Day 51-57: Pikes Peak (#41), Longs Peak (#42), Mt. Evans (#43), Mount of the Holy Cross (#44)

This past week, the Climb Out of The Darkness Team successfully completed the Front Range and Sawatch Range mountains! Interestingly enough, these ranges were where we started our expedition in June; we couldn't finish them until now because of road and snow conditions. It is a great sense of accomplishment knowing that we are completing entire mountain ranges.

All four of the mountains listed here were much different than any we've climbed so far. We are used to seeing very few people on the mountains with us--somedays we see no one. But these mountains literally had lines of people heading up to the summit, as if you were waiting in line at an amusement park. Mt. Evans was the busiest, with an estimated 1,000 total people on the mountain the entire day (we re-climbed Mt. Bierstadt then traversed over to Mt. Evans. Mt. Bierstadt was where all the people were hiking). And Pikes Peak was strange, because after we hiked 12 miles with 7,400ft elevation gain, we saw hundreds of people at the summit; people who had taken cars and the Pikes Peak railway to see its overwhelming view. And, of course, to get the semi-decent "world famous" doughnuts.

Regardless of the amount of people (and doughnut-availability), these mountains are spectacular. It is such an unbelievable feeling seeing--in person--what you've only seen in pictures and have only heard about. The Cross on Mount of the Holy Cross, and The Diamond on Longs Peak are breathtaking--and a lot bigger than I had imagined.

We are now heading into the Elk Range--the location of the most difficult 14ers in the state. This includes Capitol Peak's Knife Edge and the Maroon Bells (a.k.a the "Deadly Bells"). Our entire summer of climbing has been in preperation for these intense and intimidating mountains.

Wish us luck through this next week, as it will be the most exciting, most challenging, and most rewarding range of the trip!

COTD

Pikes Peak

Start Time: 4:45am

Summit Time: 9:45am (with a 1:30pm descent start)

Finish Time: 4:10pm

Distance Hiked: 15.8 miles

Elevation Gained: 7,410ft

Elevation: 14110ft

Longs Peak

Start Time: 3:30am

Summit Time: 9:00am