Pikes Peak or Bust!

On Thursday, August 13, 2009, Team NORSA members Steven S and Emily attempted to bag their first Colorado 14er at Pikes Peak. Named for Zebulon Pike, whose westward expedition first sighted the mountain in 1806, Pikes Peak is the most visited mountain in North America. Many visitors reach the 14,110 ft (4300m) summit by car, by train or by running. The Team NORSA attempt would follow the lesser known Crags Trail, a Class 2 route up the northwest slopes with a total gain of 4200 feet (1280m) over 5.5 miles (8.85 km).

After a day trip through Colorado Springs, the duo drove west past the town of Divide to the the Crags Campground. Down the road from a Mennonite camp, the campground leads to the trailhead at 10,000 feet, near "The Crags" rock pinnacle formations in the Pike National Forest. A dinner of leftover Jimmy John's sub sandwiches was eaten for precious energy, and then it was time to set up camp and rest for a full day of hiking.

Waking up at 5am, the two broke camp, ate breakfast, layered, laced boots, and hit the trailhead shortly after 6am. A local youth who had recently summited Mount Massive had advised to start the hike early to avoid the afternoon thunderstorms that occur in the summer, and to take a slow and steady pace and rest when needed to avoid fatigue. It was agreed to head back down from the summit by noon if possible, and absolutely by one o'clock to be on the safe side.

The mountain had looked formidable from highway 24 near Divide. Now the terrain hid the summit from view and optimism was high. It was a brisk morning, but the ascent began soon after branching off from the Crags trail toward Devil's Playground, and it didn't take long to warm up from the exertion. The trail started adjacent to a creek, through a forest of Douglas Fir and Engelmann Spruce, before reaching a clearing and subsequent switchbacks that left the treeline. At about the 1.5 mile mark and 12,000 ft elevation, one of the most difficult sections of the hike climbed straight up a hillside for a gain of about 1000 ft in just over a half mile. At the top they got their first view of the distant summit.

Hiking along a ridge above a green alpine valley of tundra grasses, they passed through a gate of boulder formations to start the portion of the trail that parallels the Pikes Peak highway. Passing Devil's Playground at around 10am, the clouds above looked ominous, but after stopping at an overlook with friendly tourists, spirits remained high. Steven was feeling more than a bit sluggish with the effects of altitude, but pressed on with determination and Clif bars. Emily continued a strong performance, no doubt due to the foundation laid in the NORSA summer hiking series.

At about 11am, the NORSA hikers passed a smaller peak known as Point 13,363 and crossed the road a final time to reach the base of the final pitch. This quickly became a rock scramble, made more challenging by the altitude and difficulty spotting cairns. Progress slowed to a crawl, but after seeing a group ahead disappear over the top, it was estimated that about 200 feet of climbing remained. The skies were getting dark and it was nearly noon.  A flash of lightning to the east threatened the unthinkable prospect of turning around. A second flash of lightning a minute later gave them a sinking feeling.  It was agreed that they could not continue during a thunderstorm. At just past noon they turned around to get off of the rocks and make the descent.

With the summit now beyond their grasp, the altitude sickness Steven had been fighting became a concern. After passing Devil's Playground again, he was rewarded by emptying the contents of his stomach several times. A quick and safe descent would be the best treatment for the illness, but this was made more challenging by the steep slopes of crushed granite and the intermittent rain. After reaching the treeline again and resting, the worst symptoms went away. The remainder of the hike was completed at a normal downhill clip.

After 10 hours on the mountain, they reached the car at about 4pm. It was a bittersweet drive back to Denver, where a home cooked Italian meal offered some replenishment. But in true NORSA fashion, Steven and Emily hungered for something more - to learn from the harsh lessons of nature and return some day to summit Pikes Peak.

Maybe next year.  Savor the journey and not the destination.