Day four:
First, on the agenda was the Molly Brown House Museum! She survived the Titanic, and she is known for her activism, philanthropy, and passion! & her name is pretty great as well!
Then, it was time to get on the road and drive to Colorado Springs. We started hydrating in the car because we had plans to climb the Manitou Incline in the afternoon. We ate a quick lunch at Bon Ton’s Cafe. I had a quesadilla and J had oatmeal. Then, it was time to head to the parking lot in order to get on the shuttle to head to the base of the Manitou Incline.
This hike is not for the weak. It is considered one of the most difficult in the U.S. It is 2,768 steps gaining over 2,000 feet in elevation. At the base, we met a big family from Indiana. We took “before the climb” pics and then started the climb. I started a little fast and J coached me to slow down, breathe, and take one step at a time. There is no rush; enjoy the climb. About every 100 steps, we would break, and I would drink some water to stay hydrated and take some deep breaths. Halfway up, it started raining!! Now, we were thankful that we weren’t in the blazing sun, but the rain made the steps slick. Also, these steps were not your regular stairs. They were STEEP. J climbed the incline with a heavy backpack on filled with water, snacks, my flannel, identification, phones, etc. He was/is a trooper. After one hour and 16 minutes, we reached the top!! That was one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. SO now, you would think the hardest part was accomplished. Nope! We knew we wanted to take Barr Trail down. We took in the view and then started to look for the trail down. We started heading down what we thought was the trail and it was challenging. Now, we have been on a lot of trails, and this didn’t seem right. Our friend recently ran down the trail and I said to J: there is no way you could run down this. The terrain was rugged, and you had to be very careful of your footing. An older man passed us and after .3 miles down, he started yelling to us. He had reached a dead end. Two women were right behind J and I, so we told them that we must be going the wrong way, and we need to climb back to where we started. Yes- not hike but climb! The rain was starting to come down heavier and it was getting cold. We got back to the top of the mountain and see the family from Indiana as well as a couple from the Netherlands. The one girl got out her phone, pulled up the AllTrails app, and we FINALLY figured out the correct path. One of the guys said: the news article will say 15 strangers stranded in the Rocky Mountains. We all laughed but it was true. I put on my flannel, and I was still shivering. I had my hands wrapped in my sleeves to try to get warm. J and I were shocked that the weather and temperature could change so drastically. Long story short, 6 of us stuck together and finally made it to the bottom. Now, 3 miles down a mountain feels like a marathon, but we did it!
Before getting back on the shuttle, we got a snack at the Pike’s Peak gift shop to refuel. The snack: a few pieces of chocolate! Chocolate has never tasted so good.
Once we got back to our car, it was time to head to our next hotel in Colorado Springs. (Sidenote: we saw a Scooters on the way to the hotel!! LOVE Scooters) We found the hotel, checked in, J ran some miles, I showered, and then back out the door for some dinner.
We walked around the block to Oro. A chic Italian restaurant. It was SO good and the perfect meal after a long day of adventure. I got a salad and J got pasta. Then, we headed back to the hotel for some rest. I was exhausted!!
Peace & Love,
Molly
Molly Lamar 