SO! Since I was about to leave the country I thought it was a fabulous idea to try to hike my first 14-er the day before my departing flight...because I'm brilliant. My friend Deanne decided she is also brilliant and signed up for the trip 2 days before her first 5K. On Sunday, June 15th, we drive down to Divide, CO and got to the trail-head at 10am; without much ado we took our before pictures and marched up the trail.
Instead of the 26 miles of fun that the standard Pikes Peak trail would offer, we were hiking the Crags route which is a much more reasonable 12.5 miles. (Thanks, Krister!) The day is lovely, even the seasoned hikers around us are marveling at the perfect conditions as they sauntered past us...apparently strolling through a field of daisies while we crawled up hills.
About 2 miles up the trail, a swarm of insects rose to greet us, looking about the size of bees and sounding like little motorboats. Deanne and I turned-tail, running and screaming with such girlish ferocity that they were soon forced to abandon their pursuit. We were forced to realize they were flies (freakishly big and friendly flies), and were destined to be our traveling companions the rest of the way.
Eventually, we got above the tree-line and baby-stepped our way to Devil's Playground; so named for the way lightening jumps from rock to rock in a storm. We're so high now that the view has lost it's splendor a bit, turning hazy in the distance. But the Playground is a welcome rest with its broad, level slopes. It reminded me of the chase scene from Princess Bride: the way the rocks nestled into the green hills. Our journey ended at the base of the final ascent. A lovely hiker couple had just informed us that it would be 1 to 1.5 hours of hiking to the top; we already had 4 under our belt. I looked at Deanne; she looked like a cute version of the living dead and I can only imagine how I pulled off the look. We were beat. So we stopped short of our goal and had lunch with our fly buddies then headed back down the mountain.
I have only one thing to say about downhills: Screw the boulder! Sisyphus should have to walk up and down a steep gravelly hill with knees like mine for all eternity. I'm built for up! Billy-goat, not a bear, as my father would say. So the descent was complete agony marked with bittersweet moments of recognizing our milestones from the way up.
When we finally got to the ground I hugged the car and realized that I had somehow managed to get a sunburn on the backs of my hands and my eyelids....only. Don't ask me how, I'm a talented girl. But, apparently, it's a good look for me. The gas attendant told me to "stay beautiful," I said "You too" and left him to his confused state. So: sweaty, grimy, exhausted and sun-charred is my thing. I rock it daily!
2 comments:
The hands make sense...wiping sweat from the brow, but eyelids? Were you wearing a hat the entire time?
There was a hat involved on the painful return journey...as styled in the dorky after-photo:-)
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