This morning I drove 100 miles south to Manitou Springs, a resort town a few miles west of Colorado Springs. Manitou Springs sits at the base of Pikes Peak and is home to the Pikes Peak cog railway, which departs from the depot on Ruxton Ave. Just past the depot is parking for the Manitou Incline followed by the hikers/campers lot for the Barr trail.
Despite the cold weather I was actually overheating on the ascent, so I removed my parka in favor of a light fleece jacket. I also wore rain pants, as I often needed to step off the trail into deep snow to let other hikers pass.
While the Incline no longer runs, trail runners have adopted the incredibly steep "trail" created by the abandoned tracks. In less than a mile the Incline trail climbs 2000 vertical feet, so it's like an outdoor StairMaster workout. Local runners use it to prepare for the Pikes Peak Ascent & Marathon, a trail race on the Barr trail to the summit of Pikes Peak. I've run the Ascent twice, but I've never tackled the Incline.
Anyway... a few days ago I wasn't even sure that I would get to Manitou, as the forecast called for a major snowstorm. The storm did arrive but by Saturday the roads were fine. The Barr trail (or should I say Brr! trail) was hike-able but very slushy for the first two miles.
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| Looking down incline to cog railway depot |
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| Looking up the incline |
Despite the cold weather I was actually overheating on the ascent, so I removed my parka in favor of a light fleece jacket. I also wore rain pants, as I often needed to step off the trail into deep snow to let other hikers pass.
After 2+ miles I took a short side trip on the Incline connector trail, which leads to the top of the Incline. This trail allows runners to head up the Incline but return down Barr's gentler grade. The Incline was icy, so to improve traction many runners were wearing "screw shoes" or Yaktraks.
After returning to Barr I continued up the trail, which was now covered with packed snow. The scenery was gorgeous: snow covered pine and spruce trees, plus huge boulders draped with icicles.
Since the wind was picking up I decided to turn around at the 4 mile marker, This was around 8800' elevation, 2400' above the railway depot. After returning to the car I drove to nearby Garden of the Gods park, The trails there were wet and muddy, but I spent an hour or two walking along the paved pathways.
On Sunday I returned to Barr. The trail was in better shape than on Saturday because all the foot traffic had hiked off much of the snow. So this time the first 2 miles were wet rather than slushy. After I passed the 4 mile marker the snow became deeper, but the narrow trail was fairly well packed.
I had no problems continuing to my destination, Barr Camp, 6 miles and 3800 vertical feet from the trail head. Barr offers bunks, cabins and lean-to shelters to Pikes Peak hikers, plus a hot breakfast featuring Pikes Peak Power Pancakes (PDF). The camp is about half way to the summit, so there is still a lot of climbing left. The Bottomless Pit mentioned on the sign is a steep cirque on the north side of Pikes, which is used as an approach to several mountaineering routes.
Continuing past Barr Camp wasn't an option for me, as a hiker told me that the trail above the camp was impassible without snowshoes or skis. I was quite content to head back, as 12 miles round trip was more than enough hike for me. On the way down I noticed that the weather was finally starting to clear, and by the time I returned to Niwot I saw the weekend's first sunshine.
Since the wind was picking up I decided to turn around at the 4 mile marker, This was around 8800' elevation, 2400' above the railway depot. After returning to the car I drove to nearby Garden of the Gods park, The trails there were wet and muddy, but I spent an hour or two walking along the paved pathways.
I had no problems continuing to my destination, Barr Camp, 6 miles and 3800 vertical feet from the trail head. Barr offers bunks, cabins and lean-to shelters to Pikes Peak hikers, plus a hot breakfast featuring Pikes Peak Power Pancakes (PDF). The camp is about half way to the summit, so there is still a lot of climbing left. The Bottomless Pit mentioned on the sign is a steep cirque on the north side of Pikes, which is used as an approach to several mountaineering routes.
Continuing past Barr Camp wasn't an option for me, as a hiker told me that the trail above the camp was impassible without snowshoes or skis. I was quite content to head back, as 12 miles round trip was more than enough hike for me. On the way down I noticed that the weather was finally starting to clear, and by the time I returned to Niwot I saw the weekend's first sunshine.
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