Rocky Mountain via Southeast Slopes
Mount Manitou via Southeast Slopes
PT 10,245 via South Slopes
February 16, 2013
Partners: Mike and Lauren Offerman
Stats: 13 miles - 4,250' gain
It had been a long while since I had had a weekend with some free time so I was way overdue to get out. Mike had of course emailed me a list of peaks, and per usual I didn't even look at what he sent me. The week went slowly, and the cold that I had been fighting for a week blossomed into something truly horrible. My cough was frequent and painful, and I was concerned that it would not be very helpful for the hike. On the verge of bailing the night before, I convinced myself that Mike usually picked things that weren't too strenuous and that I was sure it would be ok.
WRONG!
We met early at the Loveland park-n-ride and made toward the Springs. About halfway down I causally asked where we'd be hiking, figuring that it'd be some trail I'd never heard of before. His response, "We'll start with the incline." snapped my attention quickly into focus and it dawned on me that I should've read the email. The only thing I could think to say was, "I'll cough my way up, I guess." Mike quickly replied "Well I had six beers last night so you'll be fine." So that was what kind of day it was about to be!
The drive was uneventful and my lungs hurt just thinking about the incline as we pulled into the parking lot. February had provided us with a warm day and we all shed layers as we started up the stairs. Having never been on the incline, I was unpleasantly surprised with the height of the steps and stopped to cough up bits of lung about every few dozen steps or so. Going was slow, but at least the elevation went steadily under our feet and Lauren seemed anxious to stop having to wait for Mike and me. As we reached the top, I noticed about a dozen people standing around peering down the incline and wondered if I was going to get a round of high fives. I guess everybody else seemed to be lost in the thought of going back down the steps, and were trying to convince their knees that it wouldn't be too brutal as they looked right past me and I crawled onto the flat patch at the top. As I coughed my way over to Lauren I tried to think positively that I could stop the copious flow of sweat just by thinking about it hard enough.
A short break was well deserved and the gradual uphill seemed flat as we made out way up toward Rocky Mountain, our first peak of the day. Thankfully, we were able to find a faint trail most of the way to the summit and the snow was almost entirely avoided on the way. The summit brought strong winds from Pikes and the wind brought some nice cold air. Throwing the layers back on, we signed into the small register and made a direct line for Mount Manitou. As the wind tore directly overhead we were quite thankful to be in the shelter of the trees. We crossed a few deeper sections of snow but they were all short so we didn't think to stop and put on gaiters. The final slopes to the summit were easy and we soon sat on the top of Mount Manitou. The summit had great views and the small register seemed infrequently signed. Once again, the wind drove us on and we made a relatively straight line toward the Barr Trail. Our route coincided with a forest road and we decided to follow it to the main trail. Unfortunately, the road had drifted and we slowly post-holed onwards. Just as I was losing hope of finding a packed trail again we hit the Barr Trail and soon found ourselves cruising upward toward the Barr Camp.
The final peak was unnamed PT 10,245 and we left the main trail just before the Barr Camp to follow a recent set of snowshoe prints into the trees. We figured that we would at least be able to follow them for a while and it would help the post-holing. The snow was much deeper here than everybody else and my cold had reared its ugly head. The two false summits on the way really took it out of me and I was more exhausted than I had been in a long time. Wind greeted us promptly on the summit and we were surprised to see that the register had been signed just early in the day that us. The previous entry was several months prior and a closer inspection showed a familiar name. Not only had someone managed to elude us and got up earlier in the day but it was John Longnecker, whom I had gotten all of my beta for West Pawnee Butte several years beforehand. Happy to have experienced such an odd coincidence and even happier to have downhill terrain in front of me, we made our way out. The trail cruised steadily by and we took the Barr Trail down the final slopes instead of the knee grinding incline. It had been a long time that I had experienced such happiness to be back at the car and felt guilty that such "low-lying-fruit" had taken it out of me.
I guess it's time to do more hiking and less beer drinking!
