PIKES PEAK (14,110’)

June 22, 2017

By Tim Briese

24.0 miles, 7500’ elevation gain, 14:40 roundtrip time

I’m not sure how I talked myself into doing this killer hike. I had done this very grueling dayhike up and down Pikes Peak via the Barr Trail a couple of times before over the years, so you’d think I would have learned my lesson. But no. My son-in-law Rod had never done this hike before and wanted to give it a shot, so I thought, why not? After all, other people hike and even run up and down this trail all the time. Maybe someday I’ll learn that I, and other people, are not the same thing! I suppose the fact that I can see the Peak out the window of my house almost every day makes it sort of an irresistible masochistic challenge.

We hit the Barr Trail in Manitou Springs at 4:50 am in pleasant coolness and were soon treated to a beautiful sunrise over Colorado Springs.

the break of dawn over colorado springs.  note the crescent moon in the sky.

sunrise

rod on the trail

after a couple of hours of hiking pikes peak still looked a long ways away

We gamely marched up the trail several miles until it leveled off for a while and eventually reached the halfway point at Barr Camp, where we took a nice break on a bench beside a little stream.

barr camp

We resumed our march and after while reached timberline. The trail seemed rougher and rockier above Barr Camp than I remembered it, but the mind has a way of numbing the memory of previous bad experiences. It was awfully impressive to see numerous runners cruise past us going uphill, many miles from the trailhead, carrying little more than a fanny pack. I suppose they were just out for a light workout before they headed to work.

rod on the trail near timberline

looking up at the summit from near timberline

Once above timberline we came to a few patches of snow that we had to skirt around. We encountered a handful of other hikers that were even slower than we were, but they were rare. Up near the lookout into the Cirque, we ran into an old friend, Bob Hostetler. He had driven to the top and was hiking down a little ways before returning back up to the comfort of his car. At least some people have some sense.

a view at the cirque overlook

another view from the overlook

the slopes up to the summit, which is at the center left

The trail went across a steep field of snow but it looked a little dicey to me without an ice axe so we roguishly short-cutted the trail at this spot. We stepped foot on the summit at 1235 pm, for an ascent time of 7:45. We refilled our water bottles at a water fountain in the summit house and of course I had to indulge in one of the famous donuts up there.

rod on the summit

looking down at colorado springs

The weather was quickly looking threatening so we departed after only 20 minutes. A thunderstorm skirted past to the north of the peak and sprinkles fell but it soon headed on east. As we skirted past a patch of snow I nearly lost my balance on a steep slope of grass and rock but miraculously stopped myself before falling down or hitting a rock. Could have been nasty. I guess maybe I was more tired than I thought I was. Later Rod slipped and went down on the trail near timberline but walked on with just a sprain and a bent trekking pole. I was getting really spent by the time we finally got back down to Barr Camp, but tried to cheer myself with the thought that we only had 6 or 7 miles to go. Those last few miles got really, really long. It was with extreme relief that we finally tramped back to the trailhead at 730 pm. What a killer! Walking was troublesome for a few days thereafter, not to mention several other things like bending over, tying my shoes, etc.

So I’ve done this hike 3 times now, and there probably won’t be a fourth. If there is, I hope there is a shrink out there who would be willing to take me on as a project. Anyway, I did this hike in October 2000, when I was 45 years old, and it took me 11:30 roundtrip time. Then I did it again in June 2010, when I was 55, and it took me 13:30. Now, at age 62, it took 14:40 to do it. I think I see a trend here.