Because the weather looked ideal, we decided to head up Pikes Peak rather than taking a weekend off to take care of house stuff. Who says we have to adult?

There are two main routes: Barr Trail which is a Class 1 but 24 miles roundtrip and then there is Crags Trail via Devil’s Playground which is a Class 2 but only 14 miles roundtrip. We chose the shorter route!

Pikes Peak is probably one of the most well-known mountains in the US and has gone by many names over the years. The first attempt to summit was in 1806, led by Zebulon Pike but due to the conditions in the Rockies in November, the group failed. Four years later, Edwin James cleared the summit in two days and the mountain was briefly names after James. Pike’s legacy continued and eventually the name was changed to Pikes Peak. In 1891, the Cog Trailway was completed as an option to reaching the summit but those who didn’t want to pay the fees traveled the Barr Trail which was named after Fred Barr who helped improve the trail conditions for travelers and hikers. 

Fun fact: Pikes Peak was home to a ski resort from 1939 – 1984!

There are many events at Pikes: the annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (a motor race), the Pikes Peak Cycling Hill Climb (a bicycle hill climb – sounds fun!!!), and an annual marathon. 

Another fun fact: Pikes Peak is the site of the US Army Pikes Peak Research Laboratory. This location assesses the effect of altitude on Warfighter health and performance.

Ok, back to our hike. This trek was different in many ways than many of the other 14ers we have summitted. First off – parking was VERY easy. Well, at 4:30AM it was. When we returned to our truck around 1:00PM, the parking was insane.

Next, we started at 10,000’ elevation which meant we got to start in the trees! Hiking at night in a forest is so amazing. There is also a stream you cross four times which makes the cool, early morning hike so tranquil.

Third, apparently there had been two recent (like in the last week or so) bear sightings 😨 with one person having been charged by a bear. We learned about this risk from a fellow hiker who summited with us. He was hiking solo and so joined up with us the entire hike up. Shout out to Attorney Chase! 

And last, but the best part of this hike: DONUTS and COFFEE 🍩 ☕ at the top!! This peak is pretty commercialized unlike the others we have summited (outside of Mount Evans), but I can’t complain about the warm building, snacks, and clean bathrooms. Heck, even the outdoor bathroom at Crags trailhead was super clean and smelled great!

So, we started the trek just before 5:00AM quickly realizing why we ordered new headlamps. Our current ones seemed a bit dim but they got us through the trees. Route finding wasn’t too bad – there were only a couple of times we had to stop to figure out where the trail went. The moon wasn’t too bright and so the darkness and shadows toyed with our route-finding skills. 

Once we cleared the treeline, the trail started getting a bit steeper – more than we expected. The trail zig-zaged up the mountainside through rocks, dirt, wildflowers, and other plants. When it seemed like the trail would never flatten out, we reached the top of that section and stopped at a cairn where I had to immediately fuel up. We had underestimated this trail and its challenge and had not eaten any breakfast. After downing a SIS and some water, I felt like a new woman. We trudged on towards Devil’s Playground. At an elevation of 13,070’, this area is a couple of miles northwest of Pikes Peak and named for the way lightening bounces between the rocks during storms. We may have to check that out one day from the safety of our truck. 

At Devil’s Playground you cross Pikes Peak Highway and travel near it on relatively “flat” terrain for a couple of miles. What a relief! There is one slightly sketchy section that is washed out just below a short bridge that I definitely wouldn’t want lose my footing at. Otherwise, the trail is uneventful until you reach within about 500’ of the summit. This is the point where the class 2 scrambling and a little route finding begins. There is not a clear trail most of this portion and EASY to get “off trail”. Sometimes spotting the cairns is tough because they blend in. At one point I didn’t see the path Joe and Chase were taking and I ended up climbing up some rocks and boulders that were not the easiest. Luckily the “exposure” (high risk of injury if you fall due to the steepness of the terrain) wasn’t too high and so really the main issue is just the extra “work” you may have to put in to get over some of the rocks that is harder than other routes. I definitely put in some extra work, haha. Did I mention that Pikes Peak has donuts?

It took us about 4.5 hours but we made it to the top! It was chilly but the wind was not awful. We arrived right after they opened the toll highway to cars and so there was mainly just workers and hikers at the top. We got to be some of the first people in line for donuts: plain, cinnamon and sugar, Butterfinger, and Heath Bar. I opted for Butterfinger (I validated my choice by telling myself that peanut butter contains protein) and Joe got cinnamon and sugar. We got a couple of coffees and sat at the window overlooking Colorado Springs. It was nice to warm up and rest before packing up for the trek down. After about 45 minutes of bliss, we gathered our items, layered back up, and headed to the trail. 

Luckily hiking down wasn’t bad and we were able to stay on the “trail” in the rocks a little easier. The trail was much busier now and we were so glad we started early because the sun was up and the temperature was rising. Getting hot while hiking is not fun. We meandered down the trail, took some more pictures, watched mountain goats and their babies, and eventually hiked through Devil’s Playground. Apparently, some people park at this trailhead and hike up Pikes which gives you about 1000’ elevation gain and 2.25 miles to the summit.

We make it to the downhill section towards the trees and enjoy the beautiful views, encouraging other hikers along the way (that section is brutal!). The forest finally surrounds us and it is really cool to see what it looks like during the day since we did the entire section in the dark. Joe and I always say that the descent back to the truck seems like it takes SO LONG!  I think we are usually pretty tired by then and the endorphins from reaching the summit have long wore off. This seemed like an extremely long descent this time!

We reached the truck around 1:00PM and the parking lot is packed! It is great to see so many people outdoors. Accessing some of these trailheads is not “right off the highway” and so you really have to plan and WANT to go hike. This is what makes me love Colorado (and the West) so much – there is so much to do outdoors and it seems like the entire state thinks so too.Side note: If you want to hike up to Pikes Peak, you can always park in Manitou Springs, hike the Barr Trail to the top (about 13 miles up) and then take the Cog trailway down. 

14 miles
4300’ elevation gain
14,109’ summit
8.5 hours roundtrip (including 45 minutes enjoying donuts!)
Crags Trail (Northwest Slopes) Route
Class 2