1st Hand Account of Women Stuck on Longs

[Monster5]

Is it just me, or does the description of the intended route up Keplinger's confuse anybody else? Perhaps somebody experienced with a dry Keplinger's can enlighten me.

I'm not entirely sure why they would pass through Clark's Arrow or spend several hours looking for it while they were still aiming for the Keyhole. Clark's Arrow exits the couloir far to the right, leading to the Loft. The exit to the base of the Homestretch is to the left near the Notch. One could exit the couloir to more stable terrain right before traversing left beneath the Palisades, but that still doesn't require going through the Arrow unless they ascended far right of the couloir.

I've been along there a few times. Perhaps my memory's failing me.

No, I'm not critiquing them and I'm not a big fan of the typical forum armchair circle-jerk. The route descriptions just seem off.

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Edit (x2) - my understanding is that they ascended Keplinger's aiming for the Keyhole and wound up going down a couloir due south of the Loft to Hunters Creek

[Fisching]

I for one am looking forward to seeing all you Jackals who were ripping on these women last week eat some well-earned crow. Remember when you were all sharpening your pitchforks for their supposedly stupid decision to start their hike on Wednesday? Take note: this is exactly why you should not speculate, death threads or otherwise. I now invite our esteemed accident investigators to bestow their wisdom upon us now that they have a real 1st hand account of a near-miss to work with.

Oh Kris, stop preaching to us from your "holier than thou," yet entirely correct perspective, and "get the F over it." Unfortunately, I hear all the Jackals are too busy offering baseless speculations as lead anchors on cable news.

[BHallDDS]

Is it just me, or does the description of the intended route up Keplinger's confuse anybody else? Perhaps somebody experienced with a dry Keplinger's can enlighten me.

I'm not entirely sure why they would pass through Clark's Arrow or spend several hours looking for it while they were still aiming for the Keyhole. Clark's Arrow exits the couloir far to the right, leading to the Loft. The exit to the base of the Homestretch is to the left near the Notch. One could exit the couloir to more stable terrain right before traversing left beneath the Palisades, but that still doesn't require going through the Arrow unless they ascended far right of the couloir.

I've been along there a few times. Perhaps my memory's failing me.

No, I'm not critiquing them and I'm not a big fan of the typical forum armchair circle-jerk. The route descriptions just seem off.

294209_2175969713463_653408417_n.jpg

318377_2175966273377_769062931_n.jpg

Edit - my understanding is that they ascended Keplinger's aiming for the Keyhole and wound up going down the Loft. This might be wrong?

Yeah, I'm with you on this one. Having done Longs via the Loft Route, I honestly didn't even look for Clark's arrow. My climber partner and I just kind of navigated our way up into Keplinger's as we saw fit, then over onto the Homestretch. With regard to the girls account, I'm still trying to figure out what exact gully they came down though. It was either the gully going down to Keplinger's Lake or the Loft but could they have gotten to Sandbeach Lake from the Loft? However, it seems as though they didn't come around into the Loft, that they just descended the gully. Thoughts?

[HikerGuy]

If it helps assist the continued speculation, they were doing the Grand Loop.

EDIT: And a handy dandy map. I stand by my earlier speculation, they retreated down Hunters Creek.

[TallGrass]

The main lesson I am taking away from this ... is a complete non reliance on battery operated technology. ... Orienteering is a basic skill no mountaineer/hiker/climber/nature walker/ bird watcher should be without.

+1 None of my maps' batteries have died yet. I got introduced to orienteering (competition) through a x-country teammate. They could really liven up some 5k races by routing them like that.

[JROSKA]

And the lesson learned by all that made assumptions, jumped to conclusions, and passed judgement is...........???

The lesson we should all learn, is that people are entitled to second-guess and judge if they choose. Those who don't like that type of thing, are entitled to ignore it. These women sound like very secure, accomplished, and experienced backcountry travellers, and I'm guessing that they care very little (probably none at all) what a bunch of anonymous internet folks say about them (positive or negative).

