MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Late-season snow fell across the Pikes Peak area Tuesday, catching some hikers in "summer mode" — but not stopping them from hitting the trail.
The slopes of Pikes Peak are no stranger to late-season snow, but with the snowpack mostly melted, many hikers had already made the seasonal mental shift. At the Manitou Incline, some arrived underdressed for near-freezing air temperatures.
"I brought the wrong… pants! I brought my shorts…I was glad I had some slacks from another event that we went to - so glad about that," said William Bryce.
His son William said the cold snap required some last-minute digging through storage.
"I had packed away all of my even remotely winter clothes. I think I only had short sleeves out…so I had to dig through some stuff to find a sweatshirt," said the younger Bryce.
The snow did not stop many from attempting the 2,768-step climb, with some seeing a silver lining in the chilly conditions.
"Actually I was thinking it'd keep the crowds down a little bit so that could be a positive for us!" said Stephen Devore.
Jamie Gurley, who was also on the trail, looked ahead to what the snow would leave behind.
"The one thing to look forward to is there's going to be snow up high and it'll be beautiful after this is over!" Gurley said.
The views from the Incline and Barr Trail after a fresh snow are known to be breathtaking. A group of hikers — Sam Thrower, Sage Thrower, Gamerin Matherly and Autumn Richardson — said the conditions were a welcome challenge.
"That it was going to be a good day!" one said when asked about their first reaction to seeing snow on the Incline.
"Nice, cold climb yeah!" another added.
"It just makes it a little easier because you're not so hot going up," a third hiker said.
The group also offered advice for anyone planning to hit the trails in the coming days.
"You check the weather and then be prepared. The weather can change even if you check the weather. Plan for the worst. Yeah. Just be ready for anything to happen," they said.
More snow fell Wednesday morning, with portions of Teller County reporting upwards of four to six inches of heavy, wet snow. By the afternoon, that snow was already quickly melting away. Similar snowfall likely covered at least the upper sections of the incline.
Thanks to the high May sun angle, the snow is not expected to stick around long. However, hikers heading out in the next few weeks may want to consider packing gaiters, shoe spikes and packable layers including a rain shell, extra socks (in case your primaries are wetted out), and gloves.
As additional areas of low-pressure spin through Colorado in the next several days, we're not done with the moisture just yet. That said, warming temperatures should result in snow being more confined to very high terrain in the coming days. This is all a good reminder to expect rapidly changing trail conditions if you are planning to hike in the next few weeks. Plan - and pack - accordingly. Especially over the busy Memorial Day weekend period.
See ya on the trails!
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