an exercise in cold tolerance

a few short days after arriving in colorado, the temps reached the mid-60s.

completely astounded with our good fortune we opted to snake up the famed pikes peak highway to take advantage of the deliciously warm temps.

what better time to ascend to 14,000+ feet in elevation than on an unseasonably warm day, right?

and up we went.
it wasn't long before the pavement disappeared and we were traversing a shoddy dirt road.

about halfway up {no idea on the accuracy of this claim} we stumbled upon crystal creek reservoir.

gorgeous, right?

 

 

*confession-i have a mild obsession with photographing trees. please excuse. 

 

did i notice the temperature was dropping? sure.

was it drastic? nah. at least, not yet.

however, we were soon to discover that while giddy with excitement as we approached the ranger gate,

we failed to notice a sign warning of the temperature drop plummet we were about to experience. 

it read something along these lines:

**when reaching the summit expect at least a thirty degree drop in the temperature from this exact point**

the sign should  read as follows:

**expect temperature changes that will rip all oxygen straight outta your lungs. 

forgot gloves? frostbite will likely ensue. 

think you're going to enjoy hours at the summit soaking in the views and contemplating life?

think again.**

surely that is what the authors intended to scroll upon that cautionary {barely  noticeable} sign

now i must say i did anticipate a slight change in temperature and lugged along jackets, sweatshirts, and tennis shoes accordingly...all of which were grossly inadequate.

when we reached the summit and opened the door to see the sweeping views we'd been anticipating,

every random paper that had been tucked away in the cracks and crevices of my x-terra began swirling about and were one by one sucked out in hurricane force winds {mild exaggeration} before we had the good sense to slam the doors. 

we then began the ever entertaining and frantic dash to gather all of the litter we'd just unleashed on the peak as it whipped and whirled around us.

in the time it took us to regain control of our stray papers dignity and return to the car to leash the dogs, our hands had frozen. nearly solid.

not wanting to waste the opportunity to glimpse views from such a dizzying height, we soldiered on.

we lasted five, possibly ten minutes. {five, definitely only five}

long enough to have this photo snapped.

note: those fancy looking ponytails aren't ponytails at all. just the result of wind forces that will damn near pick you straight up off the ground and fling you over the edge

once we made it back ran like hell to the safety of our car, it took at least thirty minutes for our hands to fully thaw.

and the process was painful. very  painful. 

another lesson learned. pay close  attention to signs posted when exploring new areas. 

and come prepared.

would we recommend a trip to the top of pikes peak to others?

definitely. just heed our warning and learn from our stupidity.

*note-it is entirely possible that the weather isn't always so harsh at the summit {though we doubt it}

oh and if you do go...

we've heard that the summit house at the top of pikes peak has amazing donuts. the altitude is said to change the consistency and give the treats an airy quality. 

this tidbit was made known to us sometime after our ill-fated trip and we have not braved a second journey...as of yet.

em.