Weather slows AdAmAn Club’s annual New Year’s Eve hike to Pikes Peak

Strong winds and deep snow delayed Tuesday's arrival of 31 members of the AdAmAn Club's annual hike from Manitou Springs to the summit of Pikes Peak.

"The conditions slowed them down quite a bit (Tuesday) afternoon," said Dave Hunting, a club member ad spokesman. "We were expecting them at around 2:30 p.m. but it now looks like they won't get there until 5 p.m."

The group actually arrived at 4:30 p.m.

The high temperature on the Peak Tuesday afternoon was 7 degrees, but the wind chill dropped that to about -24.

Hunting said after the group hiked to Barr Camp and spent Monday night there, three members returned home because they weren't feeling well.

"They said they felt they were coming down with colds and thought it would be best to go back," he said.

The summit didn't open until noon Tuesday because crews were removing snow from the highway. Officials closed the summit and upper stretch of the highway at 2 p.m. when winds began blowing snow onto the highway.

"The summit has been closed on New Year's Eve more often than not in my 17 years here," said Kelly Thompson, a maintenance supervisor for the highway. "One year, the club had to leave the trail and walk up the highway from Glen Cove."

Thompson was asked whether the summit would make an idea public gathering spot for a New Year's Eve celebration, especially with the traditional fireworks show at midnight.

"It sounds fun," he said. "But the weather isn't always conducive, there's limited parking and there are no lights along the highway. The summit probably isn't safe for something like that."

The club usually has the fireworks set up by 6 p.m. At 9 p.m., they launch five test shells in memory of the "Frozen Five," the first group of hikers in 1922.

The regular fireworks show will be at midnight and can be seen from dozens of miles away on a clear night.