Bellying up to Barr Camp

This time of year I get a little stir crazy. The holidays are over; the kids are back in school. Spring is on the distant horizon. The house feels like a stale box, the car an all-too-familiar muddy cubicle. Sure we have a few trips planned, always a comfort, but I need something to do now. This very weekend.

I live in Colorado so skiing is always an option. But, truthfully, skiing takes time and money and equipment, all of which are in short supply these days. This morning, out of sheer desperation, I donned my parka and YakTrax and took a hike through the newly-opened Cheyenne Mountain State Park, a mere five minutes from my house. I felt relieved and refreshed to be in the crisp air with only blue jays and a lone woodpecker for company. But now I’m home, showered, watching the clock, thinking about dinner, and….blah blah blah.

While hiking today, so close to home but seemingly worlds away, I had a bit of an if the mountain will not come to Mohammed, Mohammed will come to the mountain moment. I decided that it’s silly for me to sit around wishing I was hiking the Milford Track with my girlfriends in New Zealand, which is actually what I’m pouting about, when I live at the base of a fourteener, Pikes Peak. So I’ve decided. I’ll find a companion, and I will come to the mountain!

Hiking Barr Trail to the summit of Pikes Peak and back is a 26-mile round trip, too much for a single day, especially with snow and ice significantly slowing progress. A better, and much more fun, option is to hike to Barr Camp and spend the night there. We can head back down on Sunday morning and be home in time to watch the San Diego-New England playoff game!

Barr Camp is a lovely mountain, um, bed and breakfast. An advertisement would read something like this:

Rustic getaway in historic cabin nestled in the pines. All the comforts of home. Breakfast and dinner served by attentive staff. Close to hiking trails.

And the fine print:

7 miles of packed snow and ice to the foyer. A bunkhouse that sleeps 15, lean-to shelters for 3, tent sites for complete privacy. Spaghetti and pancakes prepared daily by live-in caretakers. Spring water, literally, so bring a bottle and some treatment tablets. No running water. No electricity. Shared solar composting toilet nearby. Cell phone reception available on a rock in a clearing up the path.

Experience camaraderie with other hikers, black bears, skunks, mountain lions and a menagerie of brazen chipmunks. Rates from $10/night, breakfast included. Dinner $7 additional. Reservations recommended, but not required, especially in winter.

Now, having made my rash decision, I’m racing around searching for items labeled Smart Wool, North Face, Patagonia—anything purchased from REI really. I’m considering each body part in that pre-outdoor-adventure kind of way. Actually, because I am very visual, I make a “person” on the floor of the dining room. I dress it in layers until I’m sure it looks like it’s ready to go. I learned this trick getting ready for family ski trips. With six kids I’ve never found a better way to make sure that everyone has absolutely everything they need, from long underwear to hand warmers. It looks very cool when we’re done—like we’re having an apres-ski party with friends who’ve been flattened by a Sno-Cat.
 

 
The weather forecast for Barr Camp predicts a high of 19 degrees tomorrow. There is currently 40 inches of snow on the ground. Ice, packed snow and drifts cover the trail. I’m thinking I should run out and get snowshoes. I doubt if hiking boots and gaiters are going to cut it.
 
Suddenly my stale box feels like a warm and cozy respite from the cold.

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