I find it curious that the "Don't Criticize" people say "You can criticize, but not on memorial threads". Then, when that is obliged, they say "Well, it's still wrong until the facts are out". OK, now the facts are out. And of course, people are STILL shouting down those who dare to criticize. There's not one person out there in the 14ers.com world, who wasn't at the very least, privately thinking "what the heck were they doing up there" when the account first came out. So it's not that people are against judgment / criticism / second guessing - they are just uncomfortable with it being done publicly, where the subjects might hear it.

I suppose that most of the "Don't Criticize" crowd are like that because they don't appreciate criticism themselves, I don't know. I think that many people that come here and preach "don't judge", do that exact thing, but limit it to conversations with their climbing buddies or spouses, ie, talking behind people's backs. Very hypocritical. I'm a big proponent of, if you have something meaningful to say, say it directly to the subject. Their decision-making was not flawless; some folks are just pointing that out. It's not that big of a deal. Anyways, a strong, secure person should be able to stand tall and proud, even in the face of direct criticism. On a public website like this, judgment / criticism is going to happen. Just accept it as human nature, and deal with it, rather than shouting it down. It's never going to change.

[LoveThisSite]

Sadly, I think they probably had an incorrect route description. Clark's Arrow is irrelevant if they are climbing Keplinger's and headed up via the Narrows -> Trough -> ledges -> Keyhole -> Boulder field.

Clark's Arrow would have taken them up to the Loft, not to the Keyhole. Sounds like they spent valuable hours searching for something that wasn't even correct.

[coloradokevin]

I for one am looking forward to seeing all you Jackals who were ripping on these women last week eat some well-earned crow. Remember when you were all sharpening your pitchforks for their supposedly stupid decision to start their hike on Wednesday? Take note: this is exactly why you should not speculate, death threads or otherwise. I now invite our esteemed accident investigators to bestow their wisdom upon us now that they have a real 1st hand account of a near-miss to work with.

Well, in complete fairness here, you were also assuming that they had started their hike around that time, just like the rest of us (you said Tuesday night). I think everyone debated the issue on the basis of the information that was available at the time, and that was indicating a late-Tues/early-Wed start. Plus, none of us really have any vested interest in this issue... this is the Internet. We discuss things on the basis of limited information, and it honestly doesn't matter if any of us are really right or wrong in this particular case. With that said, a few people always end up getting way too heated in these discussions, and that behavior often polarizes the debate even more for the rest of us (causing each side to dig in their heels and fight over web forum supremacy).

Nevertheless, let me comment on September weather in general, and I'll try to leave these women and their misadventure totally out of the discussion... I've been on Longs Peak in September on two occasions, and the weather was absolutely miserable up there both times, despite a forecast of relatively decent weather during both climbs. On one of those trips I was hit with freezing rain followed by snow, and on the other trip it was hail, freezing rain, and 30-40kt winds. I've also been up high in the Maroon Bells Wilderness in September on a few occasions, and been walloped by unexpected winter-like storms. I personally find that September is usually my favorite month for high mountain hiking, but it has also been a month that has pounded me with winter weather in the past, despite relatively benign forecasts. As such, I tend to overpack for overnight trips during this month (some would call that foolish, but a few surprises have made me a bit more careful in that regard).

If there's one thing I think everyone will probably agree on here, it is that these women are pretty darn tough! It takes a good bit of resolve to make it out of the situation that they described, and the difference between survival and a cold/miserable death can often be decided by someone's own determination.

[MuchosPixels]

They went up Keplinger's Couloir in VERY sketchy weather. Thats not a great call in itself but attempting to traverse the nasty SW face of Long's in that kind of weather was even worse. Looking at the map I would have maybe went down to Chasm Lake after going up Kep, wait it out, or kept going down the trail to the Long's Peak Trailhead on Long's Peak Rd.

So the choices (increasing in risk)

1- Not going up Keplinger's at all. Make camp in the basin down below or retreat down Hunter's
2- Going up Keplinger's and head down to Chasm Lake and maybe all the way down to the Long's trailhead.
3- Going up Keplinger's and head down to Chasm Lake, up to the boulderfield and camp there.
4- Going up Keplinger's and attempt to traverse to the Keyhole
5- Going up Keplinger's and attempt to summit Long's and traverse to the Keyhole

They made a very risky choice but they are obviously tough, well equipped, capable and smart. So thankfully they made it out in good shape.

