First Trip Up Pikes Peak

So I woke up about a month ago and I wasn't happy because I missed my lapswim session at 6:00 that I usually went to at the local Community Center, since this was before I got my membership at Bally's Total Fitness. I had been attempting new physical challenges to try and break some barriers, and that day I was planning on swimming 2.4 miles because its the typical ironman distance swim. Waking up late forced me to erase those plans. Dissapointed, I decided to go do the Manitou Incline a few hours later like I often did, so I packed my camelback with about 32 ounces of water and my cellphone in the little compartment, put on my running shorts and t-shirt, then headed out. I went and ran about half, walked the other half, just like any typical day. When I reached the top of the incline I just felt compelled to keep going. I didnt know exactly how far I wanted to go, but something just told me to keep moving. I skipped the social path to barr trail and took the less used path straight ahead to get back on. Mostly running with some walking I traveled along up to barr camp. No big deal, I've ran up to barr camp plenty of times. I felt hungry so I went into the cabin area to eat some ramen. While in there I talked to the man watching over it (it wasn't the usual couple that's there). It was that point when I decided what the hell Im gonna climb all of Pikes Peak today. I told the man this and he said realistically I should probably strive for timberline. He had good reasoning because it was already about 2 o'clock and daylight savings started the previous day, meaning its pitch dark by 6 o'clock. I wasn't prepared to let time be a factor. I had been putting off climbing Pikes Peak for a long time and I wasn't going to rest easy that night knowing I still hadn't accomplished it. After about a 15 minute break I set back out to climb the trail. My water already at this point was nearing empty, forcing me to watch my intake very carefully and pace myself. Between barr camp and timberline wasn't unbearably cold. I believe this not only to be because lower altitude than the top but also due to the trees shielding the freezing wind from my body. This is where I also started to take pictures so I could remember this experience. About half running, half walking, I got up to timberline. I took a light rest at this mile mark since the altitude was beginning to take control. I knew I must walk most of the way from here considering I had surely less than 5 ounces of water left and around 3 miles/3,000 ft more of climbing to do. I hopped back on the trail and continued into what was becoming a snow covered trail. For the next mile I felt okay, not great, but okay. My heart was steady, my body temps felt relatively normal, and I was fine. That changed very quickly. Suddenly the cold just hit me and my hands were becoming the most pale green color I had ever seen them. After already coming this far, my mind was possessed by the peak. The mountain took control of me and no matter how I felt I kept going forward. Although it was here that I wish I had climbed this damn mountain during a much more pleasant summer month. I was shiverring uncontrollably and I don't know how close I was getting to hypothermia but I, to tell the truth, didn't care at all now. Finally I made it to the 16 Golden Stairs. I honestly can't say before that day I had ever heard of them, but they gave me hope. Decieving me meanwhile because I wasn't nearly as close as I thought I was. After switching back and forth up the mountain I finally hit the top. Sadly I wasn't able to enjoy what I just did right away because my main worry was it was after 4 o'clock and I was trying to find out how the hell I was going to get down this thing. I went into the guest center up top and had to ask around if I could get a ride to the bottom from someone who drove up the road. To my luck I found a family kind enough to let me ride in the back of their minivan. My gratitude to this day is still great and I cant thank them enough for helping me. They dropped me off at my car and I drove home still feeling sort of light headed and hazy. That night when I would close my eyes I would see me climbing still, the mountain would start to close in on me and suddenly I'd wake up again. This happened several times and I dont know if it is common. Eventually I entered a sound sleep. The next morning, on my way to swim at the pool, I looked from my car at that same monstrous Pikes Peak. Thats when it hit me "I climbed that thing!" Few times in my life have I ever felt more satisfied.

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First Trip Up Pikes Peak

Monday, December 6, 2010

First Trip Up Pikes Peak

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