Summiting Pikes Peak

Route: Barr Trail from the Barr Trail trailhead entrance

Time for summit: 4:28:49

     The one thing I wanted to do while I was on this year's Colorado running vacation was summit Pikes Peak. It is a fourteener that is good for a flatland runner to attempt because it is all trail from bottom to top. Even though it's long, there's the option to summit and then take the COG railway back down or, as we did, have friends drive to the top and pick you up. Mike was my hiking companion for this and pretty much dragged me up the mountain for 11 miles until we hit 13,000 feet. I wasn't convinced that I would be able to do this. Every time I attempt something that I've never done before I stay cautiously optimistic that I can actually reach my goal. Most people who hike this trail will split it into two days. Like Mike said on the drive down the mountain "who are you calling most people?" So true!

From the barrtrail.net site.

     The day before we did this summit we ran five trail miles at 8,600 feet and hiked 12 miles round trip to reach Lake of the Clouds in the Rocky Mountain National Park. We didn't end up at Lake of the Clouds, rather a smaller lake just below it, but it was an epic hike. You would think that we'd be tired from that day but what it did for me was give me confidence that I could actually survive a mountain hike of that length.

     The guys dropped us off at the Barr Trail entrance and after securing our food in the pack and making sure we had our water bottles filled we started off up the trail. I was carrying the pack for the first three miles but ended up giving it to poor Mike for the next nine miles. Those three miles with it made me so sore that I couldn't imagine carrying it any farther. If this had been on my own I would have taken it off my back and dragged it behind me. 

     The first three miles of the trail are a series of constant, punishingly steep switchbacks that were crowded with hikers. We tried to run here and there but as soon as I started running I quickly approached oxygen debt. The grade is an average of 13 percent here and it took a lot of effort just to hike fast. And hiking fast we were. We were under 19 min miles for that section and I ended up with some Strava top overalls for these segments. I would say we hit the first section pretty hard. It was very hot too. About 85 degrees when we started. After we went through the keyhole at around mile 2.5 the people traffic slowed down a lot and by four miles there was barely anyone else on the trail. Miles four and five were straight up easy and we ran sections of these miles. I had given Mike the pack by now and felt much better without that weight on my back. We took one quick break at three miles, if I'm recalling correctly. Just to switch packs and eat a half a granola bar each. I took on the camelback and continued carrying my lifestraw filter water bottle. 

     As we approached Barr camp we came up on a creek to the right that was a good spot to fill up the filter. We stopped for only four or five minutes to eat another half granola bar, drink some Gatorade and fill the water bottle. The creek water was beautifully cool. We were low enough that it was still very hot out. We didn't stop at Barr camp at all but I was refreshed by the short break. Every once in a while we would catch a glimpse of the peak through the trees. It seemed impossibly far away. 

Yup, we're going there. From barrtrail.net

     The next three miles were tough for me physically. I kept lagging behind Mike who would stop every once in a while and let me catch up. We did stop for a couple breaks in here. Once to fill the water bottle again and eat the last snack and drink the last of the Gatorade. The switchbacks were never ending and we started running into large rocks that were difficult to get up and over. My effort was quite pronounced. If I was moving, I was breathing hard. We began catching hikers and blowing by them as if we were flying. This was a good confidence booster for us. 

     As we got over 10,000 feet the air started to cool and this was so, so welcome. I didn't feel any altitude sickness, just a persistent fatigue and inability to move fast up the trail. The fauna changes as you go up. Near the bottom there were plenty of aspen trees but as we got higher this mostly changed over to scrubby pines that seemed to be clinging onto the mountain for dear life. As we approached 12,000 even these hardy trees thinned out and before we knew it, we were to the A-Frame shelter just below the treeline. There's a sign that says "Three miles to the summit."

     The last three miles are kind of a blur but I'll try to pick out moments. The trail is very soft, crushed rock and you slide back with every step. As the altitude goes up you increasingly get the feeling that you're walking through water that is up to your waist. We maintained about 25 min hiking miles all the way to the summit and that includes a couple of breaks, so we were moving well. We started catching and passing groups of people who had hiked down from the summit and were making their way back. Mike observed that there was a clear short cut straight up the scree field. We didn't take the shortcut but it sure was tempting. We passed the memorial to Inestine Roberts, an 88 year old lady who died near the tree line on her fourteenth hike to the summit. Talk about inspiring. Not a bad way to die! In the last mile there was this long, flat switchback that led to "The Cirque," which is an overlook that drops 1500 feet straight down to the mountain floor. It looks like a great place to base jump. Or if that last mile was too much to face I suppose you could launch off sans parachute. Around this time Mike started feeling the 13,000 plus feet of altitude and dropped back a bit. Just by a few yards and I didn't have to stop and wait for him to catch up. I was basically into the "last stretch of a race" mode and was forging ahead with obsessed determination. As we got close to the summit we saw Dylan, Evan and Ian waving at us. We were pretty short with them when they started asking us questions. We weren't to the top yet! I ran the last couple of short switchbacks, elated that I had actually summited my first fourteener. It was an incredible high that is even better than pr'ing in a race. I can't wait to summit my next one. 
     After sitting for a bit to catch our breath we took pictures, including the one below and then I headed to the summit base to use the bathroom. The place was crowded with people and I felt claustrophobic weaving among them to get the bathroom. I could get used to the mountain solitude that was just a couple of miles below. I went back out to the parking lot to the wait by the car and realized I was FREEZING. It was in the low 40s at the summit. Evan had given me his coat to wear and the car keys were in the pocket so I had access to the warm car and my clothes in the car but I didn't realize this. I sat outside the car waiting for the guys to get back and in that short amount time I nearly got hypothermia. I just wanted to go to sleep so badly. Once I got into the warm car I felt fine and started drinking Powerade to get my electrolytes back in balance. I felt fine the next day and even did a short interval workout on the dirt roads behind our condo at 9,000 feet elevation.

We don't look tired enough! Photo credit: Dylan Dombi