Longs Way

Today I tried to summit Longs Peak. For good or for bad I wasn't successful. Longs Peak, as you may know, is the only 14,000'er in this part of the state. In addition to being a [relatively] very tall mountain, it's also a very tough climb. Summiting Longs involves a 7 mile hike from trailhead to summit, and significant elevation gain. As a result, one must begin very early. This morning, I was on the trail at 3:45 am.

These are two pictures taken as the Sun was rising.

Summiting Longs Peak involves stamina - due to the distance, as well as a willingness to deal with heights and the long descent if one places a foot in the wrong place. Approaching from the east, one first has to cross the 'Boulder Field.' The first picture below looks back across this boulder-strewn slope. At the top of the Boulder Field is the 'Keyhole' - the second picture, below. This gap allows you to access the trail (the 'Narrows') on the back, or western side of Longs Peak.

Normally, as soon as one makes ones way through the Keyhole one is buffeted by extremely strong winds. Not today, however. Instead one simply stepped from the brightness of a warming sun, to the still graying dawn of a narrow ledge with a drop-off of what must have been two or three thousand feet. 

The final approach on Longs is known as the 'Trough.' Unbeknownst to me, the summit had received nearly a foot and a half of snow last week. The remnants of that remained still in the Trough - resulting in very tiring and fairly unstable footing. What little path there normally is was covered by snow and ice. Where there was none, only loose stones and steep stones remained. As a result of this unstable footing and the potential for slipping, about halfway up, I made the decision that the mountain would still be here next year...

This is a picture of the Trough and one of its climbers. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't capture the pitch involved.