Longs Peak Trip Report 09/22/2008

Peak(s):	Longs Peak - 14,259 feet
Date Posted:	09/22/2008
Date Climbed:	09/20/2008
Author:	mountain14

Longs Peak- Keyhole Route in Snicy Conditions
I pulled into camp around 8 pm, set up the tent, prepared my gear for the next day, and hit the hay at about 10pm. The weather had been calling for isolated thunderstorms so I wanted to get an early start around 4 am due to the icy conditions. I woke up at about 3 am to the elk bugling. Nice alarm clock! I packed up and signed into the trail register at 4:10 am. I began to make the trek up the East Longs Peak trail in complete darkness with nothing but my trusty headlamp to guide the way. This was my first time to summit solo and I thought that hiking through the woods in the dark might spook me a little bit, but to my surprise I actually kind of enjoyed the quiet and solitude. As I began moving up the trail I could hear Alpine Brook beside me but I could not see it through the darkness. At about 5:30 I came across a couple sitting along the trail loading up on calories. I chatted for a bit and then moved on trying to keep a steady pace. At about 5:45 I hit tree line. It was chilly and dark and I had to focus more on staying on the trail. After passing the Chasm Lake trail junction, I began to trek upward towards Granite Pass and I could see the light begin to extend across the horizon so I knew that sunrise was eminent. I stopped to load up on some PB & J when I got to Granite Pass and watched the sun come up. I could see the face of Longs and the ice and snow up there. It was cold and quiet and this was the first time that I could really feel the solitude. About that time I could see a group of five climbers coming up behind me in the distance so I decided to buddy up with them for the remainder of the trip to the summit. Here is a shot of Longs just after sunrise. Just before reaching the boulder field we decided to stop and load up on calories and water. Here is a shot of the Keyhole just before entering the boulder field. I didn't realize it at the time but it was a lot further than it looked! Here is a closer shot of the Keyhole as we were making our way through the boulder field. The boulder field was the first time that we began to encounter significant ice and snow across the trail but it wasn't too bad. Here I am in front of Longs in the boulder field just before climbing up to the Keyhole. It was all uphill from here! We made our way up to the Keyhole and began to survey the condition of the ledges. Here is my first glimpse of the ledges past the Keyhole. There were patches of ice and snow and it got a little bit techy from here on out. Mike discussing our game plan for getting across the ledges. Here is a photo of Glacier Gorge that I took from the ledges. Me taking a sip of water after carefully climbing across the ledges. Chris discussing the weather situation before heading up the trough. Once reaching the trough I didn't take many photos because we were focused on time but I took plenty on the way down. The trough was relentlessly steep and with the combination of altitude and snow it was quite a lung burner! I axed my way up the 600ft climb to the top of the trough. Once reaching the top of the trough I made my way out onto the Narrows. The Narrows required careful scrambling and extra attention to that next step as there were a few patches of ice. Crampons, however, would have been useless through the Narrows. After crossing the Narrows and reaching the homestretch I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The homestretch only had a few patches of ice but nothing significant. I made my way up the homestretch to reach the summit at 10:45 am. Another photo from the summit. On the way back down I took plenty of photos as we were making our way back through the keyhole route. Here is a shot of us climbing through the Narrows. Notice the significant exposure to the left which is why we had to take extra care with the icy conditions. Here is a photo from the top of the trough before making the 600 ft descent back down to the ledges. Me and my trusty ice axe which I used to ascend and descend the trough. Here we are scrambling across the ledges back towards the Keyhole. Upon getting back to Keyhole we stopped to change socks. This was the first time that I began to feel the accomplishment that we had made. We successfully took on Longs in the snow/icy conditions! It was all downhill from here! After descending back down to the Chasm Lake trail junction you could see the clouds beginning to form on the summit. That is one gnarly mountain! Here is a photo of Alpine Brook which I could hear but not see on the way up earlier that morning. It was really quite scenic. As I was driving out of Estes Park that afternoon Mother Nature greeted me with another one of her great wonders. She seemed to be congratulating us on our accomplishment of the day. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Longs Peak- Keyhole Route in Snicy Conditions

