My Adventure: by Dale Simonson
I ran the Pikes Peak Marathon in Colorado two years in a row. Well, I didn’t exactly do the Pikes Peak Marathon. Rather, I ran the 26 mile roundtrip Barr Trail from the bottom of the mountain in Manitou Springs to the summit and back, skipping the short street distance to/from the Manitou Springs City Hall where the marathon starts/finishes. I wouldn’t be lying to claim my reason for climbing Pikes Peak was simply the proverbial, “because it was there.” But I also ran it as training for a bigger run I had planned for the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim 5 weeks later.
Barr Trail has the most elevation gain of any of the 58 Colorado 14ers (peaks over 14,000’) and is the route for the annual Pikes Peak Marathon. I haven’t done the actual event since both of my climbs have been in October, a month after the marathon. Some fun facts about that marathon:
- Oldest continuously held marathon in the U.S.
- Started in 1956 by a tobacco-hating physician who challenged cigarette smokers to race him up and down Pikes Peak
- 7,815’ (2,382m) elevation gain, starting at 6,300’ and summiting at 14,115’
- Average grade of 11%
- Course record of 3:16:39, set in 1993
That course record is insane. I pressed pretty hard during my runs, but the best I could manage was 7hrs 15min my first year, and 8 hrs flat my second year. I guess “run” isn’t an accurate description since most of the uphill climb is more like a strenuous walk – at least for me. But still, it always amazes me that no matter what endurance activity I attempt, there’s someone roughly twice as fast as me.
I absolutely love the raw beauty of that mountain, especially the huge, panoramic bowl of rugged boulder fields that fill your view once you break through the tree line at about the halfway point. And feeling the oxygen thin out, the ears pop, and the weather change during the climb is an impactful reminder of the differences 7,800’ of ascent can make. During my second year I nearly turned back short of the summit due to the 20-degree F temp and 40 mph winds with heavy snow, despite things being a comfortable 60 degrees at the base.
I have two favorite parts of the trail. First is the 16 Golden Stairs, which is the name given to the final stretch of 32 steep switchbacks before the summit. And then there is the bronze plaque embedded in a large boulder just above tree line as a memorial to a woman, Inestine Roberts, who died there on her 14th summit of Pikes Peak. Why is that place special to me? Because Inestine was 88 years old at the time, and I’ve always thought that would be a lovely place and circumstance to depart this world at such an age. It sure beats most of the alternatives!
Advice to Others:
I love adventures like climbing Pikes Peak for lots of reasons. The beautiful scenery. The fresh air. The endorphin rush from such invigorating exercise. The accessibility and low cost (especially if you’re already near the Denver, Colorado area). And it seems to me it’s one of those activities that consumes less than a day, but likely adds weeks or months to your life.
Can pretty much anyone do it? Yes. Even Inestine Roberts completed her 13th summit when she was 86 years old. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a tough, tough climb and you’d best have conditioning sufficient to run a regular marathon in 6 or 7 hours. And you’ll need a little more mental fortitude than what a regular marathon requires. But that sort of challenge is what makes it such an excellent adventure. Plus, there are lots of easier alternatives for beginners, such as taking the Pike Peak Cog Railway up the mountain and then hiking one-way down. Or hike up and take the railway down. Or check out www.14ers.com for 57 other 14,000’ mountain trails in Colorado, many of which are much easier than Pikes Peak.
Some simple advice for the Pikes Peak Barr Trail:
- Be prepared for the weather changes at the summit (typically cold and windy) and know the forecast
- Start early if you need parking at the base (parking lots tend to fill before 7am)
- Bring more water than you think you’ll need. You’ll likely need it.
- Check the hours of the Cog Railway and the summit station. You can rest in warmth there and resupply food and water – but only if it’s open
- Consider making it a 2-day activity, camping overnight at Barr Camp about halfway up the mountain, just below treelike.
- Consider the actual Pikes Peak Marathon event. I might for next year.
