| I left Manitou Springs at 12:30a and arrived at the top by 10:30a. I had two long rests, one at Barr Camp and the other just above 11,000 ft. In addition to being tired, I needed to wait for the sun to start warming up the mountain. The Pikes Peak Manitou Springs Cog Railroad brought me back down.
Why did I climb at night? First, I am not in great shape and I knew I would not do so well in the heat of the day. Second, its better to be operating in the dark when you are fresh. Third, the Cog RR fills up quickly, my best chance to get a ride down was to arrive at the summit early. Fourth, the lightning display over the plains was awesome. |