So the weather outside has been absolutely beautiful this past week, so I've been trying to be outside as much as possible. I've wanted to hike this trail ever since I heard about it, and after doing the Waldo Canyon in 3.5 hours which was about 7 miles, I figured I'd have plenty of time to hike Section 16/Palmer trail before work on Tuesday since it's only 6 miles. I expected it to take just under 3 hours, and since I had to be at work by 2pm, I started out at about 9:30am. As you can see, the sun was out, the sky was blue, and there were barely any clouds in the sky. A perfect day for a hike.
The trailhead started like I've found most do: which a sign, a map, and some crude steps up to the trail.
Immediately I was surrounded by beautiful, green mountain views. Trees and flowers are all blooming up the mountainside.
The path is made up of red clay and pink Pike's Peak granite pieces, like usual. :) This one was a little more gravely though, and made for some slippery climbing conditions when the path got steep. And it DID get steep. OMG SO STEEP.
Lovely rock formations along the trail!
Random outcroppings (upcroppings? :) ) of rock in the middle of the trail made paying close attention important if you didn't want to end up with a twisted ankle.
The views in the first quarter mile of the trail were spectacular.
Colorado Springs from above!
More of the city became visible as I hiked higher.
This is a zoomed in picture, and those red rock formations in the center/lower left center of the picture are in the Garden of the Gods, viewed above from the southwest! These pictures just don't do the views justice, it was incredible to see!
The travel time between that picture and the next pictures below quite....extensive. And INtensive. That 3 hour time frame I'd given myself was quickly ticking by and I was quickly getting nowhere. I had read that the first third or half of the Section 16 trail was a 'moderate to steep climb', but the Waldo Canyon trail had been listed as 'moderate' and, though challenging, I handled that trail just fine. The website had said to set aside 4 hours for the Waldo Canyon, and I'd finished in 3.5, so I thought I'd have plenty of time to finish Section 16/Palmer trail in plenty of time before I had to get ready for work. An hour and a half into the trail, and I had already contemplated turning back at least 5 times. The trail was KILLING me, literally, I felt as I no matter how deeply I inhaled I couldn't get enough air. My legs were burning from the continuous steep climb, and I felt I could only climb about 20 steps at a time before I had to stop again. I was beginning to worry that I wouldn't make it out of the trail on time in I didn't turn around. But after hiking up that heinous hill for over an hour already, I was so tired and sick of not being able to BREATH that I figured I wouldn't be back to this trail anytime soon, so I had better just finish it that day in order to see all the amazing views I was supposed to see. So far all I had seen was more uphill trail in front of me. It seemed to go on and ON AND OOOOOOOOOOON, but finally, finally and blessedly, I reached the top.
The views were gorgeous, as promised. I met two other hikers on the top of the trail and asked them if they thought I could make it around the rest of the hoop in two hours or less. They thought I could, so I dug in and went for it, hoping and praying for NO MORE UPHILL PARTS OF THE TRAIL. I know, I know, I moved to the mountains, what did I expect? Mountains are all uphill until they're downhill. :)
From one side: mountainous gorgeousness. To the other: a fantastic view over Colorado Springs.
Zoomed in to snap a picture of this rocky peak. I want to stand on top of it! :)
There is a tiny lizard hiding beneath that piece of fallen pine bark. It ran further underneath just as I snapped the picture, but if you look closely, you can see it's tail in the lower left hand corner! I've seen a few of these little guys on the trails I've hiked, about the size of a field mouse, they're cute but wicked fast! This is the first time one held still long enough for me to get a good look at it, but not long enough for me to get a good picture. Maybe next trail!
The little waterfall in the middle of Palmer trail. Lovely, there's a video of it and the log bridge at the bottom of this blog. :)
Standing on the log bridge over the stream.
A close up of the mountain side.
I made good time down the second half of the trail. I was still nervously looking at my watch almost every ten minutes as it ticked past noon and closer to 12:30. I wanted to be back at my apartment before 1 so I'd have time to shower before work, but I wasn't sure I was going to make it, so on my way down the other side of the trail loop I began to plan and strategize different ways to get to work and not smell terrible and be full of mountain dirt and still be on time, when the trail suddenly split in front of me. Now, in my short experience of 'loop trails', the loop means that you end in the same place you began the trail in. Not so with the Section 16/Palmer 'loop'. Luckily, before I could get too horribly lost, I met a very nice couple who were heading back to the parking lot at the trailhead and they set me in the right direction. Turns out, you have to walk about a quarter mile down a narrow dirt road to get back to the maid road and the parking lot. Who designed this?!
The views were gorgeous, as promised. I met two other hikers on the top of the trail and asked them if they thought I could make it around the rest of the hoop in two hours or less. They thought I could, so I dug in and went for it, hoping and praying for NO MORE UPHILL PARTS OF THE TRAIL. I know, I know, I moved to the mountains, what did I expect? Mountains are all uphill until they're downhill. :)
From one side: mountainous gorgeousness. To the other: a fantastic view over Colorado Springs.
Zoomed in to snap a picture of this rocky peak. I want to stand on top of it! :)
There is a tiny lizard hiding beneath that piece of fallen pine bark. It ran further underneath just as I snapped the picture, but if you look closely, you can see it's tail in the lower left hand corner! I've seen a few of these little guys on the trails I've hiked, about the size of a field mouse, they're cute but wicked fast! This is the first time one held still long enough for me to get a good look at it, but not long enough for me to get a good picture. Maybe next trail!
The little waterfall in the middle of Palmer trail. Lovely, there's a video of it and the log bridge at the bottom of this blog. :)
Standing on the log bridge over the stream.
A close up of the mountain side.
I made good time down the second half of the trail. I was still nervously looking at my watch almost every ten minutes as it ticked past noon and closer to 12:30. I wanted to be back at my apartment before 1 so I'd have time to shower before work, but I wasn't sure I was going to make it, so on my way down the other side of the trail loop I began to plan and strategize different ways to get to work and not smell terrible and be full of mountain dirt and still be on time, when the trail suddenly split in front of me. Now, in my short experience of 'loop trails', the loop means that you end in the same place you began the trail in. Not so with the Section 16/Palmer 'loop'. Luckily, before I could get too horribly lost, I met a very nice couple who were heading back to the parking lot at the trailhead and they set me in the right direction. Turns out, you have to walk about a quarter mile down a narrow dirt road to get back to the maid road and the parking lot. Who designed this?! Anyway, with the help of the friendly couple ( one of whom works at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts centre and was very excited to hear of my involvement in theatre) I made my way down the narrow road (dodging trucks every now and again) back to the parking lot and to my car. Thanking the couple again for their help, I quickly made my way back to my apartment and had time to sit, down a big glass of water, and even shower before dressing and leaving for work. My legs were pretty tired during my shift, but I was proud that I had finished the trail despite the challenging beginning.
The sights that I got to see were breathtaking, and I think, after having time to get over my anger at the steady incline of the trail, ;), I may even challenge Section 16 again.
The sights that I got to see were breathtaking, and I think, after having time to get over my anger at the steady incline of the trail, ;), I may even challenge Section 16 again.Here's a couple videos from the trail! The first is of the waterfall and log bridge, and the second is just a video of the trail itself as I'm walking it. Those of you who get motion sickness may want to skip the second video....:) Enjoy!
Stay tuned!
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