One hundred-sixty years ago, Julia Archibald Holmes made history when she became the first woman to climb to the top of Pikes Peak. Lured by the sense of adventure, she defied those who believed it was improper for a woman to attempt a summit, much less doing so in trousers below a skirt that ended above her ankles.

Since then, her controversial ascent has become a source of inspiration for women in the outdoors, particularly for four local women, who, in honor of the 160th anniversary of Holmes’ climb, ascended Pikes Peak in ankle-length bloomers Saturday.

“In 1850, it was very unusual for a woman to hike or be a mountaineer,” said Elizabeth Barber, the co-organizer of the hike. “So if Julia could do it, I thought, ‘Why can’t I?'”

Barber, who was joined by co-organizer Ruthy Cranford, Megan Rieger and 15-year-old Brooke Ashbridge, started hiking from the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center early Saturday. They plan to camp at Barr Camp on Saturday night and summit Sunday, the same day Holmes, her husband and the two others on the expedition did in 1858.

Before 2008, Barber had never climbed a fourteener. That year, Barber helped organize events across the city for the 150th anniversary of the climb and was so inspired by Holmes’ feat that she decided to pursue mountaineering.

“I became tangible evidence of the influence of women from the past on women of the present,” she said.

Holmes, born in Nova Scotia on Feb. 15, 1838, was the second of eight children in a large abolitionist family.

After the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 enveloped the territory in the fight over slavery, the Archibalds resettled in Lawrence, Kan., where they could join the fight.

There, the Archibalds met John Brown, the abolitionist who led violent raids on pro-slavery families. Holmes, in turn, fell in love with one of Brown’s lieutenants, an aggressive abolitionist named James H. Holmes.

The couple latched onto a gold rush expedition to Pikes Peak in 1858, then set their sights on the highest point visible for miles.

“She saw the expedition as an escape from the ‘disgusting inactivity of camp life. I think even today we can relate to trying to escape boredom by climbing mountains,” Barber said.

Holmes was inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014, cementing her legacy in Colorado. For Cranford, Barber’s co-organizer, the history and the 160th anniversary of the ascent are lenses to understand the changes in outdoor recreation for women and the potential for it to change even more.

“The acceptance of women in the outdoors is much better than it was 10 years ago, but I think we’re still fighting to be considered equals,” she said. “It’s important for us to look back and see how far we’ve come to show us that things can happen, and it’s worth the fight.”

She continued, “Today, I think women sometimes feel they have to sacrifice their femininity when they do something rugged. But here we are, wearing dresses, representing our femininity in the outdoors.”

In addition to the bloomers, Barber used a replica leather backpack and pair of moccasins she had finished sewing just days before the hike.

Barber will host a 3-mile guided History Hike in Garden of the Gods Park at 5:30 p.m. Monday to teach visitors about Holmes and the journey up Pikes Peak. Visitors also will be able to see a reproduction of the backpack and gear that Julia would have hiked with in 1858.

The hike is $5 per person. Reservations are required at and can be made at gardenofgods.com. Proceeds benefit the Garden of the Gods Foundation.