Pikes Peak Summit & Waldo Canyon Fire

Good morning!

It's back to work this morning!  There's a very weird feeling in the pit of my stomach after being on vacation for so long...I'm excellent at being on vacation!

Elizabeth and I hiked the Barr Trail to Pikes Peak on Saturday.  Originally we were planning to take the cog railway train back down, but we finished the hike up more quickly than anticipated (5hr, 30min) and we didn't feel like waiting for hours to take the train...so we ran back down.  13 miles of downhill running means that I am still very sore this morning.  A forest fire literally started while we were at the Summit of Pikes Peak and grew right before our eyes (over 3,600 acres burned as of very early this morning).  Here are a few pictures from Saturday.

13 miles to the Summit

photo op heading up

Elizabeth and Pikes Peak!

Elizabeth running down the trail with the wildfire plume hovering over.

View of the Waldo Canyon fire from Pikes Peak...the fire was about 90 minutes old in this photo.

Another shot of the fire as we descended the mountain.

It's growing.

These are some homecoming pictures that Elizabeth took...sorry just now getting them posted!

Words cannot express how happy I was to come home or to have been greeted by loved ones.

Time to head off to work!  Wish me luck this week...and the next couple years while you're at it ;)