Partners: Mike and Lauren Offerman
Stats: 13 miles - 4,250' gain
It had been a long while since I had had a weekend with some free time so I was way overdue to get out. Mike had of course emailed me a list of peaks, and per usual I didn't even look at what he sent me. The week went slowly, and the cold that I had been fighting for a week blossomed into something truly horrible. My cough was frequent and painful, and I was concerned that it would not be very helpful for the hike. On the verge of bailing the night before, I convinced myself that Mike usually picked things that weren't too strenuous and that I was sure it would be ok.
WRONG!
We met early at the Loveland park-n-ride and made toward the Springs. About halfway down I causally asked where we'd be hiking, figuring that it'd be some trail I'd never heard of before. His response, "We'll start with the incline." snapped my attention quickly into focus and it dawned on me that I should've read the email. The only thing I could think to say was, "I'll cough my way up, I guess." Mike quickly replied "Well I had six beers last night so you'll be fine." So that was what kind of day it was about to be!
The drive was uneventful and my lungs hurt just thinking about the incline as we pulled into the parking lot. February had provided us with a warm day and we all shed layers as we started up the stairs. Having never been on the incline, I was unpleasantly surprised with the height of the steps and stopped to cough up bits of lung about every few dozen steps or so. Going was slow, but at least the elevation went steadily under our feet and Lauren seemed anxious to stop having to wait for Mike and me. As we reached the top, I noticed about a dozen people standing around peering down the incline and wondered if I was going to get a round of high fives. I guess everybody else seemed to be lost in the thought of going back down the steps, and were trying to convince their knees that it wouldn't be too brutal as they looked right past me and I crawled onto the flat patch at the top. As I coughed my way over to Lauren I tried to think positively that I could stop the copious flow of sweat just by thinking about it hard enough.
A short break was well deserved and the gradual uphill seemed flat as we made out way up toward Rocky Mountain, our first peak of the day. Thankfully, we were able to find a faint trail most of the way to the summit and the snow was almost entirely avoided on the way. The summit brought strong winds from Pikes and the wind brought some nice cold air. Throwing the layers back on, we signed into the small register and made a direct line for Mount Manitou. As the wind tore directly overhead we were quite thankful to be in the shelter of the trees. We crossed a few deeper sections of snow but they were all short so we didn't think to stop and put on gaiters. The final slopes to the summit were easy and we soon sat on the top of Mount Manitou. The summit had great views and the small register seemed infrequently signed. Once again, the wind drove us on and we made a relatively straight line toward the Barr Trail. Our route coincided with a forest road and we decided to follow it to the main trail. Unfortunately, the road had drifted and we slowly post-holed onwards. Just as I was losing hope of finding a packed trail again we hit the Barr Trail and soon found ourselves cruising upward toward the Barr Camp.
The final peak was unnamed PT 10,245 and we left the main trail just before the Barr Camp to follow a recent set of snowshoe prints into the trees. We figured that we would at least be able to follow them for a while and it would help the post-holing. The snow was much deeper here than everybody else and my cold had reared its ugly head. The two false summits on the way really took it out of me and I was more exhausted than I had been in a long time. Wind greeted us promptly on the summit and we were surprised to see that the register had been signed just early in the day that us. The previous entry was several months prior and a closer inspection showed a familiar name. Not only had someone managed to elude us and got up earlier in the day but it was John Longnecker, whom I had gotten all of my beta for West Pawnee Butte several years beforehand. Happy to have experienced such an odd coincidence and even happier to have downhill terrain in front of me, we made our way out. The trail cruised steadily by and we took the Barr Trail down the final slopes instead of the knee grinding incline. It had been a long time that I had experienced such happiness to be back at the car and felt guilty that such "low-lying-fruit" had taken it out of me.
I guess it's time to do more hiking and less beer drinking!
Bonus photo that John sent me of one of his ascents of West Pawnee Butte in the late 60s.
Go get em cowboy!
