Longs Peak

July 11th, 2010 11:31am - Posted By: Tyson

So I climbed Longs Peak all the way up and down in one day... What the HELL was I thinking??

I have been wanting to climb Longs Peak for a while.  Brittany and I attempted it last September 2009 but didn't make it.  We broke the hike into two days by camping overnight on the mountain right below what is called the 'Key Hole' in a field covered in boulders, called appropriately, the 'Boulder Field'.  Long story short, we woke up the next morning, climbed up to the key hole and turned back a mile from the top due to exhaustion and a nasty story about to roll in.

After some thought I decided I wanted to attempt Longs Peak.  I didn't know anyone that could do it with me, so I would have to do it alone.  This is why I decided to do it in one day, rather than camping part way up the mountain.

We found a nice camp spot at the Longs Peak Camp Ground, literally feet from the trail head.  We did this because in order to get to the top of the mountain before noon to avoid lightening, you have to start around 2-3am.  I didn't want to have to drive all the way from home to get to the trail head that flippin' early.  So, we decided to camp, with the dog, which was fun.

At 2:30am on July 11th, 2010, Brittany and I got up.  I got dressed and put on my gear, had a little breakfast, and we both went to the trail head.  It was pretty dark, but the sky was very clear.  You could see the stars very well, along with the Milky Way.  I put on my head lamp, kissed Brittany and Melody goodbye and started my adventure.

We planned on 12 hours round trip.  The hike was 7.5 miles each way with a gain of just about 5,000 feet.  The trail head starts at around 9,500 feet and Longs Peak summit is roughly around 12,200 feet.  I knew it was going to be a long and tough hike, but I had no clue what was to come.

The first 2 miles of the hike is below timberline (trees).  I was in the dark this whole time.  I wasn't the only one on the trail so it wasn't too scary being alone.  I could just see specs of light ahead of me from other hikers’ head lamps.  It was very strange hiking in the dark, in the middle of a forest.  You paid a lot more attention to the sounds around you vs. when it is light out.  You could hear the streams and waterfalls very well which gave a good perspective as to how far you had gone.  I was above timberline when the sun rose 2 hours into the hike.  I was about at 3 miles and in between the Chasm Lake junction and Granite Pass.  Other than being on top of Longs Peak, this was probably the next best place to be to see the sunrise.  It was breathtaking.  

Though I had a more important thing to worry about... getting to the top.  After Granite Pass you head up to the Boulder Field.  You hike up long switchbacks for about a half a mile and then poke over the ridge where you see the Keyhole way off in the distance across the Boulder Field for the first time.  You also see 'the diamond' which is the peak of Longs Peak.  The Boulder Field is quite long trying to maneuver your way through fairly large boulders and streams to the camp site about a mile in.  You don't gain much elevation through the field, but the boulders make it equally as tough as if you were.  Last time I was here it was cold and near the start of Winter.  This time it was very green.  Instead of dirt in between the rocks there were lush green patches which made the Boulder Field very beautiful.  It also made the hike more pleasant.  

I finally made it to the camp area and decided to use the bathroom.  This was a little adventure being that I had to go poo and there was no toilet paper.  Luckily I had some in my backpack that was sitting on a rock outside the outhouse.  So I had to pull up my pants go outside, grab my bag, try to bring it in with me, and do my thing.  I was kinda in a panic so I was moving fast.  Well, I moved too fast and broke my zipper on my pants.  This added a whole other level of anxiety for the rest of the hike.  Basically I was worried about flashing other hikes the entire way up and back down from here on out.  I thought 'oh well' and started the climb to the keyhole.

The Boulder Field at this point changes a little.  The nice green vegetation goes away and the boulders become much larger.  Some are as big as buses and most cars.  You are also now gaining some elevation so it was pretty tough.  After a while climbing you make it to the Keyhole that is a unique rock structure that created a 'hole' through the ridge to allow you to poke through and end up on the other side of the mountain.  This is the beginning of the last 4 sections of the hike, which is the hardest part.  At this point I had been hiking for 6 miles and was about to start the hardest part which was packed into the last mile and a half up to the summit.

For the next part you follow little targets painting on the rocks to give you an idea where to go.  At this point Rocky Mountain National Park says you are no longer on a trail and you hike at your own risk.  There was still some snow and ice so the park still classified this section technical, meaning you should have climbing experience and the proper equipment to attempt this section.  You were able to dodge the snow and ice so it wasn't too technical.  Even a little patch of snow will classify this section as technical.

The first of the four parts is called the Ledges.  You climb over rocks on a ledge that drops off a bit on your right heading up.  The key is to focus and watch your step... and avoid the ice.  This part was longer than I thought it would be.  It also descended quite a bit which only meant that you would have to go back up it on the way back.  Some parts were tough and required minor rock climbing.  It dipped down a little and met up with the beginning of the next part.

