Hiking Barr Trail to the Top of Pikes Peak in Colorado

On April 30, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn ColoradoLeave a comment

Barr trail starts in the town of Manitou Springs, which is located just outside of Colorado Springs, and quickly ascends into the Pike National Forest. Many people will hike or jog up the “Incline”, which is a steep trail that connects to Barr trail, so for the initial part of the hike, you will likely have many people running down as you hike up. The runners aren’t always in complete control of themselves, so you will find yourself stepping out of their way quite often. We have hiked the lower portion of Barr trail many times, but we only hiked the full trail that ends at the summit of Pikes Peak once. It was definitely one of the most difficult hikes that we’ve ever done due to both the length of the hike as well as the elevation gain.

Early in the Hike

Sign on Barr Trail, about 3 miles into the hike

The entire hike is over twelve miles and has an elevation gain of over 7,000 feet (2,100 meters) to the peak, which is at 14,114 (4,301 meters). It certainly is not a hike for novices and was very much a challenge for us and we hike on a routine basis. Even if you are an experienced hiker, it is important to acclimate to the altitude of Colorado Springs for at least a couple of days before attempting to do the hike. Choosing the time of year to do the hike is important because even in the middle of summer it can snow on the top of Pikes Peak, so we hiked in August on a day when we knew that the temperatures would be fine at the base as well as the summit. Depending on the day, you may find yourself starting out in light weight clothing at the base and then layering up as you near the summit. It is also extremely important to be sure to stay hydrated with a combination of plain water and sports drinks.

View from Barr Trail, Garden of the Gods at the Base of the Mountain

The hardest part of the trail was when we reached the tree line at 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) and the air thins out. The Summit House sits on top of Pikes Peak and is a restaurant and souvenir shop, which is visible from the base on a clear day. Once you reach the tree line, the point where the air is too thin for plants to grow, the Summit House seems like it should be close, but it is still a couple of hours away. Although we originally intended to hike up and then back down, it took longer to reach the summit that we anticipated, so we took the Cog Railway back down. The total hike to the summit took us about 8 hours, although we took our time and paced ourselves.

We Were Exhausted When We Reached the Summit

Anthropological Exploration

On April 28, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Central America, England, Iceland, South America, Travel Tips1 Comment

With the world seemingly shrinking on a continual basis, the ability to see native or indigenous people is becoming more and more rare. Obviously, visiting a village that caters to tourists visiting them to learn about their culture and see the way that they have lived for centuries isn’t truly the same as seeing a culture that has been untouched be external forces. In this day and age, it is probably the closest that most people will ever get to having that experience. Visiting one of these villages is still better than going to a place that attempts to reenact what life would have been like during the time of their origins, but both serve their own purpose.

We have had a variety of different opportunities to see people living much as they always have as well as places that depict the life of their ancestors. There is much to learn about a culture either way, but certainly interacting with actual indigenous people is a fascinating experience. Here a few of our favorite experiences, but we look forward to having new opportunities in the future.

Traditional Dance and Music in the Emberá Village

An Emberá Village in Panama – During our trip to Panama City, we had the opportunity to take a canoe trip into the jungle to visit one of the many different Emberá villages. Our guide took us to one of the villages that didn’t receive many visitors and we were the only ones there during our time there, making the interaction more unique.
Looking Down at One of the Houses in India
DakshinaChitra Cultural Living Museum in India – Meant to be a representation of all of the cultures of Southern India. It features 18 authentic historical houses that were deconstructed from their original region and then reconstructed by artisans from the region on the grounds of the museum.
Traditional Dance Ritual in Ecuador
Amazonian Village in Napo, Ecuador – Located in the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador is the Napo Wildlife Center, which is run by a local Amazonian tribe. As part of staying at the ecolodge you get the opportunity to visit their village and see how they live. They strive to keep their lives as close to their ancestors as possible.
Viking Wardrobe
Settlement Centre in Borgarnes, Iceland – Learning about the Vikings that settled Iceland was certainly a fascinating experience. We took a tour through the museum, which consisted of two thirty-minute audio tours that covered the history of how the Vikings first came to populate Iceland as well as their turbulent history once they arrived.
One of the Few Remaining People in Chimboata
Chimboata, Bolivia – We had the opportunity to see several small villages in the Bolivian countryside, but seeing the “ghost town” of Chimboata was very enlightening. It gave us an opportunity to see how people were moving on from their rural lives to try and better themselves and the impact it had on this historic town.
One of the Displays in Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle in England – With wax statues throughout the mansion depicting daily life at the turn of the 19th century, this is a very typical display meant to provide historical and cultural context. We have seen many such places in various countries, some of them using live actors like in Jamestown, Virginia, but Warwick Castle was certainly interesting in its own way.

Regardless of where we travel, we are always interested in learning as much about the culture and history of the people that live in that country or region. It is a balancing act for countries to grow and become more and more modern while at the same time keeping their history alive and accessible to those who visit them.

Awkward Birds in the Wild

On April 17, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Photo Challenge3 Comments

Although most birds are graceful, there are some birds that are just downright awkward. Even though turkeys and roosters can actually fly, they don’t do it very often and when they do, they don’t seem very comfortable. They spend most of their time on the ground with their heads bobbing back and forth to help balance out their bodies. There is a saying, “it is hard to soar like an eagle when you are surrounded by turkeys”. These birds are definitely interesting to watch, especially when you see them in the wild.