Pikes Peak Trip Report 05/20/2010

Peak(s):	Pikes Peak - 14,109 feet
Date Posted:	05/20/2010
Date Climbed:	07/14/2008
Author:	Toni Marie

Pikes Peak Trail Review (East Slope)
Keep in mind that Barr Trail leading up to Pike's Peak is a 26-mile round trip. Therefore, I suggest a hearty breakfast prior to attempting the ascent. Barr Trail is off Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs, and begins at an elevation of approximatelly 6,400 feet. The parking lot to this trailhead is quite small, so the earlier you arrive, the better. The trailhead is a pretty busy area - lots of people bring their families (including baby strollers!) and pets. Now, the ascent begins. For me, it started at 9 AM. When I attempted this trail in July 2008, it was a very clear, sky-blue morning. So, it was extremely hot during the first few hours of the ascent. The first portion of the trail is clearly marked, mostly due to human foot traffic, and includes wooden hand railings in most places. The trail makes a very gradual, steady ascent; the grade is not very steep and is comprised mostly of gravel, so this portion of the trail is very easy to hike. This portion winds its way westward along several switchbacks, and there are spots where you can see a gorgeous view of Colorado Springs and the west side of Garden of the Gods. One thing I disliked about this portion of the trail was the number of people crowding the area; people have very low knowledge of trail etiquette, and would just stand in the middle of the trail, re-applying sunscreen without a thought about all the people trying to move ahead. This slowed the climb considerably. However, after the first three miles, the crowds thinned considerably. During the next few miles, the trail is still very clearly marked, although the wooden handrails are no longer present. This portion of the trail winds almost directly westward, and the grade is even flat in parts. At approximately 9,500 feet, aspen groves abound. You can also see the Columbine, the Colorado state flower, at this elevation. You can no longer see the city of Colorado Springs, but there are sections of the trail where Pikes Peak can be seen in the distance. It looks really close, but don't let that deceive you; you aren't even half way to the summit yet. During this part of the hike, you will still have a lot of company, but the pets and small children are scarce. At 10,200 feet, Barr Camp offers a good resting point. This camp offers a good place to stay overnight as well. There are restrooms there, as well as a main cabin where you can purchase food, such as Cliff bars, Gatorade, beef jerkey, and candy bars. There are several very friendly chipmunks who have no problem coming up to you and begging for food! In addition, you can rent a water filter and refill your water bottles from the nearby stream. I re-filled by bottle from the mountain stream, and I can safely say that I have never tasted water that fresh and delicious in my entire life! Word of caution: the water filter is a borrowed item; you do not get to keep it, so make sure to give it back to the park ranger in the main store...I learned that the hard way. I recommend that you refill all waterbottles at this point (or purchase more) because the trail gets considerably harder from here. From camp to timberline, the trail becomes steeper and more rocky. You will follow a few miles of switchbacks through a heavily forested area. It is very quiet during this portion of the trail; human activity is scarce, as most of our company chose to stay at Barr Camp overnight. This portion of the trail also becomes a bit cooler, but not cold enough to warrant a jacket or coat. It was early afternoon when my friend and I were hiking this section, and dark storm clouds began rolling in; however, as we didn't hear any thunder, we kept climbing. Right at timberline is an A-frame shelter. Here, you will get a gorgeous view of Colorado Springs. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Colorado-Kansas border. I recommend taking a 30-minute rest in this shelter, and make sure to eat a snack, because the hardest part of the trail is about to begin. While there are many boulders from here to the summit, a trail is still clearly marked. No bouldering is required on this trail. The grade remains constant, and isn't too steep. You can see the summit house from here, but don't let that confuse you into thinking that you are anywhere near the summit; you have about two or three more hours of hiking. There are more switchbacks during this part of the route; they seem to go on forever, but what's gratifying is that you can actually see the progress you are making. Another word of caution: if you are afraid of heights, do not look down to view your progress; it's a very steep vertical. Make sure to bring several layers of clothing for this portion of the trip; you are going to want to be wearing long pants and a sweater at the minimum, as it rarely gets above 40 degrees at the summit (keep in mind that I summitted this in July). This is the time where you may start to feel the affects of altitude. If your heart begins to race or you get light-headed or headachy, stop, rest, and drink water. At about 13,300 feet, there is a cirque to your left. This is very gorgeous, and worth stopping to look. Again, if you're afraid of heights do not look over the ledge. This is also a good area to rest and fully enjoy the silence of nature, which my friend and I did. It was so quiet, we could hear the flapping of a hawk's wings. After a few more switchbacks, you will see a sign for the 16 Golden Stairs. Do not let this fool you; it is not referring to steps to the summit. Rather, it is referring to 16 switch-back pairs that will take you to the summit. This will seem very difficult and arduous, but just keep going...you're almost there! Once at the summit, the views are spectacular. We made it to the summit at 7 PM, and it was only 30 degrees. To the north, you can see the buildings that comprise downtown Denver. You can also see Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt, as well as the Tenmile Range. You can also see the collegiate peaks to the west, and to the south, Almagre Peak stands proud. To the east, the view of Colorado Springs is spectacular! The Summit House is complete with restrooms, food, and souvenirs. It is very flat at the summit, and gravelly, primarily due to the road for cars that leads there. Thankfully, Monika's aunt picked us up at the summit, and we drove back down to the Springs. I recommend that you bring several layers of clothing and plenty of water on this trip. There can be a 60-degree difference in temperature from base to summit, and we went through our water pretty quickly. Almost anyone in good health can summit this mountain. Just keep in mind that the trail is quite long. However, I do not recommend doing this as your first 14er due to its sheer length; try hiking a shorter 14er trail first, and then you'll be able to easily hike Pike's Peak! This is a Class 1 climb with no exposure along the immediate trail. Pikes Peak is the 30th highest peak in Colorado. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Pikes Peak Trail Review (East Slope)

