Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

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Brackish14ner
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Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by Brackish14ner »

Does anyone know if the Trough can be hiked downhill from the point it meets The Ledges / targets / fried eggs/ Keyhole route, where hikers normally turn left/uphill to summit Longs, but instead turning right / downhill to reach Black Lake?

I finally summited Longs three summers ago after four failed attempts across 30 years, due to weather. I don't have another summit in me, but last summer I hiked Black Lake from the Glacier Gorge trailhead and went up behind it to the very bottom of the trough. It looked doable.

I'd like to do a loop from the Glacier Gorge TH to the Keyhole by way of Boulder Field, then take the Trough back down to Black Lake and back to the trailhead from there

I have found several accounts of winter hikes by way of Black Lake and the full length of the Trough in both directions, but none in the summertime without snow.

Is it doable? We are hikers, not climbers. We wouldn't be up for anything more challenging than what we had to do to reach the summit of longs

Thanks!
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by ltlFish99 »

The only time i have hiked the trough from black lake was in winter. there were some moderate cliffs near the bottom, but we went hikers left and gained access with little difficulty.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by Brackish14ner »

Thanks, that sounds like an affirmative?

:-k What is a " hikers left "
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by justiner »

It's probably doable, albeit not very classic. I've done that couloir in November with pretty cruddy snow cover, and kept mostly to climber's left (from the POV of a climber when they're facing the mountain, it's on the left) on ascent, which is mostly just a talus/boulder hop, although it is a steep one. Not really suggested, but if your heart is set on it. Keplingers is much worst, but is done as a summer route as well.

I would though, almost suggest going UP the trough, then down via Storm, Half Mountain, etc. (Trough will just be steeper). Start early and a lot of those miles can be done by headlamp.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by cougar »

An enjoyable loop is up Half to Storm and the keyhole, down north Longs Peak trail. Option to descend Boulder Brook with the shuttle or hike back to GG trailhead. Trough goes but unpleasant as mentioned. Great views of the whole gorge and lakes.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by DaveLanders »

One thing to think about is that you are exposed to rockfall caused by the hordes of people in the upper trough, and that exposure lasts for a long time unless you are really fast.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by daway8 »

Brackish14ner wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:20 pm ...We wouldn't be up for anything more challenging than what we had to do to reach the summit of longs
How challenging did you consider the Trough when you did that? For reference, that was about 600ft of elevation gain on the standard route.

Take that experience and stretch it out instead to around 2,000ft of non-stop gain going up the same stuff at the same relentless angle - if that's sounds like your idea of a good time then that's up to you. I'd be a little concerned about rockfall though from hikers above you on the standard route...

I add another vote for North Longs Peak trail - you can pick it up from Bear Lake or Glacier Gorge. It's a little longer than the standard route up Longs but a little less steep as well. If nothing else I'd say least descend that way instead of going back down the Trough which would probably be excruciating in summer.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by PJ88 »

Is the trough really that prone to rockfall? When I did it I don’t remember anyone kicking anything down, but there were only about 3 people in it on my way up and maybe 10 coming up as I was going down.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by XterraRob »

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Last edited by XterraRob on Tue Aug 23, 2022 5:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by daway8 »

PJ88 wrote: Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:37 pm Is the trough really that prone to rockfall? When I did it I don’t remember anyone kicking anything down, but there were only about 3 people in it on my way up and maybe 10 coming up as I was going down.
It's not nearly as bad as some routes but I recall at least one time up there seeing some decent size chunks go flying down below the Trough.

Rockfall is tricky business - take the Snowmass West Ridge discussion a week or so ago - one guy reported zero rockfall when he did it, another reported refrigerator size boulders crashing down.

It's kinda the luck of the draw based both on conditions and how careful the people above you are...
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by timewarp01 »

If you're committed to taking the chossy way but traffic through the keyhole has you worried about rockfall, consider going past the trough and using the Longs-Pagoda couloir instead. Not significantly longer or farther, you won't have anyone above you, and you get a nice tour of the Keyboard of the Winds with the option to tag on Pagoda. Just make sure if you descend that route to research the weakness in the cliff band on the way down from the Homestretch as it can be hard to find on the descent.
Image
Trough is on the left with some lingering snow in this pic, the Pagoda couloir is the strip of sunlit talus in the center of the image extending down toward the lakes
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Re: Is the trough navigable all the way to bottom in summer? Longs peak. . .

Post by Brackish14ner »

Wow, thanks for all the quick and detailed responses. I wish I had found this site for more inside info before prior trips to rmnp.

We are flatlanders, south Louisiana at an elevation of 44 ft. Climbing the trough was probably the most physically difficult thing I ever did recreationally! And that was 3 years ago, days away from turning 50 years old, and with considerable training beforehand.

On the way down the trough, we hugged the hikers left ( thank you) and did a whole lot of butt sliding. It was a great deal easier going down than up

After making it to the summit with my three boys, I'd like to at least see the keyhole with my fourth, a daughter, who's now age appropriate. When I went on the Black Lake hike last summer, it was with my wife, and she has also never been to the keyhole.

I thought to take them both to the keyhole by the north Longs Trail and throw in the twist of returning by way of the trough and Black Lake, the hike from which is stunning in its own right.

I'm glad to hear it's not any more technically difficult than the rest of the trough. I am more than a little concerned about the loose rock, though. There was enough during my prior climb to make it clear why some more helmets. I can't imagine another 2,000 ft of momentum . . .

Perhaps hugging hikers left from the get-go would keep us out of the danger zone.

Is the Longs-Pagoda couloir reachable by just continuing straight across the trough when coming from the ledges? Or does one have to reach it from the Narrows side, as suggested by the post above?
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