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Post date: Nov 28, 2015 9:45:42 PM
Notes: I found a MeetUp that was calling for adventurers who wanted to climb Pikes Peak via moonlight. I was in as soon as I read the title! So I met a new friend names Tracie in a dark parking lot around 10:15pm. We both decided that the other didn't look much like an ax murder and decided that carpooling into the middle of the woods in the middle of the night with one another would be fine. Upon our arrival we met up with three other gentlemen all of which were wearing headlamps making my ability to size them up virtually impossible. I quickly decided that an ax murderer wouldn't drive into the middle of the woods at 11pm to kill four strangers. (Looking back, I realize that, yes! That is exactly what an ax murderer would do.)
We spent the next few hours switching back and forth via headlamps and moonlight until we reached Devil's Playground. At that point, most of our elevation gain was done but the wind had picked up. However, it was a nice section of the trail because there was only the four of us (our organizer and dropped out) on the whole mountain and after deciding to kick off our headlamps, we felt very isolated.
GPS Track: http://www.mapmyhike.com/routes/view/539106272
Duration and Difficulty: All night, surprisingly easy considering it was a 14er and it was dark.Trailhead: Crag's Trailhead. Easy to find parking at 11pm at night. There was also no wait at the toilet
Date: 9/20/2014
Adventurers: Me and some strangers one of which I know was names Tracie
The hike ended with a quick stop to feed some cool birds along the trail, the finding of our long lost leader who had decided to sleep in his car and wait for us, and pancakes. The group of possible ax murderes turned out to be just a bunch of crazy psychopaths that prefer to summit in the dark instead of decapitating people in their sleep.
We summited about 20 minutes before sunrise and enjoyed the usually crowded with tram-riding tourist summit as we waited. We did discover that the windows to the summit house were open so we took advantage and dangled our hands inside to enjoy the warmth. There might have been a Great Grandpa and Uncle decal mug or two that found their way out during our hand-warming sessions.
The hike back down was a blur, we were half asleep or, in some moments more than half, and wind beaten. We'd eaten our bars, taken our goo shots, and guzzled our water but a 14er is no easy task and the added darkness and cold had us all wiped.
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