Barr Trail is long trail up Pikes Peak. Starting in Manitou Springs at 6,600 feet, it climbs 7500 ft up over the course of about 25 miles round trip (27 miles if you have to park a mile away from the trailhead). Our group of 12 decided two nights at Barr Camp was in order, where the camp hosts prepared pancakes and spaghetti for weary travellers and a cabin (full of snorers, unfortunately) allowed us to forgoe packing our tents up the mountain. With two hikers from sea level (one from California, the other from Maryland) and 4 first-time 14er hikers, we managed to get just about everyone up to the summit. It was a great hike, topped by eating a celebratory donut at the summit!
The blue group: Kristy, Mike, Andy, and Ken Somehow we ended up with a large group of blue hikers, and red hikers... it"s almost like an election!
The group at the trailhead
Mike applies sunscreen to Andy...Andy is perhaps enjoying it too much?
Brian at the trailhead
Hiking up the trail
Sharon
Venus
Andy and Mike have fun with a wheelbarrow along the trail
Pikes off in the distance
Kristy and Lisa
Barr Camp
Alan relaxes at camp
The main cabin at Barr Camp
Venus and Sharon arrive at camp
Andy relaxes after the hike
Brad and Lisa
Ken relaxes by the stream
Brian, Shari, and Andy
Kristy, Alan, and Pam
Mike
Kristy and Venus in the upper cabin
A view of the upper cabin
Lisa and Brian
Shari and Brad
Alan, Lisa, Kristy, and Pam set off for the summit
Sunrise along the trail
Alan, Kristy, and Lisa on the trail
The summit about 2000 ft above us
The A-Frame shelter at tree line
Lisa on the trail
Kristy and the summit
Brian
Alan and Kristy
Looking southward over the southern cirque
The long traverse across the face of Pikes
A fuzzy marmot
The 1500ft high southern wall of the southern cirque
The start of the 16 Golden Stairs (32 switchbacks)
The maintenance train at the summit
Looking back on the trail from the near summit
A train of tourists arrives
Brian arrives on the summit
Lisa and Brian on the summit
Kristy arrives on the summit
Brian and Lisa
The very end of the cog railway
Clouds drift upwards from the face of Pikes
The trail below
Alan and Pam enjoy a burger on the summit
Kristy hiking down
Alan, Brad, Shari, Mike, Andy, and Pam
Clouds wisp over the trail
Lisa and Kristy
Alan, Brad, Pam, Andy, Shari, and Mike on the summit
Brad
Venus and Ken arrive on the summit
Switchbacks everywhere
Andy
Brian
The clouds finally catch up to us
Kristy, Lisa, and Sharon hike down through treeline
The famed butt rock
Kristy, Mike, and Andy relax in front of the upper cabin
The Barr Camp switchback bread
Shari, Brad, and Mike at Barr Camp
Andy, Lisa, Alan, and another hiker at Barr Camp
Venus's blisters
The stream running through Barr Camp
One of many hummingbirds at camp
Ken and Venus enjoying breakfast
A squirrel contemplates signing the log book
Triage corner: Venus and Pam bandage their blisters
The group
Boots!
Mike and Andy and a tripod: recipe for amusement
Lisa and Brian
Brad points out where we hiked to
A mariposa lily
Looking down on the group from a few switchbacks up
Lisa under a rock fall
Alan, Kristy, and Pam
Lisa
Looking out on Colorado Springs from about 9000 ft
