A SWEET PIKES PEAK SUCCESS STORY

After making this trip a year earlier and having to forego our attempt at summiting Pikes Peak due to an unusual amount of snow, we were hoping for success this time — my fourth and Seth’s second managing this mammoth hike. As always, it was quite an endeavor. And given that our previous attempt fell flat, coming out (literally) on top this time was especially sweet.

day 1 • 06.28.25

Kansas City >>> Colorado

Dramatic skies welcomed us to Colorado, and seeing Pikes Peak pop up on the horizon outside of Colorado Springs is always a dramatic moment, too!

day 2 • 06.29.25

A day to acclimate

We had a pretty low-key Sunday (other than some nerves!) — watching church online, then hitting some thrift stores and a movie before wrapping up with a Chipotle dinner we hoped would be good fuel for the following day.

day 3 • 06.30.25

Pikes Peak

We set out just before 4 a.m. and made pretty good time getting Barr Camp — arriving at this halfway point 6.5 miles in at 8 a.m. Of course, the second half of the hike takes much longer, and there were thunderstorms in the forecast for early afternoon. We reached the timberline, 3 miles from the summit, under cloud cover at 11 a.m.

Being above this point in a storm isn’t safe, but we pressed on — and fortunately, no serious storm materialized. But those dramatic clouds still made for a powerful experience. My favorite part of this Pikes Peak hike was that striking cloudscape we encountered as we made the last leg of our ascent. These final few miles are usually the hardest, given that fatigue is increasing and oxygen is decreasing.

But this time — in stark contrast to my first three — I had a steady energy I think can be attributed in part to the magic of climbing through clouds, then standing above them with a perspective l’ve rarely ever had outside an airplane.

If l’d known ahead of time that this Pikes Peak hike wouldn’t come with the clear skies and far-reaching views l’ve had here before, I might have been disappointed. But as it turned out, no other time has taken my breath away — in a figurative sense — quite like this one.

Those last miles were pretty slow-going, with ice and snow covering some segments of the trail. But we arrived at the summit at 3:20 p.m. — well before the train we’d booked for our descent. There really isn’t anything quite like arriving at the end of such an arduous journey, and that elation alone is enough to make me look forward to the next time!

day 4 • 07.01.25

A victory lap and very long drive

It’s always so satisfying to look up at Pikes Peak the day after summiting it and to relish having traveled all those miles and that massive elevation gain on foot. We took a few minutes to take that in, then started our next long journey — but fortunately, this one was in the comfort of a car!