Thanks Squatchy. Edited out the freezing numbness, hunger, wet feet, and blisters on the 12.5-mile hike back down the Barr Trail, to get it under 10 pages. That was a lonnng day. It was absolutely true--Joseph's jaw was cartoonishly wider than his temple, but it worked great for him on that particular 4th of July.

The plan is to assault Pikes Peak on Tuesday, 7/30. Aside from the weather, any other tips for pedaling up that sucker? I'm going to spend a few days pedaling around Breck before assaulting Pikes, and I'll bring plenty of water and aspirin. I expect it'll be tougher, coming from sea-level like this. Going to be an adventure, sure.