Colorado Springs group celebrates 100th year of mountaintop fireworks display

Coloradans are a little different. 

"We love the outdoors. We love challenging ourselves against nature," attested Matt Mayberry, Director of the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum. 

It seems to be a timeless value for the people who call this place home. At least, it's one that stretches back 100 years to a time that wasn't too different from our own.

"The World War is behind us, the Spanish Flu pandemic is behind us," Mayberry said. "There's a need for kind of a rebirth."  

Set against this backdrop were two brothers from Colorado Springs, Fred and Ed Morath. They were mountaineers in 1922 with plenty of summits of Pikes Peak in their past. So they hatched a plan for New Year's Eve.

"Partly just avoiding the typical New Year's Eve boring parties," according to Mayberry.

The Mortaths, along with two other men they recruited, decided to hike Pikes with a ton of fireworks in tow to put on a midnight fireworks show for their community.

It was a huge hit and birthed the AdAmAn Club. 

Each year, men and women recreate the brothers' journey and put on a fireworks show at the top of Pikes Peak. 

"The club loves climbing the mountain," said AdAmAn Club President Dan Stuart.

This year is the 100th anniversary of the first climb. While times have changed, the motivation for the AdAmAn climbers is the same - provide a little hope and inspiration for Colorado Springs heading into a new year. 

"it's a unique thing for the pikes peak region," Stuart said. "it's something that has just grown with the community."