Keep in mind that Barr Trail leading up to Pike's Peak is a 26-mile round trip. Therefore, I suggest a hearty breakfast prior to attempting the ascent.

Barr Trail is off Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs, and begins at an elevation of approximatelly 6,400 feet. The parking lot to this trailhead is quite small, so the earlier you arrive, the better. The trailhead is a pretty busy area - lots of people bring their families (including baby strollers!) and pets.

Now, the ascent begins. For me, it started at 9 AM. When I attempted this trail in July 2008, it was a very clear, sky-blue morning. So, it was extremely hot during the first few hours of the ascent. The first portion of the trail is clearly marked, mostly due to human foot traffic, and includes wooden hand railings in most places. The trail makes a very gradual, steady ascent; the grade is not very steep and is comprised mostly of gravel, so this portion of the trail is very easy to hike. This portion winds its way westward along several switchbacks, and there are spots where you can see a gorgeous view of Colorado Springs and the west side of Garden of the Gods.

One thing I disliked about this portion of the trail was the number of people crowding the area; people have very low knowledge of trail etiquette, and would just stand in the middle of the trail, re-applying sunscreen without a thought about all the people trying to move ahead. This slowed the climb considerably.

However, after the first three miles, the crowds thinned considerably. During the next few miles, the trail is still very clearly marked, although the wooden handrails are no longer present. This portion of the trail winds almost directly westward, and the grade is even flat in parts. At approximately 9,500 feet, aspen groves abound. You can also see the Columbine, the Colorado state flower, at this elevation. You can no longer see the city of Colorado Springs, but there are sections of the trail where Pikes Peak can be seen in the distance. It looks really close, but don't let that deceive you; you aren't even half way to the summit yet. During this part of the hike, you will still have a lot of company, but the pets and small children are scarce.

At 10,200 feet, Barr Camp offers a good resting point. This camp offers a good place to stay overnight as well. There are restrooms there, as well as a main cabin where you can purchase food, such as Cliff bars, Gatorade, beef jerkey, and candy bars. There are several very friendly chipmunks who have no problem coming up to you and begging for food! In addition, you can rent a water filter and refill your water bottles from the nearby stream. I re-filled by bottle from the mountain stream, and I can safely say that I have never tasted water that fresh and delicious in my entire life! Word of caution: the water filter is a borrowed item; you do not get to keep it, so make sure to give it back to the park ranger in the main store...I learned that the hard way.

