Pike's Peak Hillclimb

[skooli]

I'm planning on attending the Pike's Peak Hillclimb this summer and was wondering if anyone else has done this as a spectator before. If you have, do you have any advice for a first timer? Camp or hotel? Best places to post up as a spectator? When to get up and down the mountain etc?

[JustJohn]

Walk the mountain top before the event if you can. They don't keep much air near the top. 100 yards will feel like a mile.

[rchaskin]

I am going to preface this question by saying i know nothing about PPHC, except that is uphill and 12ish miles....

Is the road to the top open year round? Is anything at the top?
Can you just go to the road and drive to the top?

[72BBSwinger]

Its a public park year round except for that weekend IIRC.

[TheJDMan]

About the only thing at the top is a small gift shop/snack bar and a SPECTACULAR view!

[rchaskin]

Thanks....

[skooli]

So nobody has been to the race? I guess I could post up afterwards with some pics and a little synopsis of the experience. One day I'd love to have my Mustang or Camaro in good enough condition to run the vintage class. There's so much history with this event. I can't wait to go. Here's the link to the race if anyone is interested:
http://www.ppihc.com/2015-race/

[cornfedbill]

It is a toll road, and it isn't cheap.

See http://pikespeak.us.com/Essentials/hours-and-fees.html

[rchaskin]

Wow....40 bucks a car.

Thanks for the link!!

[High Plains Mopars]

There is a cog railroad that runs to the top through a different course than the auto road. There also is a hiking trail that takes a different route than the rail road or road. At the top is the is the summit house with a gift shop, snack bar, the mountain top marker and a lot of rock. Really, 14,110 feet does not have enough oxygen to support much more vegetation life than mosses and grass. However, you can see for miles and miles. The song America the Beautiful was penned from the top of the Peak, so that gives you an idea of the view. They try to keep the road open year round but it occasionally get enough snow to close it.

I have worked the Hillclimb in years past, but no time within the last decade. Nothing glamourous but simple jobs like taking tickets, directing parking, monitoring pit passes. Anyway, the night before the Hillclimb is the only time they allow camping on the Peak. If you are up to it, camping does save you a bit of time on the morning of the race. Since all the spectators have to get up the mountain before the races start, the gates up at 3 am the day of the race. If you hotel it, you have to be up early enough to go get in line. Close by hotels fill up fast and you will most likely be 30-40 minutes downstream from the Peak entrance. If you camp, you can sleep in until around 5-6 until the sun gets too bright. If you camp up there, drink plenty of water, take it easy on the alcohol. At 10,000+ feet, it only takes a few beers to get stupid. It alsop gets cold and can snow, so if you camp, be prepared for conditions somewhere between 35-90* with either blazing, burning sun, or wind whipped snow.

They have recently implemented designated viewing areas, so the mountain is no longer a free for all. The best viewing are used to be at the "W"s, but I think this has been limited to persons with press credentials only. So I can't really tell you what the best areas are any more. However, watching the Hillclimb is like watching Indy. With the limited field of view, you only get to see a short segment of track where a car flashes past you in a few seconds. you then wait for several minutes before the next car flashes by. This is why viewing above timber line or in the W's was good because you could watch a longer line of sight.

Unless you have a dedicated race car that happens to be street legal, taking your basic pro-touring car up the race in the vintage class isn't a real possibility. In addition to that, the race has become so popular that they have to limit the number of entries they allow to race on race day. No word on if they will ever develop it into a qualifying scenario and run over several days.

[skooli]

Wow! Thanks for the info. We are planning on staying in Colorado Springs (no camping), so I guess we'll be getting up early. We're planning on attending some of the race related events in Colorado Springs too. Again, I'll take a lot of pictures.

[High Plains Mopars]

You bet. Not sure how early you are arriving, but here some more info.

Looking at the week's schedule, tech inspections are Monday at the World Arena. This is on the south side of town. That means Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Hotel Elegante, and Antlers Doubletree are all hotels close by.

Tues- Fri are all practice days. They do sell tickets to these and crowds are down considerably for these. You still need to get up at the butt crack of dawn but its a great chance to wander the pits and check out cars. Practice days divide the course in quarters, so no one runs the entire road. You can bet all the big money teams will be there finalizing their set ups.

