Just summited my first 14er! Read the conditions report from 8/2/14 and wanted to post an update for all who are looking at Longs. Left the Trailhead at 4:15am, thought this might be too late but hiked and climbed strong, made the Keyhole by 7:15 and the summit by 9:15. However from talking with others on the summit many left at 2am, so take care to think about how fast/slow you might go to determine your trailhead start time. Also, a storm rolled in by 9:30, with snow and rain quickly making our descent a bit slippery. Always be prepared with rain and jacket gear, as it got down to 45F in a hurry, really cold rain. Due to the wet rock a girl ahead of us slipped and hit her head, and clearly had a concussion. All of us rallied to help her down, a testament to the greatness of people. I also saw many people continuing up in spite of the slippery rock and deeper storm clouds coming in. Some others turned back...storm clouds roll in very fast on Longs. IMHO Longs is a challenging but doable 14er, go with respect and confidence but stay within yourself and you will be safe. There is very little ice left, but any precipitation will make the rock slick and very challenging if not dangerous. Ended up doing a 10 hour round trip, including dealing with a traffic jam on the way down and waiting to make sure Forest Rangers got to this girl's help. For those who are not used to technical trail/rock, prepare for a slow long day, and an amazing view and experience! Well worth it!!!
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