Altitude Notes: Entry One

Pikes Peak 14,110 Feet
09 August 2021


The Approach

I drove down to Colorado Springs to pick James up the day before. We made our way through Woodland Park and over to The Crags Campground, setting up camp and prepping gear for an alpine start the next day.

bigtopo L1200xThe Route

Northwest Slopes, aka The Crags

Distance: 14.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 4,300 feet

 

The Hike

Boots were on the ground at 0430 and we made our way through the forested trail with headlamps cutting through the dark. As we made our way to just above treeline the sun was making its way above the horizon, giving us a good view of the summit in distance to the southeast. We continued our relentless forward advance to where the trail meets Pikes road, crossing it to continue the trail to the summit.

Once beyond an area called Devils Playground we could see the talus and rock field that stands between the trail and summit. Picking our way through the rock strewn obstacle was not difficult, as there were plenty of cairns to mark the best route. Beyond the rocks the home stretch leads to a parking lot and gift center, making for an anticlimactic summit. Pervasive wildfires in the area made the views and photography less than optimal. After taking some time to pay our respects to SGT Joyce, 3/75th Ranger Regiment, we retraced the route back to the Crags. A great day out on the mountain.

References:

For information on planning this hike see https://www.14ers.com/route.php?route=pike1