Not your average Girls Weekend!

I have been running a lot.  It was nice to slow the pace this weekend, meet new friends and climb a mountain.  

Thanks to Alyssa who dreamt up this weekend AND made it happen - 9 women left the chaos of Colorado Springs for a girls weekend.  No pedicures (though our feet were begging for them) and shopping only to pass the time while we waited for dinner.  There was lots of chatter and laughter, to be sure.  And some rest, too. 

We women rented the San Isabel Bed & Breakfast for the weekend.  It was a lovely place, in a lovely location with three lovable house dogs (Cleo, Lucy & Max) and delightful Innkeepers - Dick and Cam - who might just have been a little overwhelmed by 9 women! Not your usual B & B clientele and probably a little more noise than when all your rooms are filled with people who don't know one another.

Friday we had dinner at Amica's in Salida and then headed back to pack our gear and turn in early.  Our wake-up call was for 3 AM.  Yup.  3 AM.  Depart B&B by 3:30 AM.  Cam and Dick were gracious in preparing breakfast the night before - a vast array of choices  from bagels, to homemade "granola bars," yogurt, grapes, bananas, and the makings for trail mix!  While most of us attempted the early bed time, few of us succeeded in going to sleep right away.  Alyssa and I chatted for a bit and then forced ourselves to try and sleep.  I think for all of us it was a fit full night.  And by 3 AM we were up.  By 3:30 we were all collected, but still slow to get out the door. 

Somehow I was in the lead car to the trail head - thankfully with Laura as navigator and DJ and Marigny in the back noting all the music that was also on her 10 year old's IPod, too :).  The dirt road to the trail head seemed much rougher in the dark than it really was (discovered, of course, on the way out in the daylight).  

4:45 am:  7 women depart the Blank Gulch Trail head, headlamps illuminated, for the attempt on Mt. Shavano (14, 229).  We scared a couple of men at the trail head, I think.  They scurried off ahead of us very quickly.  Some in our group had previously summited Shavano, others had tried with out success and one among us was making her first attempt of a 14er.  There was great energy, despite the early hour.  

It really is amazing to be in the company of strong women - women who are talented mountaineers, but also dedicated volunteers, professional women, moms, wives, friends and so many other things.  I am lucky to know women who think the idea of hiking - be it a day hike, a 14er attempt, or a backpack - is a great way to define a girls weekend.  In my world, so much better than shopping and pedicures (not that I don't love a good pedi) - but for me this weekend was authentic.  We all showed up without judgement and with only encouragement and open hearts (for we didn't all know each other, though everyone knew Alyssa). 

About an hour into the hike we came to a small stream, the sun wasn't up, but it was up enough for a breakfast break.  Up to this point we'd mostly stuck together - all allowing our muscles, joints and bodies to warm up a bit.  From here we made the first split - Marigny and Laura settled into a slow, steady climb behind Alyssa, Suzie, Crystal, Ashley and I.  As we climbed I found myself in the middle of the pack - a fine place to be.  And for a very short while leading the group.  

My feet weren't very happy with my footwear choice having spent their whole summer in flip flops or trail runners - the hiking boots felt stiff and constrained.   But they are good boots and the feet survived the footwear choice - no blisters or black toenails.  And my left IT band was not very happy with the ascent either - which reminds me I must pull out the foam roller tonight.  Owwee!  

The trail starts at 9800 feet.  RT is 9.7 miles with 4430 of elevation.  Maybe driving to the summit of Pikes Peak on Friday for 6+ miles between 12K and 14K wasn't the best idea.  My thinking:  I needed summit time and I saw a window, it would be my first summit run so I wouldn't be running fast or hard, so it seemed like a good idea.  But the first summit run of the year IS hard.  And the top 3 miles on Pikes Peak are among the hardest - if not for the altitude, then there's the sixteen Golden stairs - the top mile of the trail - rocky, wet and without much O2.  The short story - maybe my legs were already a bit fatigued when I started.   But I felt slow.  But slow and steady is just fine.  

