Day 21 – Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

Friday October 1st, 2010

Today I decided to drive about an hour south from Highlands Ranch to Colorado Springs to check out the area and to meet up with an old friend, Kristin, from high school. I called her from the car and we planned to meet at the “Garden of the Gods” around 1pm.

I have always had an interest in climbing a mountain and I had a few hours to kill before Kristin arrived so I drove over to Pike’s Peak to investigate the possibility. Pike’s Peak (elevation 14,110') is one of Colorado’s 53 mountains having an elevation above 14,000 feet. I can’t say that I am in shape to do one of these, nor have I been training for it, but I have the opportunity to do it while I’m here and I would like to take advantage of that. The Barr trailhead route is a 13 mile trek to the summit that starts out in the town of Manitou Springs. Across the street from the Barr trailhead is the Cog Railway train that offers service to and from the peak offering non-hikers a way to get to the top, or tired ones the ability to get back down. Since I’ve never climbed a mountain much higher than 7,000' I didn’t really know what to expect so I had several thoughts running through my head. Was I in good enough shape to summit? Would my knee be able to handle the climb? How would my body react to the altitude? The only way to find the answers would be to just do it! I reserved a one-way return trip ticket for the following day on the Cog Railway that would take me back to the base of the mountain. All I have to do is make it 13 miles to the top. There is also a base camp 7 miles up in case I run into complications along the way. Signs at the trailhead estimated that an ascent while maintaining a brisk pace takes roughly 8 hours so it is suggested to start the climb by 4am to have the best chance of summiting and returning in one day. It was set, tomorrow morning I would attempt my first 14’er summit. I was excited, and a little nervous.

I drove around the Garden of the Gods and then had lunch while I waited for Kristin to arrive. The Garden of the Gods is a park showcasing amazing rock formations. There are walking, biking and horseback riding trails and it’s also a popular destination for rock climbers. Kristin came with her 3-year old son Lucas and we walked through the park and talked and played with Lucas while he explored rock crevasses and off beat trails. I told her about my plans to summit Pike’s Peak the following day and she offered to let me stay at her house so that I would only have a 15 minute drive to the mountain in the morning. After about two hours at the park, Kristin had to leave to pick up her oldest son, Matthew from school so I drove back to Highlands Ranch to get the things I would need for the climb.

I got back in my car and drove back to Colorado Springs and arrived at Kristin’s house around 9pm. I met her husband, James and son, Matthew. Being an avid hiker and outdoors-man, James warned me about some of the potential dangers that could arise with what I was attempting to do, such as sudden weather changes, altitude sickness, traveling alone, etc. He emphasized that, although uncommon, people do die up there. I understood these things but never really gave it too much thought. His main advice was to make sure that I was prepared for the worst case scenario of being caught on the mountain overnight in sub freezing conditions. Advice well received. We talked for a while longer as the kids hunted and captured monsters, apparently a problem in Colorado Springs, and one more thing that I had to be on the lookout for. I got to bed by 10:30 and set my watch alarm for 3:30am. The morning would come soon!