This next part, the second part, is called the Trough.  This part, in my opinion, is the hardest part.  You gain most of the elevation during this last mile by far compared to the hike overall.  You climb up rocks at a fairly steep incline for quite a while.  Rocks cliffs rise above you on both sides which gives this section the name 'Trough'.  It looks like a ginormous half pipe angled up and stretched.  Then you pile rocks in it and climb it.  It is also on the west side of the mountain, so the sun doesn't even hit it for awhile.  It was very cold and windy the entire way up making it extra hard.  Snow and ice patches covered a lot of it, so finding a good route was a little difficult.  There was only one part that you couldn't avoid snow and it was super hard to get over.  I thought to myself several times during this section I couldn't make it.  I could see folks above me and some below struggling up as well, which made me feel better.  I kept stopping to rest and when I started again the people above me didn't seem to have moved.  They must have been resting too luckily.  This section also had me doing some rock climbing that I haven't done in ages.  I keep thinking to myself 'What the hell am I doing'.

After an hour or so I finally made it to the top of the Trough.  For most of the Trough it is pretty wide.  It narrows near the top and finished with a lovely rock climb because the normal route was covered in a sheet of ice.  After climbing you went up just a little bit and popped out over a little ledge and were all of a sudden in the sun.  I looked to my left and with no doubt in my mind knew I was at the third section that is appropriately called the Narrows.  

This section is maybe 2-3 feet wide for most of it.  On your left side there is a rock face that goes up several feet and some places hangs over the trail.  On your right it just drops, and drops, and decided to drop some more.  Luckily everyone was heading up so you didn't have to worry about passing people coming down.  There was barely enough room for two people to pass each other.  This section, again, was MUCH longer than I thought it would be, and of course it descended a little, which only meant... yep, you had to climb it coming down.

It was pretty daunting, so you had to stay focused and watch your step.  Again a little ice and snow made it a harder to get through.  At the end there was once again a little rock climb.  I got up to the rock and had no clue what to do.  I laughed and told the hiker behind me that I don't know where to go!?  Finally after a few attempts I grabbed a hand grip on a rock and literally pulled myself up.  I tried to ignore that there was a crazy drop to the right of me.

After this I was at the bottom of the fourth section called the Homestretch.  And again, it was much longer than I thought making all 4 sections twice as long as I originally had thought they would be.  The Homestretch is quite wide, but very steep.  You basically have to scramble on your hands and knees up this entire section if you are not confident or have the perception to walk it.  Luckily I was able to walk most of it.  I watched a few people turn back here because they were too scared.  One girl fell onto her belly and slid on ice a bit and stopped on a rock.  She was one of the folks who turned around.

At this point I was just so eager to get to the dang top.  It took some time and dodging the ice was a bit difficult.  It was also intimidating seeing other people so terrified during this section.  Some were clinging to the rock on their hands and knees for dear life while I just walked up past them.  There isn't much you can do really.  Everyone here is on their own and you have to do what is comfortable in order to be successful.  I honestly thought this section was fun, besides the fact I was so tired. 

After 7.5 miles, sunrise, beating the Trough, surviving the Narrows, and enjoying the Homestretch, I MADE IT!!

The summit was absolutely breath taking.  Very unique summit honestly.  For such a steep and high mountain the top is flat covered in decent size rocks.  The top is about the size of a football field, but everyone was hanging out near the east side of the top.  There was one rock that was taller than all the others which was were the Geological Survey marker was indicating the highest point on Longs Peak : 14,255 feet.  I stayed on the top for about 40 mins.  I was tired, out of it, and suffering from a mild altitude headache.  The view was amazing.  I could see Fort Collins, Boulder, Longmont, and Denver.  I could probably see other cities, but couldn't name em'.  Looking away from the plains I could see the continental divide, Trail Ridge road, the entire Rocky Mountain National park, and tons of mountains which all looked so weeny from so up high.  Surreal is how to describe it.

After some rest I decided to get off the mountain before the thunderstorms rolled in.  There were about 7 people left when I started down.  I passed a lot of people through the Homestretch and Trough, though it was still very slow going.  It took the same amount of time to go down than it did to go up from the Keyhole.  A few times I thought to myself there is no way I am going to make it down.  A lot of butt sliding, resting, and even more climbing up is what it took to get back to the Key Hole.  But after 3 hours I finally made it to the Key Hole.

I sat just on the other side of the Keyhole looking back over the Boulder Field for a while just looking at what I still had to do JUST to get through the field and back to Granite Pass where the trail become more of a 'trail' and not just rocks and streams.  I was kinda worried.

I got into a mode of just wanting to get down so I just stayed focused and kept moving.  When the trail got better I gained speed and started moving MUCH faster down.  On the way down it snowed, rained, hailed, and then rained some more.  The mountain couldn't make up its mind.  I basically followed the same folks down that I followed up.  We leap frogged a couple times, but all finished within the same hour.  

I had to give someone my ace bandage about half way down because she had fallen twisted her ankle and tore up her knee.  We had to give away our ace bandage the first time we were up here as well.  Must be the thing to do ;).  

The part after going back below timberline felt like it took forever.  I remember this same feeling last September.  It just went on and on and on.  It rained on and off the entire way, but I finally make it back to the trail head where Brittany and Melody were waiting.

All I wanted to do was get my flippin’ shoes off and GET HOME.  Everything hurt... my feet, legs, knees, arms, head... ugh.

But with all that said, was it worth it? Yes, very much so.  It was the hardest physical activity I have ever done in my entire life, but it was well worth it.  It was an amazing experience and after I recover I may consider doing it again ;).  It was honestly much harder than I thought it would be.  Right now I don't even feel like I was up there other than the fact my legs hurt like hell and I have pictures to look at.

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