The bottom of this post also has a button that links to all the photos I took on the trip including the one on the climb up the mountain as well as the descent.
Here is a summary of my experience with the Pikes Peak climbing trip of 2023.
The Drive To Manitou Springs
The drive out took 2 days and was not bad at all. It was uneventful and the Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator worked perfectly. The links on the Blog (which have since been removed) allowed family and friends to track my progress using both the Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator and my iPhone using the AllTrails app with live updates. Also, as you all saw from the messages I would send from the Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator, each message was tagged with the location that message was sent from.
The overnight stop in Dalhart Texas was perfect and made it a much easier drive and the weather was great. I could not ask for more.
The VRBO House Rental In Manitou Springs
I really enjoyed the house I rented to stay in Manitou Springs while I acclimated to the elevation. It was a small one bedroom house in the middle of the downtown Manitou Springs area. It was perfect for what I needed and it was just a few blocks away from the Barr Trailhead.
Bike Ride Down Pikes Peak
On Sunday, September 3rd, 2023 I took a service that drives you and mountain bike up the roads to the top of Pikes Peak and then lets you ride the bike all the way back down the same roads with all the switchbacks. It was an amazing and adrenaline filled experience. I took the opportunity at the top of the Pikes Peak to see how the elevation was affecting me by going up and down the stairs multiple times at the visitor’s center (I am sure people were looking at me puzzled). I also took the time to go round the Cog Railway Train (the same train that I booked to bring me back down the mountain on Thursday, September 7rd, 2023 at 4:30 PM) and see where the Barr Trail would come up the summit. I talked to a few of the climbers that were coming up the mountain about their experiences.
Next came the actual ride down the mountain. it was amazing and quite exhilarating! You are pretty much riding the disk breaks the entire way down the mountain with switchback cliffs on one side (with no guardrails) and oncoming traffic on the other side. You would get very focused on controlling speed and staying in the center of the lane! The guide told me stay in the middle of the Yellow Line and the White Line, or to put it another way, “Between the Mustard and the Mayo, or you will become Ketchup”.
One of the more interesting things that happened, which is obvious in retrospect, was that the brakes on the bike would become very “mushy” and less effective as they heated up! I had to pull over and let them cool down multiple times on the ride down. I dread to think about the catastrophe of a full brake failure on one of those high speed switchbacks.
Preparation The Night Before The Climb
On Tuesday, September 5th, 2023, I relaxed and just went over all my checklist items. I had everything packed and ready to go. I made sure I had all the parking information ready. I walked 2 miles to the local Subway Sandwich shop to get a dry (no mayo, no wet items that would become soggy) foot long sandwich that was cut up into 4 parts. I put each part into a ziplock bag as a treat during the climb. I ate a high carb meal and made myself be in bed by 6:00 PM.
The Day Of The Climb
I set my alarm for 2:00 AM on Wednesday, September 6th, 2023. I got ready, ate another high carb breakfast (with some protein), filled all my water containers (A 3 Liter Bladder and (2) 1 Liter Nagenes – 5 Liters Total). I put all of the charged gear in the pack and weighed it. It weighed, fully loaded, 38 lbs! I got in my car and drove to the Barr Trailhead parking lot.
I got all my gear out and strapped everything on, paid the parking, got the trekking poles, and took one last look back at my car and where I was. It was now 4:00 AM.
I sent out the message I was starting my climb and began. It was somewhat easy going at first with the trekking poles. I had a very powerful headlamp to lead the way in the dark. The trail was a mix of easy going gravel and grass to large boulders and rocks you had to go over or around. By 6:20 am I had stopped for one of my sandwich quarters and noticed the sun coming up. I had not been paying close attention to my surroundings as my focus was on the path in front of me and my footing. Only then did I realize from a view of the lit up city below me, how high up I was and how beautiful my surroundings.
