Pikes Peak Region Trail Finder

By TOMMY MANNING

Editor’s note: Manning is a math teacher and cross country coach at Fountain Valley School who's part of the U.S. Mountain Running Team and finished runner-up in the 2011 Pikes Peak Ascent. He provides periodic tips — all of which can be found here on OutThereColorado.com.

One of my favorite things to do as a runner is to explore.

I love to find new trails and explore places I have not seen. I'm not talking about bushwhacking or going off trail deep in the woods; I'm talking about running a trail farther away than I have before or running a trail for the first time.

What do you need to go explore? It's pretty easy –- all you need is a trail map and water.

Personally, I don’t take a map and I don’t take water; I just go run. I have a very good sense of direction so I don’t worry about getting lost (although I admit I have thought I was lost a few times). I also pay attention to the geography around me and always keep a mental note of where I am. If you live in Colorado Springs like I do, it’s easy: the high mountains are always to the west and the car is always to the east.

I run in North Cheyenne Canon a lot and, one day this summer, I decided to go exploring. I had never been to Jones Park and I wanted to see the area. I parked at the high school and ran Gold Camp Road down to the bottom of High Drive and ran up Trail 666. I got to Jones Park and decided to keep going and explore some more. I did not have a map or water, but I was safe. I knew exactly how to get back to the car, and I was not going to stay out there long enough to put myself in a bad situation without water.

I ran up the Ring the Peak trail and kept going while constantly looking at my watch. Just about the time I thought I should turn around, I ran upon three men hiking uphill and I stopped to ask them where I was. They told me I was going toward Frosty Park and suggested a loop I could do. After talking with them and realizing how long it would take to run the loop, I decided to save it for another day and turn around.

I told them I thought I could get back to my car in 1 hour, 15 minutes, and they thought I was crazy as I’m sure they had been hiking for several hours.  I took the Seven Bridges trail down and made it to my car in 1:18.

I would not recommend other people to go out that long without a map or water. I know my body and my limits, and nothing I did that day was unsafe.  As long as you know your limits and either know the area and the terrain well or have a map, then I say go explore.

This past weekend I camped with my dog near Wilkerson Pass. On Sunday morning, we went all over the place following forest service roads. I bet I never got more than 2-3 miles from my car as the crow flies and had a great time wandering. When I decided to return to my campsite, I followed the road around a bend leading me in the direction I thought was toward camp. That road eventually came to an intersection where I had been about 30 minutes earlier. I then retraced my footsteps and made it to camp safely.

I love to explore because I love running new trails and seeing new sights. I can wander for hours in pure joy. I hope you can go out and do the same thing. You need to be safe, however. You need to take food and water with you or make sure your trip is not too long for replenishing fuel to be a factor. You need to make sure you are not going to get lost so carrying a map and/or compass is a great idea. You also need to know your limits: how much exercise can your body take in one day, how much food and water do you need, how hot (or cold) are you going to get?

Once you know you are safe and ready for the adventure, go explore and have fun!