Friday evening is Fan Fest down town. They close off a number of streets and have all sorts of shows, displays, meet & greets. Hotels close to this are The Wyndom Mining Exchange, Antlers Hilton, Quality Suites, Holiday Inn, Econo Lodge.

Saturday, not much happens, so this is a chance to do local sight seeing. Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Manitou Springs are all popular destinations. Tourism is big here so there are also plenty of other things to check out. Or just hang out downtown and bar hop. Tejon street has plenty of places for food and drink. Any hotel will have pamphlets of things to do.

Sunday, get up insane early, head up the mountain. Looking at the seating zones available this year, the Half Way picnic grounds and Ski Area have some decent straight way views. In these spots throttles will be wide open and speeds will be up. Glen Cove, Cove Creek, and Devils Playground have fewer trees and a combo of straights and corners for viewing. Cove Creek has a hairpin with a long straight and Devils Playground has a few left/right turns with short chutes and a sweeping exit. However, the lack of trees means the weather may be more unpredictable.

Extra tips;
Dress in layers. It can easily be 90* in town and 45* on the mountain. Layers allow you to shed/add as the weather changes. Typically it is pretty decent, but yes, it can show on the summit in June. The 2012 race was shorten because of the snow and ice on the summit.

Drink lots of water. Humidity if here averages 8%. A day in the sun will suck the moisture out of you. Headaches and nausea are the side effects and uncomfortable at altitude.

Here is the Peak today. Photo is taken at 6000'. The white diagonal line right of center is the Mt Manitou incline- it tops out at 9000'. Trees disappear at 11,000' . Summit is obscured by clouds.

[ZZ430]

^^^ Great posts Tony, brings back memories.

Colo Spgs is my home town. I used to go up on the hill every year. Back then you could watch anyplace you wanted. The playground is where we partied hard the night before the race.

LOL, some days it was all we could do to make it out of the tent in the morning to watch the race.

This was when the Unsers were kings of the mountain.

I have a pic myself.

[High Plains Mopars]

You bet Don. I've lived here all my life and never get tired of seeing it. Not that that you could miss it, really, since you can see it from everywhere.

[High Plains Mopars]

Sunrise on my way into work the other day. Yes, that's the moon setting.

[BMR Sales]

Be careful where you watch from and be alert

[BMR Sales]

Crash with Fire with Spectators!

[cwylie]

We are planning on going this year as well. Never been before.

[mc84_zz4]

I lived in Colo Springs 7 years, if you are driving in, expect to be on the mountain 12-15 hours, there are no intermissions to let traffic out while the race is on.
Take lots of water, dehydration is a very real issue even if you are used to the altitude, if you are coming in from the coast, Colorado Springs is 6,500 ft, and the Peak is 14,000, if you are trying to move around fast, you may get dizzy, slow it down! If you get the dizzy spins, it may linger for a good while, don't push yourself, you cant go back down the mountain.

For every 1,000 feet of altitude the temperature drops 6*F, carry a pullover, and a decent jacket, it will be cold in the morning.
If the base is 40* @ 6,500 at 9,500 it is 18 degrees cooler (22*).

Each one grab a lip balm with sunscreen, and bring the SPF50 with you. Forget ball caps, bring a hat that covers your ears, they will absolutely fry, scalps are particularly sensitive, by the time you notice, its uncomfortable, and too late.

Plan on stopping and getting some Subway sandwiches the night before, make them dry, grab lots of mayo/mustard packets, and have the lettuce/tomato/onion/etc put in a separate bag(s), pack in an insulated bag with an freezer bar, and you are in business.
Pack some energy bars, trail mix, etc.
Fruit juices will taste the best they ever have, skip the beer until the evening, it will dry you out, and you may have a hike to find the restroom, just saying, you will feel how much more work it is at altitude..
It is a beautiful area, just don't wander far, walkie talkies may make better personal communication, depending on cellular coverage.

HTH
Tons more info, maps, viewing areas, rules, parking, etc here:
http://www.ppihc.com/spectator-guide/

Note that the gates open @ 3 AM on race day, no more cars enter after 7 AM.

[High Plains Mopars]

With all the cool, wet weather we've been having, there is more snow on the peak now than there was in January. Its hard to believe we are only a month and a half away from this year's race.
Here is a rare sunny day recently:




They had to dig out 5 feet worth up at the summit house.

http://www.cograilway.com/webcam.asp