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We complete the summit!

By Mary Burger

There is nothing to match the excitement of 150 or so people moving boulders at ~14,000 feet. It only took two days to convert the formidable northwestern slope of Pikes Peak from a boulder field to a trail. Well, two years of planning, and months of meetings all came into focus over those two days.

It is hard to explain how one creates a trail through a boulder field. First we removed the larger or unstable rocks from the route. Then we filled in the spaces between the remaining rock with smaller rock to create a walking surface. Finally we built really big cairns. The cairns should guide hikers through the boulder field and keep them safe.

The following is from the VOC website:

Pikes Peak Summit Trail
September 7-8, 2002

Thin air, blue skies and great people, what a fantastic way to spend a weekend in Colorado. This project was one of the most difficult trails that VOC has accepted the challenge to build. It was truly an amazing feat to transform and alpine boulder field into a well-defined and sustainable route that will be used by thousands of hikers a year. Without the enthusiasm, perseverance and strong backs of more than 180 volunteers, this project would not have been possible. Over the weekend, volunteers moved boulders, built steps and worked side by side with new and old friends alike. The end result was a new trail that will keep people from trampling the sensitive alpine tundra and allow hikers to scale this famous peak safely. Due to the high altitude, difficult project scope and mid-summer closure of Pike National Forest, the project team had more than its fair share of challenges in planning this event. However, the team proved once again how capable VOC's volunteer leaders are in overcoming diversity! Many thanks to our partners, Friends of the Peak, Pike National Forest and Pikes Peak Highway, for all their support.

Project Team