Hertz Nissan Rogue (midsize SUV), one-way: pick up COS Airport · Tue 7/7 · 9:00 AM → drop DEN Airport · Mon 7/13 · 12:00 PM. $830.30 at pickup, free cancellation. Covers the move up to the Brown Palace and all three Red Rocks nights. Bring license + credit card.
Everything flexes around when Tayten & Elaine roll out. Only two hard points all day:
12.99 miles up Barr Trail, 7,428 ft of climbing, 14,115 ft on top. The plan below is how we did it — relive it on the photo map 🎉.
| Item | Each | Group total |
|---|---|---|
| 💧 Water | 3 L = six 16.9-oz bottles | 30 bottles (extras stay in the car) |
| 🌯 Wraps (tortilla + lunch meat + mustard + lettuce) | 2 | 10 tortillas · 2 lbs meat · 1 romaine |
| 🥩 Meat sticks | 3 | 15 |
| 🍖 Jerky | ~½ big bag | 3 large bags, shared |
| 🍬 Candy | 2 small bags | 10 — gummies over chocolate (melts) |
| 🥨 Salty (pretzels/chips) + electrolytes | 1 bag | sweat + plain water all day needs salt |
| 💵 Cash | ~$25–30 | $120–150 small bills — Barr Camp is cash-only |
| Waypoint | Target | Latest OK |
|---|---|---|
| Wake + real breakfast | 3:15 AM | — |
| Boots on Barr Trail (headlamps ~90 min) | 4:00 AM | 4:30 |
| Top of the Ws (Incline junction) · mi ~2.8 | 5:45 | 6:15 |
| No Name Creek ("7.8 mi to summit" sign) · mi ~3.5 | 6:15 | 6:45 |
| Barr Camp · mi ~7.6 · 10,200 ft · water + wrap #1 | 8:30 | 9:15 |
| A-Frame / treeline ⛔ THE GATE · mi ~10.2 · ~11,950 ft | 10:30 | leave by 11:00 |
| 16 Golden Stairs · mi ~12 (above here we finish — no turning at the stairs) | 12:15 | — |
| SUMMIT 14,115 ft → Summit House donuts ☕🍩 | 12:30–1:00 | 3:15 |
| Shuttle pickup at summit house ✅ · Rocky Mountain Ride → Barr lot | 4:00 PM | — |
Tap a day to expand. Weather line on each day = forecast pulled Thu 7/2.
The car goes home on the 7th. On the 13th Roper flies to KC and Rachel flies to Amarillo (she comes home to KC on the 17th).
From Heather & Scott's check-in message — so nobody has to dig through Airbnb on a phone.
| Thing | Detail |
|---|---|
| 🚪 Door code | Last 4 of Roper's cell — keypad on the front door. To lock: close door, press the Schlage button. |
| 📶 WiFi | Deercreekretreatguest / password deercreek (also posted by the TVs) |
| 👟 No shoes | NO SHOE house rule inside — signs posted. Leave boots at the door. |
| 🐻 Bears! | Do NOT leave trash outside — bears will get into it. Follow the posted trash instructions when a bag fills. Mind the yard at night; deer live under the deck. |
| 🌡️ Thermostat | TURN the dial — don't press it. Pressing prompts for a passcode. |
| 🤫 Quiet hours | Manitou Springs: 10 PM – 7 AM (porch + backyard too) |
| 🚗 Parking | NO street parking — driveway only |
| 🚭 No smoking | None of any kind, inside or out (county Stage II fire ban anyway) |
| 📞 Hosts | Heather 310-940-4215 (primary) · Scott 310-940-4216 |
All tickets bought ✅ — box-adjacent seats, the magic of 2025 again. Venue sits at 6,450 ft — evenings drop into the 50s.
July pattern all week: clear mornings, afternoon thunderstorms. Do the big stuff early. Tap a card for the live forecast.
| Fri 7/3 | 88°/55° ☀️ sunny, smoke haze |
| Sat 7/4 | 84°/54° ⛅ 30% PM storms |
| Sun 7/5 | 83°/55° ⛅ 40% PM storms |
| Mon 7/6 | 85°/56° ⛅ 40% PM storms |
| Tue 7/7 | 85°/56° ⛈️ storms likely (72%) |
| Sat night | 38° · slight chc snow showers(!) |
| Sun 7/5 | 51° day · wind 10–20 S · 45% PM t-storms |
| Pre-dawn on trail = near freezing with wind. Every layer earns its place. | |
| Tue 7/7 | 84°/60° ⛈️ storms likely (64%) |
| Wed 7/8 | 84°/60° ⛅ 44% PM storms |
| Thu 7/9+ | mid-80s · typical 30–50% PM storms |
| Show nights | evenings 60s → upper 50s · rain-or-shine |
| COtrip.org | road conditions / closures (or dial 511) |
| Pikes Peak Hwy | summit road status |
| Fire restrictions | Stage II in El Paso Co. since 6/29 |
Every number the trip touches, plus the nearest ERs for each leg. Emergencies: 911.
Tap the count to upvote. Add anything — a hike, a restaurant, a must-do.