Pikes Peak Challenge Recap: Part 2

Where did we leave off? Ah yes, the trailhead of the Barr Trail.

Shortly after taking this photo, we scanned in our race bibs at 5:18AM. I was at a slight advantage, being from Milwaukee and thus having my internal clock set at Central Standard Time, aka it felt like 6:18AM to me :-)

It was ridiculously dark outside!

We scurried up the trail and it was INTENSE. Though I had on my headlamp, the trail was completely dark...

This would be me, stumbling up the trail.

... and I quickly became aware that this hike was not going to be any walk in the park.

The Barr Trail is no joke... steep switchbacks, seemingly endless, and all before sunrise! I did fine, but immediately felt the effects of the altitude and was instantly winded. I didn't do much whining (it was all in my head), but remember mentioning "I think my lungs are bleeding. I taste blood" to my teammates.

Adding to my anxiety, several parts of the trail did not have a railing installed. I was kinda nervous about the steep dropoffs and narrow passages, and annoyed by the jerky hikers who insisted on passing others there instead of waiting until a wider section of the trail. Not cool.

See, it was intense. I made sure to keep swigging water from my Camelbak, and had a couple Shot Bloks. We took a few breaks. Oh, and kept up morale with goofy photos every few minutes.

Before I knew it, we had completed nearly 3 miles. Hooray! At about the same time, the sun started to rise, providing us with a gorgeous view.

One of the things that was great about our group, was that we took every opportunity to take photographs. What else would one be compelled to do when hiking through such beautiful terrain?

The views just kept getting better and better. HA.

Soon, we caught our first glimpse of the summit!

So close, yet so freakin' far away.

At that point, the view was breathtaking. Both in its beauty, but also in the fact that I couldn't believe that within the same day, we'd make it to the top! The concept made my lungs burn.

We continued up the trail, which was getting rockier (bouldery-er?) and trickier. Morale was high and we were having a great time, moving at a decent pace.

The first trail marker! Just 7.8 miles to the Pikes Peak Summit...

About halfway up, we finally made it to Barr Camp!

After waiting like 20 minutes in line for this...

...we filled up our Camelbaks and water bottles, and hit the trail for the final 6.5 miles.

The sun was out and the steepness picked up, so we quickly shed our outer layers.

Every now and then, we'd catch another peek of the Peak, which was starting to feel a closer in range.As we started to approach the timberline (about 3,000 feet below the summit), we passed through remains of the Dismal Forest. The eerie-looking trees had burned in a massive forest fire around 1910. The scenery, along with the ever-increasing altitude, made for a surreal feeling.

And finally... Timberline!!!

Here, I was feeling crappy (lightheaded, kinda headachy, lethargic) enough to ask for 'just a hit' of oxygen. The doc took my pulse, and told me I was doing great. I opted for a snack break instead.

A vermin friend tried to give us the bubonic plague... we said 'nah, not today.' As we took our break, I tried not to look up... a daunting view if I've ever seen one!

Just 3 miles to the summit. A piece of cake, right?

We got started again and thought the trail was super different, with loose gravel and a super steep grade...

... and after about 100 feet of that, we realized that we had lost the trail. Duh!

We did laugh at the situation and take a moment to soak in the view.

Then, onward and upward... literally.

TO BE CONTINUED, YET AGAIN...

Pikes Peak Challenge Recap: Part I

On Saturday, I accomplished the most daunting physical feat I've ever attempted: the Pikes Peak Challenge!

For those of you who are new to the blog, the Pikes Peak Challenge is an annual fundraising event for the Colorado Brain Injury Association. Hikers pledge to raise funds for brain injury awareness and prevention, and a 6-week training plan is recommended for conditioning in anticipation of the rough and varied terrain of the trail. The hike consists of a 13.5 mile jaunt up the Barr Trail, gaining 7,400 vertical feet to reach the summit of Pikes Peak. The elevation at the top? A paltry 14,110 feet above sea level :-) Pikes Peak is not the tallest '14er' mountain in Colorado, however the Barr Trail is considered to be the most challenging in terms of vertical gain and distance.

Why did I decide to participate? My sister Annie lives in Colorado Springs, where she is earning her PhD in clinical psychology. In 2009 she completed the Pikes Peak Challenge, and this year she inspired me to register and train for the event.

So, being from Milwaukee (aka 634 feet above sea level), how did I train for the elevation? There was really no way to anticipate 1) how I would react to it... altitude sickness strikes randomly, and 2) without arriving 3 weeks early to fully acclimate, I would just have to prepare the best I could, cardiovascularly. Enter 6+ weeks of jogging, long walks, leg strengthening exercise and horseback riding as cross-training. I bought a Camelbak and some other gear to get prepared, and before I knew it I was the plane to Colorado, nervous as can be.

The Day Before the Hike

The morning after I arrived, I headed outdoors for a 3-hour long horseback ride through Garden of the Gods. This was a most enjoyable activity, but spending the time outside helped to acclimate me to the climate and varied terrain. When traveling to a higher elevation location, frequent hydration is key, so I chugged water before, during and after the ride. Later, Annie and I walked about 1.5 miles to the pre-hike rally, which helped get the circulation going again in our legs and more fresh mountain air flowing through our lungs.

The Pre-Hike Rally at the Olympic Training Center

What a great location to get all of the hikers motivated for the main event! After picking up our race packets - which included a Cambelbak water bottle, t-shirt and some other items - Annie and I met up with our fellow teammates.

Joe, Allison, Annie, Kristin

We enjoyed the provided dinner - pasta and salad (no vegetarian protein item - wahhh), before the short program began. Speakers included Chad Holliday, a who was the first TBI survivor to 'win' the Challenge, and chairwoman Alison Dunlap, a 2-Time Olympian and World / National Champion cyclist. Both had inspiring stories and practical advice, and Alison even recommended celebrating with the donuts at the summit house (ha!).

After the rally, our group took advantage of some photo opportunities before parting ways for the night.

Bahahaha

Annie, Moi, Allison, Joe, Kristin.

To the far right is Alison Dunlap, the Olympian... we wish she was on our team!

Annie and I continued to chug water and caught up on blog reading, and hit the hay around 9PM. We wanted to get to sleep, but both of us were up for at least another hour. With the alarm clock set for 3:45, our restlessness turned into anxiety... once asleep, I dreamt of nothing.

The Wee Hours, Pre-Hike

Fast forward to a few hours later! We woke up at 3:45, put on our gear, checked our packs and grabbed some breakfast. It was totally surreal to be up so early.

At about 4:15, we left Annie's apartment and headed to the rendezvous spot to carpool. While waiting for our teammates, we chugged water and nervously sang along with the radio. Once everyone arrived, we headed to Manitou Springs to register. The volunteers were cheerful and pleasant despite the cold, dark morning.

After signing in and pinning on our numbers, we headed to the transportation line. After a short van ride, we were dropped off at the Barr Trail trailhead. Upon taking in the view, I became totally freaked out... all that I could see were the lights from the hikers' headlamps, hundreds of them bobbling up the trail's steep switchbacks ... basically as high up the mountain as you could see. It was definitely a sight to behold!

After another group photo, we switched on our headlamps and joined the others on the trail... TO BE CONTINUED.