it reached the nearby trees and I
could feel it encircle me.Aspen leaves
fell and swirled like snow in the glow of my headlamp.
I made the decision on this hike not to
hike for time, but to just enjoy the experience.It was still dark when I passed Barr Camp at
5:33am.For the first time ever I saw
the kitchen light was on and was reminded I was hungry.I’d skipped eating breakfast as I wasn’t
hungry at 2am, and I don’t get hungry while hiking, but at this point my
stomach was rumbling a bit.Maybe I
should re-think the skipping breakfast thing.
I passed in silence and continued my way
up the trail.The wind was pretty
strong, so I kept my head down and just kept walking forward.I’m really glad I’ve done this hike so many
times before: twice I walked off the trail by accident, but was able to realize
my mistake before walking more than 10 feet off the path. Once near the turnoff
for the bottomless pit, and another time about a mile from A-frame.I don’t recommend taking this hike for the
first time in the dark.
At about this point I realized the sun
was going to come up soon. If I hurried I’d be able to see it from the A-frame!I now regretted my decision not to hike at a quicker
pace.I was going to have to book it to
make it before the sun came up!So I
started hiking faster.I made it to the
A-frame at 6:43am, about 5 minutes before sunrise.No one else was there, so I sat on the ledge of
the structure and looked west.
The next 15 minutes were the most
visually stunning of my life.I’ve seen
a sunrise before, but not like this.I
sat alone with the knowledge I was the only person on that mountain and watched
the sun rise like a fireball in the sky, inch by glorious inch over Colorado
Springs. The colors were amazing.I
tried in vain to get a good picture/movie/selfie, and in the end just sat back
and enjoyed the experience.
This is why I hike!This is why I got up at 2am to hike 26 miles
on a trial I’ve already conquered.I was
so glad I made the decision to get out of bed and go experience the
mountain.
The wind started picking up and the
temperature started to drop.I put on my
heavy duty ski gloves and set out to tackle the summit.As I made it above treeline I noticed the summit
was covered in roiling, fast moving clouds. The wind was intense, almost knocking me off my feet several times.I was no longer in a hurry, but still anxious
to make it to the top.
I summited at 8:22am, the first hiker up
the mountain.The clouds were so thick I
couldn’t see much, let alone the view the summit is famous for.The summit house was open and there were a
few workers getting ready for the first cog of the day (9am).I felt like someone alone at a McDonalds at
4am, with just the workers there.I didn’t
talk with anyone as I warmed up and quickly headed back down, as I wanted to
leave before the cog arrived:I’m not a
fan of crowds.
About 5 minutes after I started my trek
down a large gust of wind blew all the clouds off the mountain.It was warm and sunny on the peak for the
rest of the day, and I was only about ¼ of a mile from the top, but I wasn’t
interested in summiting again today.The best part about that gust of wind was the
view it gave me of the mountains below. The aspen trees were changing from a
dark lime green to a bright mustard yellow, and from 13,000 feet up the view
was amazing!
I stopped at A-frame for a few minutes
to take some landscape photos, then was on my way again.Here’s where it really got interesting:the fall colors were amazing!I’ve lived in Colorado since 2007, and have
never seen such vivid greens, yellows, oranges, and reds on the trees.I took dozens of pictures/videos, intent on
sharing my experience with those who couldn’t make the 26 mile hike.
There’s a small bench outside of Barr
Camp, and this morning I realized what that bench is there for:The view of Pikes Peak behind a grove of aspens
is something I could sit and enjoy for hours. I took a few pictures and continued on my way.
Pikes Peak was only in view for a little bit, but beautiful.
Another sighting from along the trail:
I couldn’t help but think once again how
pleased I was with myself at taking this hike. It’s not like I HAD to take it, as I’ve hiked Pikes Peak many times
before.But no matter how many times I
make the trek, it’s always different. Today I experienced the most visually stunning sunrise I’ve ever seen,
as well as the changing aspen leaves in all their glory.
Wild Wanderer 