Pikes Peak

PC has been trying to get up Pikes Peak for a few weeks with his buddies. They had a date all set and then PC's work schedule changed, so they had to switch days. Well, this past Monday was the day it all worked out. Of course it snowed the night before so they had some fresh snow. However, that wasn't even the worst part. The trail above the treeline was completely covered, so they had to hike straight up the mountain through the gully. It was extremely hard, but they made it. Unfortunately, when I got to the tollbooth to go up to pick them up, they told me that the road was closed 3 miles from the top. She said they could hike down the road to me, though, so I called and texted and prayed they would get the message. It was a gorgeous drive up there! But oh man! At some points, the cliff is just a few feet away with no guard rail and my heart rate was steadily increasing. I had the two little girls with me, so that always makes heights scarier for me. I just focused on the road and drove on, but the winds were extreme. I made it and the boys made it down to me. The ranger actually picked them up about halfway down the road and told them they couldn't hike on the road. It was definitely an experience to remember.

If you look at the mountain right behind the flag and a little to the left, you can see the line that goes straight up the mountain. That is the gully they had to climb up. I took this picture from my bedroom window the morning they went up.

 

 These are all pictures I took up Pikes Peak Highway. I kept stopping to get pictures, but should have stopped even more. There were some amazing spots. And I wish I had stopped to get the Big Foot Crossing sign. Next time, I guess!

The winds were brutal, but they still stopped for a selfie at the summit. They ended up waiting for another guy who they knew was coming along behind them. He was lucky they did. He was having a really rough time and had even run out of water. We ended up driving him down the mountain and into Manitou Springs to get his car. We were glad we could help.