Perils of Pike's Peak

After their class let out yesterday, H and his friend D and I decided to drive up to Pike's Peak. The entrance to the park is only 10 miles from the hotel, and it's less than a 40 mile round-trip drive. Just for a little background information, we started at about 6500 feet at the beginning, and the peak is 14,410. The drive was gorgeous. The aspens have all changed to an incredible golden color, and not many have dropped their leaves yet. As the elevation rises, the aspens disappear, and then the conifers at about 12,000 feet (the timberline).

It had also started to snow.

I was sooooooo excited. I can't get enough snow under normal circumstances. It was spitting at first, but then turned into beautiful flakes pretty quickly. At that point, I was only unnerved by the fact that we were in a rental car that I wasn't 100% comfortable with, but at least it was large. But, the drive up isn't paved the entire way, and I didn't know if the pavement or the unpaved area was more slippery.

We got to the peak, white knuckling and heavy breathing the entire time, and got out of the car into the gusting wind to go into the Visitor's Center. Of course, the visibility was only about 10 feet (as it was on the last 1000 feet of the drive). I was very dizzy and out of breath, but wasn't sure if it was because of the altitude or because I was freaking out, or both. Most likely both. We were in the Visitor's Center when they came on the loud speaker to "strongly advise" that we start down because conditions were worsening and Park Rangers would come to escort us down. We didn't wait for the Rangers, because other people were heading down as well.

No sooner did we start down then the car skidded. Not so much that H and D noticed, thank God, but enough that it made me want to throw up. One thing that I may not have mentioned about this glorious ride is that there are VERY FEW GUARDRAILS. Hmmmm. Not like a Dodge Charger in the slippery snow would have been stopped by one anyway. Thankfully, that was the only time that it skidded and we crawled down the mountain until the snow disappeared at about 10,000 feet.

Then, we were treated with some of the most beautiful sights that I have ever seen. The sun was out, the trees were glowing, the water was so blue, and we stopped at every chance we could to get pictures.

Sorry we did it? Absolutely not. But, I'm paying for it today. I have had a screaming headache all day, partly brought on by stress and partly brought on by a klonopin hangover (see the next post about altitude and medication). H took D to the airport and did some running around, and I've slept all day. I'm starting to feel human now.