Can't Stop Me Now

Defiant. I was not about to let my health problems dictate when and where I could travel to, or what I could do once I reached my destination, so I set out on the road with a friend of mine, Torrey, just a little over 24 hours after I had a liver biopsy done in one of the hospitals in town. I had gone to work that day and was perfectly fine, which prompted me to give the green light to myself and go on my little run-away adventure with one of my best friends. We have known each other since we were little, yet had never taken a trip out of state together! We changed that in August, when we dashed to Pikes's Peak in Colorado for a quick weekend trip; her dad was running the Pike's Peak Marathon, and we went to cheer him on.

Myself and Torrey

We got to Manitou Springs, CO and our hotel room (very, very) early Saturday morning, slept a few hours, then headed up the road to the summit of the only 14,000+ foot mountain on Colorado's Front Range that has a road all the way to the top. Before we reached our destination we were forced to pull over and park in a makeshift parking lot due to the number of spectators for the half-marathon that day. We had the opportunity to take a shuttle the last three-ish miles to the summit, or we could walk. We, along with several others who didn't enjoy the thought of being packed into a shuttle with however many people, decided to walk. It was only three-ish miles, right?

Who wouldn't want to walk this?

It was a spectacular hike, following the road as it threaded through the alpine tundra to the top of the mountain. We strolled across stunted grasses and lichen-covered boulders, along narrow ledges with stunning views of the high prairies that fell away from the mountains. It was cold in the way only the tops of mountains can be cold, bright and sunny to look at, but the howling wind whipped our hair around our faces, loosening my braid. Less oxygen at that altitude, combined with dropping a few degrees with every thousand feet ascended made for a bracing walk, and neither of us had worn enough layers to compensate.

Mountains and Prairies

We crested the last ridge and finally saw our goal: the sign marking the summit of Pike's Peak, along with the visitor's center and train station where we could eat and wait for Torrey's dad in the warmth of the cafe. After the obligatory photo opportunity at the sign we sat down, grateful to eat and warm up. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the rocks along the marathon trail, staying out of the wind while making sure we were exposed to the warmth of the sun. I tend to have grand aspirations, especially when it comes to planning activities for my bucket list. Hiking every single one of Colorado's 14,000+ ft peaks is one of those goals. I will accomplish it some day, and taking this baby hike to the top of Pike's Peak is a start. I'm not really counting it because I didn't start at the beginning of an accepted trail head, but rather joined an existing trail somewhere close to the summit, but hey, walking three-ish miles through the alpine tundra is still awesome for someone who just had a needle stuck in her liver. It was nice to relax, which was the whole point of going to Colorado in the first place. I was told to take it easy after my biopsy, and where better to do so than beautiful, colorful Colorado?

Success! Technically we hiked to the summit, but it doesn't count!

What I'm listening to: Lost in Space by Obsidia