One foot in front of the other.
This is how a 100-year-old tradition secures its place in history.
Below-freezing temperatures, wind, sunshine, rain, sleet or snow – America’s Mountain can be unpredictable in winter. Zebulon Pike, the mountain’s namesake, attempted a summit in November in the early 1800s and famously had to turn back, later pronouncing the peak “impossible to scale.”
Since then, the mountain has become quite the playground for outdoorspeople who have proven Zeb Pike incorrect in his initial assumption.
Colorado has always attracted mountaineers, and clubs were established early on in the area. Two of those outdoorsmen were brothers and Colorado Springs natives, Fred and Ed Morath. They were regular visitors to Pikes Peak’s summit prior to 1922 when they decided they wanted to include the community in their endeavors.
The Frozen Five
They petitioned The Gazette to sponsor a “watch party” wherein they would ascend the mountain and set off fireworks at the summit for the community to usher in the new year. As details were finalized, the brothers added three more climbers to their party: Fred Barr, Pikes Peak trailblazer; Willis Magee, avid mountaineer; and Harry Standley, climber and noted local photographer. These five climbers, later dubbed the “Frozen Five,” started their ascent up the cog railway early on the morning of December 31, 1922, carrying their supplies on their backs.
Frigid temperatures, ice-covered stretches and gale-force winds creating blizzard-like-conditions were what the climbers endured to complete their climb. The weather began to clear as the team thawed out in the summit house before the show was to take place. But during the last moments before the new year, the blizzard returned and obscured the fireworks from view of the onlookers below.
But the achievement was too bright to be obscured. The Frozen Five had created a stir and though weary from exertion, they had made their mark on history.
AdAmAn
In March of 1923, the group met again to formally create the club and make this climb an annual tradition for years to come. They decided to add one man each year to keep the club alive. So named, the AdAmAn (add-a-man) club was established, capitalizing the A's in the name to represent the mountains.
The Barr Trail, developed by Fred Barr, is the path climbers take now. It is a 14-mile ascent up America’s mountain and is now completed over the course of two days.
100th Anniversary
Ushering in 2023 was the official 100-year anniversary of an event which has become ingrained in Colorado Springs' heritage. To honor this time-tested tradition, the group created a commemorative book of AdAmAn history, and the city partnered with them to create AdAmAn Alley in downtown Colorado Springs. This addition to the art scene downtown consists of a number of art installations spanning a city block.
As viewers enter the alleyway from the west on Tejon, they walk under the AdAmAn Alley archway depicting the original Frozen Five. Looking down, there is a scaled map of Barr Trail with bronze markers indicating trail markers along the hike. On the north-facing wall is an illustration of the original Frozen Five in a WPA (Works Progress Administration) poster style, reminiscent of the 1930s. The south wall boasts colorful depictions of rock cairns represented on the Barr Trail ascent. Directly ahead, through the alley, is a mural by El Mac of a child enjoying the fireworks with a face of awe. At night, his mural is enhanced by a George Berlin Projection, further bringing it to life. A mural by Zane Prater on an east-facing wall shows climbers being connected by a rope headed toward Sun Mountain, the original Ute name for Pikes Peak. This mural is representative of the connectivity and value of community, togetherness and lineage.
Other alley highlights include larger-than-life archival imagery of the fireworks and fire masters, as well as native plant sculptures.
It truly is an overall immersive experience, creating conversation about Colorado Springs' history and heritage. Find the book, bring the family, take a stroll through an interactive history lesson through art on our streets and look forward to the new century of tradition as they ring in 2024.
Website: http://adaman.org/
Facebook: @theadamanclub