I recommend that you refill all waterbottles at this point (or purchase more) because the trail gets considerably harder from here. From camp to timberline, the trail becomes steeper and more rocky. You will follow a few miles of switchbacks through a heavily forested area. It is very quiet during this portion of the trail; human activity is scarce, as most of our company chose to stay at Barr Camp overnight.

This portion of the trail also becomes a bit cooler, but not cold enough to warrant a jacket or coat. It was early afternoon when my friend and I were hiking this section, and dark storm clouds began rolling in; however, as we didn't hear any thunder, we kept climbing. Right at timberline is an A-frame shelter. Here, you will get a gorgeous view of Colorado Springs. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the Colorado-Kansas border. I recommend taking a 30-minute rest in this shelter, and make sure to eat a snack, because the hardest part of the trail is about to begin.

While there are many boulders from here to the summit, a trail is still clearly marked. No bouldering is required on this trail. The grade remains constant, and isn't too steep. You can see the summit house from here, but don't let that confuse you into thinking that you are anywhere near the summit; you have about two or three more hours of hiking. There are more switchbacks during this part of the route; they seem to go on forever, but what's gratifying is that you can actually see the progress you are making. Another word of caution: if you are afraid of heights, do not look down to view your progress; it's a very steep vertical.

Make sure to bring several layers of clothing for this portion of the trip; you are going to want to be wearing long pants and a sweater at the minimum, as it rarely gets above 40 degrees at the summit (keep in mind that I summitted this in July). This is the time where you may start to feel the affects of altitude. If your heart begins to race or you get light-headed or headachy, stop, rest, and drink water.

At about 13,300 feet, there is a cirque to your left. This is very gorgeous, and worth stopping to look. Again, if you're afraid of heights do not look over the ledge. This is also a good area to rest and fully enjoy the silence of nature, which my friend and I did. It was so quiet, we could hear the flapping of a hawk's wings.

After a few more switchbacks, you will see a sign for the 16 Golden Stairs. Do not let this fool you; it is not referring to steps to the summit. Rather, it is referring to 16 switch-back pairs that will take you to the summit. This will seem very difficult and arduous, but just keep going...you're almost there!

Once at the summit, the views are spectacular. We made it to the summit at 7 PM, and it was only 30 degrees. To the north, you can see the buildings that comprise downtown Denver. You can also see Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt, as well as the Tenmile Range. You can also see the collegiate peaks to the west, and to the south, Almagre Peak stands proud. To the east, the view of Colorado Springs is spectacular! The Summit House is complete with restrooms, food, and souvenirs. It is very flat at the summit, and gravelly, primarily due to the road for cars that leads there. Thankfully, Monika's aunt picked us up at the summit, and we drove back down to the Springs.

I recommend that you bring several layers of clothing and plenty of water on this trip. There can be a 60-degree difference in temperature from base to summit, and we went through our water pretty quickly. Almost anyone in good health can summit this mountain. Just keep in mind that the trail is quite long.

However, I do not recommend doing this as your first 14er due to its sheer length; try hiking a shorter 14er trail first, and then you'll be able to easily hike Pike's Peak! This is a Class 1 climb with no exposure along the immediate trail. Pikes Peak is the 30th highest peak in Colorado.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

lodidodi	congrats 5/22/2010 3:42am Nice write up and cool pictures but not to make fun or tell you what to do but I‘ve read your trip reports and I suggest before you do some harder 14ers maybe go with somebody more experienced
Toni Marie	Thanks for the heads up! 5/22/2010 8:34pm Hey thanks! This was my first one ever, so I‘ve learned quite a bit since then (haha like bringing more layers and MUCH more water, some snacks). And I do intend on doing the easier 14ers before doing harder ones for the experience. I always seem to learn something new on each one. But thanks for the feedback!

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