30's and rain is some of the worst weather to be out there in. Very hard to keep warm and dry in that kind of weather even with the best gear.

[Derek]

I'm curious looking at a route description on backpacker and the map Hiker Guy posted below....I may be missing something, which I probably am...

Keplingers Couloir rises steeply for 1,600 feet to the Notch, between Longs and Mt. Meeker. A few simple hand-and-foot moves are required to pass obstacles; keep right when in doubt until you reach the base of the Palisades cliffs.

Why do they mention Meeker? That makes it sound like you are ascending to the loft. And sure enough, the map shows leaving the couloir, angling right and hitting the loft. So according to the route description, you would never come across Clarks arrow area. But following the map, you would.

Strange.

Regardless, good to hear they got out safe. Hell of an adventure. (Guess I didn't catch the last thread...sounds like I was lucky...)

--D

[Hungry Jack]

If it helps assist the continued speculation, they were doing the Grand Loop.

EDIT: And a handy dandy map. I stand by my earlier speculation, they retreated down Hunters Creek.

I think you are right. I should have done a better job of reading their report. They were bivy'ed somewhere in upper Keplingers, and then descended. They never would have made the Loft, which requires several hundred feet of ascent.

The thing I find disturbing is their reliance on a "hand drawn map" to find their escape. I would never attempt a large backcountry circuit without good topos, especially for a first-time.

But I am glad to hear they lived to tell the tale. What a harrowing experience! Being wet is about the worst thing that can happen to you in a survival situation.

[BHallDDS]

I'm curious looking at a route description on backpacker and the map Hiker Guy posted below....I may be missing something, which I probably am...

Keplingers Couloir rises steeply for 1,600 feet to the Notch, between Longs and Mt. Meeker. A few simple hand-and-foot moves are required to pass obstacles; keep right when in doubt until you reach the base of the Palisades cliffs.

Why do they mention Meeker? That makes it sound like you are ascending to the loft. And sure enough, the map shows leaving the couloir, angling right and hitting the loft. So according to the route description, you would never come across Clarks arrow area. But following the map, you would.

Strange.

Regardless, good to hear they got out safe. Hell of an adventure. (Guess I didn't catch the last thread...sounds like I was lucky...)

--D

Alright, I think I've got it figured out...So, according to the BackPacker link with the route description, it mentions "The Notch" between Meeker and Longs. They really should have just left this part out, because they never should've ended up there anyways. If they truly were to have just ascended Keplinger's, they would've top out at the bottom of the Palisades, and then traversed left and over. However, without decent visability, then frame of reference for the Palisades can be very tricky. The route described this part accurately but talking about Clark's arrow is not correct and as previous posters have mentioned, and I've experienced...you don't see it unless you are coming from the Loft.

Then, to complicate things, the Grand Loop map that HikerGuy linked to, actually shows you going over to the Loft from Keplinger's and then back towards the Homestretch, which is not accurate at all. And indeed, you may see Clark's arrow doing it this way but hell, I didn't see it on a bluebird day....good luck finding it in a driving rain storm. So, it's no wonder they got confused.

Quite honestly, yes these women had extensive backcountry experience but this was a whole nother level. I do think Longs Peak is made out to be a relatively easy hike by the interwebs (as seen but the hundreds of inexperience hikers on the weekend wearing jeans and coming up the Keyhole at noon). I've done 28 of the 14ers and Longs was one of the more taxing days I've had on any of them. It's a beast no matter how you slice it. Doing it after a long 6 day hike, in terrible weather, with hand drawn maps and inaccurate topo maps, ugh, I can't even imagine how desperate they were. Perhaps they should've had a bail out route at the bottom of Keplingers knowing that with the weather changing so badly, it would've been easier to get out. It's perhaps a good thing they ended up not finding the Homestretch because the Narrows and Keyhole woud've been awful during that storm. Narrows would've been deadly.