Longs Peak - Clark's Arrow - Gone !!

[martinleroux]

Just got this email. Sorry if someone else has already posted this information, apparently it happened a few months ago.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Briggs, William <...>
Date: Tue, Jul 8, 2014 at 4:06 PM
Subject: Clark's Arrow -- Gone !!

Perhaps my favorite hike to the summit of Longs Peak is the Loft to Clark's Arrow. So yesterday I headed for the summit via Clark's Arrow. When I got to the Loft, I began my usual wandering in the general direction of the top of the Clark's Arrow/gully. As I got closer to the edge, things started looking unfamiliar. When I got to the edge, I was amazed. The Clark's Arrow route is gone, swept 1500 feet down into Keplinger's Couloir — certainly another casualty of the September rains. All that remains is a huge debris field. I pieced together a route that took me into some new terrain beneath the Palisades; it's no more difficult than the original route once you get across the debris field. It's worth a visit to see another example of instant geology. Also, if you are planning a link-up between Longs and Meeker, it would be good to know that things have changed.

For the rest of the hike, I kept thinking (like you probably are) that I must have been off-route. When I returned to the Ranger Station, they told me that a climbing ranger had left a few hours after me to do Clark's Arrow. I just got her report today and she confirmed that Clark's Arrow is gone.

All I know,

BB

[justiner]

I was there a week ago.

[justiner]

Welp, I feel a little better about not finding the right gully. This cairn is still around:




If anyone knows what he's doing, it's Bill Briggs.

[Monster5]

Interesting! Clark's Arrow was there at the beginning of June this year. The boulders above it were perched more precariously and required more care than I remembered though as much of the smaller stuff had washed out. Freeze/thaw and general wasting finished what the floods started I guess. It'd be great to see a picture.

[Brian C]

What?? Wow! I'm with Ryan, I'd love to see a photo.

[PaliKona]

Could someone pry the rock off and take it?

[MtnHub]

Could someone pry the rock off and take it?

Don't think that would be possible. I always thought the Arrow itself was on a pretty solid rock face. The "trail" itself I could see being washed out, but I find it rather amazing that the Arrow itself came down. Must have been a rather significant slide to erode all of that!
The Arrow in 2010:

[Mtn_Mermaid]

Whoa! What?! Wait .... the Legendary Clark's Arrow?! I haven't been on that route in a while. I'm still blown away by the landslide on Twin Sisters .... but Clarks ... gone. Seems only proper to rename the route then. BTW: This would have been a brilliant thread for April Fools Day. Just sayin.

[jsdratm]

Out of curiosity, who was the Clark that the arrow was named for?

[painless4u2]

"A marker painted by Ranger John Clark in the early days of Rocky Mountain National Park showing the way to the saddle between Mt. Meeker and Longs Peak."

This is a short YouTube video of the arrow and rock structure it was on, all apparently gone now. I looked for it going up Keplinger's and missed it, so now it's too late, dang it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-FWZkVop1E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[its_not_a_tuba]

This totally bums me out. Finding Clark's Arrow was one of my proudest early route-finding achievements. Sad to know it's gone.

[Relative to Zero]

Whoa! What?! Wait .... the Legendary Clark's Arrow?! I haven't been on that route in a while. I'm still blown away by the landslide on Twin Sisters .... but Clarks ... gone. Seems only proper to rename the route then. BTW: This would have been a brilliant thread for April Fools Day. Just sayin.

Broken Arrow

Just throwing it out there.