I noticed that I was ahead of my schedule, but I also realized that I was drinking a lot of water! The climb continued like this without any major incident for some time. I completely lost cell signal but the rented Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator worked perfectly. That thing is fantastic! I was getting messages from friends and family on the Garmin InReach Mini 2 Satellite Communicator that they could see my progress and even when I stopped for a break (which was becoming more and more frequent). I met lots of great people on the way up, many also on their way to Barr Camp, but most going straight to the summit! Some were even RUNNING UP THE MOUNTAIN!
My first problem was at about 2 miles before Barr Camp. I had been going at my own natural pace, not pushing myself, drinking as much as I wanted, when I wanted, eating on a regular 1 hour interval. But at 2 miles before Barr Camp, my body just hit the proverbial wall! I just shut down. I would sit and I did not want to get back up. I would remove my pack, take a break on a rock, and then make myself move another few hundred feet. I felt that I was never going to make it to Barr Camp. By 1 mile before the camp, my water ran out. I did not panic because I was just 1 mile away from camp, but I was just completely out of energy. I was shocked by how suddenly it all hit me.
I took a GU energy packet and that helped me some. I willed myself to keep moving and finally made it to Barr Camp after 11 hours and 47 minutes of hiking on rough terrain with a 38 pound backpack. I was so happy to be there, but I just basically collapsed at the entrance to the camp.
I went from being 2.5 hours ahead of schedule at the 2 miles to go mark to being on schedule when I got to the camp. It took me 2.5 hours to go those last 2 miles!
At Barr Camp
The camp was amazing! Once I got myself back together I introduced myself to everyone and made my way to my cabin. I set everything up and went to find the restrooms (they actually have them!). I was surprised after drinking 5 Liters of water how little I had to go! It meant that I sweated most all the 5L of water! I then went to find the water running from the stream and used my water filter and chlorine tablets to replenish my water supply. I had dinner with the other campers (hot spaghetti and bread with butter) and talked with them until I could no longer hold my head up.
I set my alarm for 3:30 AM and would see if I was going to be up to a climb to the summit the next day. I realized I would need every bit of time to make it to the summit by 4:30 PM the next day and I was already exhausted!
I slept like I was in a coma in that sleeping bag! I was so very tired. The alarm went off way too early for me. When I woke up the winds were insane! It was 60 mile an hour winds and a storm was building. By 4:10 AM the storm hit and I watched it, now fully dressed from the cabin. I realized that my window to make the summit was closing because of my speed. Two of the hikers that were going for the summit turned back to the camp.
At 7:00 am everything had passed and the hikers that had turned back, once again went for the summit. I decided that was it, I was just going to descend back down the mountain. I was not going to make the train and I did not want to be stranded on the summit with no way back down other than to climb back down in the dark.
Since I was already at camp, I enjoyed their pancake breakfast! That Barr Camp is like a hotel on a mountain! They are amazing and so kind! While I was preparing my gear on an outdoor picnic table, two huge reindeer came right up to me! By 8:45 am, I decided it was time to say goodbye and start my way back down the way I came up.
The Day of the Descent
The way back down the mountain was good. I had plenty of food and again 5L of water. The biggest issues were the impacts to my feet and knees as I descended! The use of the trekking poles helped minimize the joint impact, but it was still there. My heart rate did not climb as much as it did on the way up, but it was definitely no cakewalk. The footing was more challenging than it was on the way up. I also once again used up all my water and it still took be almost 8 hours to make it back to my car! I was once again very tired by the end.
Lessons Learned
I did come away from this experience with lots of lessons learned.
1 – I am very proud of myself and my accomplishment. I have lost a ton of weight and am in the best physical shape of my life.
2 – Even though I did not make it to the summit, I truly believe I could have if time was not a factor.
3 – I need to become MUCH faster.
4 – I need to consume MUCH less water.
5 – My backpack needs to weigh less.
5 – I will become much faster and consume much less water and my backpack will weigh less if I lost more weight and continued to get more physically fit.
6 – I will tackle this mountain again with yet and even better version of myself. Everyday, I will get better and incrementally I will be in a better place for success with a good buffer in terms of time and water.
7 – I have an amazing group of friends and family that support me and encourage me! I am very lucky!