Just above tree line I took up the rear position and settled into my own pace.  At the saddle we all recollected, fueled up and aimed for the summit.  I felt reasonably good, felt a moment of uncertainty as we searched for the trail through the talus to the summit.  But all those years of rock scrambling as a kid came back and the butterflies disappeared.  Find solid footing, use your hands if  you need and take one step at a time.  Before I knew it we found the trail again and then there was the summit.  

9:30 AM:  Alyssa, Crystal, Suzie, Ashely and I stand on the summit of one of Colorado's 54 14er's.  I had forgotten how amazing the view is from the top of the world.  I am insignificant.  I am humbled.  I am in awe.  I am grateful (a feeling I have often).  And I am happy.  And sweaty.  And hungry.  We rest, snack and chat with other climbers.  Suzie and Crystal split off and decide to attempt the saddle to Mt. Tabeguache and the rest of us decide to head on down the mountain.  

10:15 AM:  Just as we step below the summit, we find Laura and Marigny!  Yeah!  I return to the summit with them to be a part of Marigny's first ever summit.  A moment for which I am grateful - the chance to share Marigny's exhaustion and elation at having climbed one hummer of a mountain.  And a chance to breath in the views just a little longer.  

The descent is, thankfully, easier on my IT band than the ascent.  Nonetheless we take it reasonably slowly.  It's a long way down the mountain.  Hansel left a trail of Smartfood along the trail (two teenage boys trotting down the trail made the ground squirrels awfully happy).  Took longer to get to tree line than I anticipated and it was warmer in the trees than I hoped it would be.  But I love the smell of pine forest that has been heated by the sun - aroma is good, feel of it, less so!  Eventually we saw small aspen and finally felt a slight cooling as the forest changed from just pine to a mix of pine and Aspen.  And then there was the creek.  And some thunder (thank goodness we were well below tree line, hoping that Crystal and Suzie were too) and a tiny bit of rain.  But we knew we were within 45 minutes (maybe less) of the trail head. And we were ready to be done.  Knees, quads, piriformis and feet were none too happy any longer.  But we'd done it.  And the weather had cooperated. 

Along the way down I wondered out loud what a 4.5 hour ascent over 4.7 (or so miles) meant for the Peak.  It felt slow and I was discouraged.  Until Laura reminded me that that ascent of the Peak is different. It zig-zags more than this one did.  It's a different mountain, and a different trail.  No comparisons.  Just recognize the accomplishment, and be grateful for a different training opportunity and more importantly time with friends.  Yup.  Time with friends.  These are the things I will remember when I look back on my life.

2:10 or 2:15 PM:  Trail head!  We'd done it.  First order of business, FLIP FLOPS!!  Then, thanks to expert Laura's wisdom, ice cold Gatorade!  DJ Laura got us back to the B & B for showers.  And Shannon and Wendy - great friends that they are - got some Sunshine Wheat, chips, salsa and guacamole for us!  

It was easy to fall into bed post hike!  I awoke in the middle of the night in a panic because my alarm was still set for 3 AM.  I had no interest in hearing it chime or in waking Alyssa.  When I turned on the light on my watch I discovered it was 2:59 AM.  Yikes.  I'd barely caught it!  I fell back into a deep slumber until about 5:30.  But I didn't get up until 7 am, when I awoke to thunder, lightning and rain!  Thank goodness we made our summit attempt yesterday.  By 7 am we were well into our hike and we would have been soaked.  A nice morning.  Body was sore today - tight calves and that piriformis - well - it's there to be sure :)  Coffee and conversation, and a delicious breakfast made for peaceful and relaxing morning.  The rain passed and by 9:30 we were all packed and ready to go.  And yet, still a little time to spare for some yoga on the wrap around porch.  I know I was reluctant at first, but grateful (there's that word again) when we were done.  My body needed the gentle stretching before the 2 hour car ride that was ahead of us.

We said our goodbyes to the dogs, to Dick and Cam, to the chickens and the llamas and to the Sawatch Range.  We drove North toward BV then turned East and on home to Colorado Springs.  

Another good, Colorado weekend.  A few more summer weekends to indulge in this beautiful place I call home.