Pikes Peak

David, Isaac and I started our hike at 5am in the dark.  Grandma Terry kindly drove us to the bottom of Barr Trail, then went back home.  She would come back in a few hours with the girls and they would hike 1/2 way up to Barr Camp and hopefully we would be meeting them there and hiking back down together.

After ac couple miles the sky began to lighten.  That's David and Isaac. 

I tried to take a selfie--already sweating!

We occasionally crossed paths with other hikers--we asked one to take a picture.

Halfway.  We had a look around, signed the book and then continued up the mountain. At some point after Barr Camp, the boys left me behind.  I guess I was too slow with all my stopping to take pictures.  I will share a few here. 

This was the craziest thing I saw all day.  Two mountain bikers making their way out of the crazy Golden Stairs!  

The bikers went through this?!

Beautiful, horrible sign.  The last mile is so hard.  No air and it's steep.  

Last time we got a ride back down in my parents' car, this time we were hoofing it on their own.  One feels a badge of honor mingling with the folk arriving and departing on the train and hearing their comments and questions about the hike.  

The top.

We stuck together again on the way back down. 

Isaac feeling fatigued? 

Meanwhile, the girls had been hiking hiking hiking themselves.  Here are the pictured taken by Makenna of their journey highlights. 

Jess enjoying the backseat all to herself. 

Driving by Garden of the Gods on the way to Manitou Springs. 

They made it 8 miles up to Barr Camp!  They hung out and waited for us to come down. 

Eventually, we showed up!

Makenna--once I got there, I made sure to take some pictures of her!

On the way down, we posed along the Incline since we couldn't the last time we were there in the lightning storm. 

And the sun is going down....

Somewhere along the last couple miles, Jessica got stung by a bee, right by her eye.  Bummer of a way to end an epic hike.  We went straight to Smashburger to refuel, then home to bed.  

Jessica's bee sting looked a lot better the next morning.