Longs tomorrow 1/26

[justiner]

Yeah, it's pretty enjoyable - I've done it at least once. The exposure on the east side is good times - Keyhole Ridge is a fun route as well. That'll def. be a tick for a month - either alone, or part of a skyline traverse, or Glacier Gorge Traverse or something. I've got my eye on doing the Glacier Gorge Traverse/Walk in the Park w/the bike ride thrown in there - if not because I just pick off undone Bill Briggs projects even though I'm much slower and a poorer climber, I've a slight advantage of having a higher pain tolerance and my bike lights are better than anything he had available.

[Plugugly]

Anyhow, is anyone actually doing Long's on Sunday, that wants company? If so, what route are you thinking?

[justiner]

Looks like Longs just got a new dusting, with another dusting forecasted for later this week. Enjoy Cables!

[Hiking_TheRockies]

I heard that you can go up the cables route and then ski down homestretch and down the South face, all the way down to one of those lakes down there. Or maybe you could got down to the Loft and ski down the Loft route, or even down Keplinger's Couloir? I'm not sure if any of this is possible, but you all seem to know a lot about Longs. Have any of you ever done something like that?

[justiner]

Homestretch can certainly have enough coverage to ski down, and you can then link Keplingers Couloir into Wild Basin. That's a Spring objective in most years - an we're in a pretty bad drought, so I wouldn't bet on it right now. Down the Loft, down Cables, and down the Trough are all good objectives of varying difficulty. The Notch also gets skied on occasion, and some adventurous folks have kept their skis on for the traverse across Broadway, then down Lambslide (Lambslide can also be skied from the top of the Loft). Not a skier myself, but there's many talented folks on this forum who have ski/ridden the lines I've mentioned above, and I'm sure there's more!

[Micaiah]

My top choice for Sunday would be a Martha / Cables link up

[Micaiah]

Well, I've had no luck on the first choice, so it's on to second choice. Who's up for Cables Rt summit on Sunday?

[daway8]

I've been toying with the possibility of seeing if the standard Keyhole route is doable on Monday - dependent on conditions and how wicked the wind in between storms is forecast to be... (Several other peaks on the radar if Longs looks too iffy - so many winter peaks to do, so few good weather windows...)

[justiner]

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[daway8]

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I can identify with that, though I'm only on my 3rd winter for the high peaks so I can wait another season or two if I have to. I'll settle for reasonably favorable...

I'm slowly building up fortitude by managing to have somehow had near death experiences on the likes of Cameron and Bald Mtn (I know... I know...)

[justiner]

Comparing Sun and Mon, Mon does look favorable, if not for the better temperature.

If I was you, I'd give it a go! Mt. Lady Wash. makes a good plan B, if you're not feeling it for the Keyhole. Views of the Diamond from Mt. Lady Wash are really hard to beat. If I go on Sun (which I guess I'm still planning on), I'll try to post condition reports, but it'll be after 8pm, if I'm successful. Keyhole isn't the best Winter route, as you can't get a feel for conditions until you pass through the actual Keyhole. Some of the steep slopes get pretty snowy, and the Trough is just a bear without good converage. Cables is such a better Winter route.

[daway8]

Comparing Sun and Mon, Mon does look favorable, if not for the better temperature.

If I was you, I'd give it a go! Mt. Lady Wash. makes a good plan B, if you're not feeling it for the Keyhole. Views of the Diamond from Mt. Lady Wash are really hard to beat. If I go on Sun (which I guess I'm still planning on), I'll try to post condition reports, but it'll be after 8pm, if I'm successful. Keyhole isn't the best Winter route, as you can't get a feel for conditions until you pass through the actual Keyhole. Some of the steep slopes get pretty snowy, and the Trough is just a bear without good converage. Cables is such a better Winter route.

Yes, Keyhole isn't ideal but I've done that route several times in summer and went to the base of the Trough once in spring whereas I've not yet done any of the other routes.

Based on the pictures that Will_E posted in a recent conditions report I don't get the impression that ther's currently much if any avy danger between the Keyhole and Trough. In fact there seemed to be a ton of exposed rock and forecasts haven't been showing a whole lot of new snow so I'm thinking it might be mostly a go slow and careful with good traction and hope the Narrows aren't too terribly icy - but that too looked to have a lot of exposed rock in the most recent photos (obviously things can change quickly though...)