(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Looking out on America’s Mountain, there’s a unique bunch who get to partake in a special honor every New Year. Once a year, the AdAmAn Club embarks on a two-day long journey to conquer Pikes Peak and set off the firework spectacular.
“I mean, just to be right underneath the fireworks, right below them is pretty spectacular,” Britt Jones said. “It’s a rare sight that most people don’t get to see.”
After years of waiting, Jones became this year’s newest member of the AdAmAn club and took on the responsibility of leading the group to the summit.
“In fact, when I started the climb on Saturday morning, I literally broke down and got emotional because it was a long journey,” Jones said. “But then, such an honor to be invited in to this unique select group and it was moving, it was emotional.”
A passion for mountaineering came later in life for Jones, but once he discovered this interest, he took on the challenge of conquering 14ers, leading him to face America’s Mountain.
“It was kind of along that journey, being a mountaineer, that literally, I had my head on my pillow one night on New Year’s Eve looking up at Pikes Peak and said, ‘I would like to be up there on New Year’s Eve when those fireworks go off someday’,” said Jones.
That moment led him to put in his application for the AdAmAn club, but it took several years for him to become a member. The tradition began back in 1922, and keeping to the namesake of the club, a new member is added each year.
“It takes a while because they only add a man or a woman, one per year as the tradition goes,” Jones stated. “So yeah, if you’re looking to become an AdAmAn member, it could be a ten-year journey, which was kind of what it was for me.”
Previously, Jones was invited to partake in the journey as a guest, but this year marked his official climb as the newest group member. Jones shared his reaction in learning that he was chosen.
“This year at their annual dinner, they have a big dinner that they put on every year, and that’s when they announced the new member,” Jones said. So, nobody knows until that night, and I actually didn’t expect it to be me… but they pulled my name, and it was a shock.
This is a two-day long journey, with the group starting on the trailhead of Barr Trail on Dec. 30 and spending the night at Barr Camp. Then, the group takes on the rest of the challenge, climbing up to the summit with Jones leading the pack.
“We got there [New Year’s Eve] at 3:30 p.m., so it was middle of the afternoon and the sun hasn’t set,” Jones said. “So that was actually wonderful to get there before it was dark and then allow time to set up some of the fireworks and do the work that needs to be done before the show that night.”
“Over 100 years of tradition, 1922 was when the Frozen Five first hiked up that mountain and set off the rockets and it’s been going every year, and it is an incredible long-standing tradition,” Jones said. “Nowhere else in the world do they shoot off fireworks at midnight from the summit of a mountain. Colorado Springs is unique.”
The physical demands come along with the responsibilities of filling the Southern Colorado skies at midnight with bursts of color. For those fortunate enough to be part of this distinctive group, there is no question whether the connections forged along the journey last for a lifetime.
“This group is made up of people that are volunteers, then community oriented, spirited, and they’re not self-centered and they’re all about giving back and giving to others and helping others,” Jones said. “So that’s part of what this club is about and what we do on the climb is we stay together, we support one another.”
For now, Jones will be resting up but has no doubt that he will be out hiking along one of his favorite trails at Mount Hermon in Monument.