I pulled into camp around 8 pm, set up the tent, prepared my gear for the next day, and hit the hay at about 10pm. The weather had been calling for isolated thunderstorms so I wanted to get an early start around 4 am due to the icy conditions. I woke up at about 3 am to the elk bugling. Nice alarm clock! I packed up and signed into the trail register at 4:10 am. I began to make the trek up the East Longs Peak trail in complete darkness with nothing but my trusty headlamp to guide the way. This was my first time to summit solo and I thought that hiking through the woods in the dark might spook me a little bit, but to my surprise I actually kind of enjoyed the quiet and solitude. As I began moving up the trail I could hear Alpine Brook beside me but I could not see it through the darkness. At about 5:30 I came across a couple sitting along the trail loading up on calories. I chatted for a bit and then moved on trying to keep a steady pace. At about 5:45 I hit tree line. It was chilly and dark and I had to focus more on staying on the trail. After passing the Chasm Lake trail junction, I began to trek upward towards Granite Pass and I could see the light begin to extend across the horizon so I knew that sunrise was eminent. I stopped to load up on some PB & J when I got to Granite Pass and watched the sun come up. I could see the face of Longs and the ice and snow up there. It was cold and quiet and this was the first time that I could really feel the solitude. About that time I could see a group of five climbers coming up behind me in the distance so I decided to buddy up with them for the remainder of the trip to the summit. Here is a shot of Longs just after sunrise.

Just before reaching the boulder field we decided to stop and load up on calories and water.

Here is a shot of the Keyhole just before entering the boulder field. I didn't realize it at the time but it was a lot further than it looked!

Here is a closer shot of the Keyhole as we were making our way through the boulder field. The boulder field was the first time that we began to encounter significant ice and snow across the trail but it wasn't too bad.

Here I am in front of Longs in the boulder field just before climbing up to the Keyhole. It was all uphill from here!

We made our way up to the Keyhole and began to survey the condition of the ledges. Here is my first glimpse of the ledges past the Keyhole. There were patches of ice and snow and it got a little bit techy from here on out.

Mike discussing our game plan for getting across the ledges.

Here is a photo of Glacier Gorge that I took from the ledges.

Me taking a sip of water after carefully climbing across the ledges.

Chris discussing the weather situation before heading up the trough.

Once reaching the trough I didn't take many photos because we were focused on time but I took plenty on the way down. The trough was relentlessly steep and with the combination of altitude and snow it was quite a lung burner! I axed my way up the 600ft climb to the top of the trough. Once reaching the top of the trough I made my way out onto the Narrows. The Narrows required careful scrambling and extra attention to that next step as there were a few patches of ice. Crampons, however, would have been useless through the Narrows. After crossing the Narrows and reaching the homestretch I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. The homestretch only had a few patches of ice but nothing significant. I made my way up the homestretch to reach the summit at 10:45 am.

Another photo from the summit.

On the way back down I took plenty of photos as we were making our way back through the keyhole route. Here is a shot of us climbing through the Narrows. Notice the significant exposure to the left which is why we had to take extra care with the icy conditions.

Here is a photo from the top of the trough before making the 600 ft descent back down to the ledges.

Me and my trusty ice axe which I used to ascend and descend the trough.

Here we are scrambling across the ledges back towards the Keyhole.

Upon getting back to Keyhole we stopped to change socks. This was the first time that I began to feel the accomplishment that we had made. We successfully took on Longs in the snow/icy conditions! It was all downhill from here!

After descending back down to the Chasm Lake trail junction you could see the clouds beginning to form on the summit. That is one gnarly mountain!

Here is a photo of Alpine Brook which I could hear but not see on the way up earlier that morning. It was really quite scenic.

As I was driving out of Estes Park that afternoon Mother Nature greeted me with another one of her great wonders. She seemed to be congratulating us on our accomplishment of the day.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

planetmike

Great trip report
9/22/2008 2:11pm

Nice pictures, I went up longs alone my first time it was great. I love being up there alone.

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