Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

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betho217
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Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by betho217 »

I have a boulder field permit for Saturday night. I just got off the phone with a ranger in the back country office and he said there is snow on Longs. There's a chance it could melt by Sunday (the day we would be summiting) but there is no guarantee. Myself and my two climbing partners are going to have to decide if we are going to give it a try or not. Is anyone else in the same situation? What are your thoughts? I don't want to mess with Longs Peak if there's snow on the route. This will be my 9th 14er but first class III route. I have microspikes although I'm not sure how much they would help.

I've had the permit since March, been looking forward to doing this climb for well over a year and Sunday is my birthday! I'm trying to leave emotion out of this decision.

Advice appreciated. Thanks!
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AlexeyD
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by AlexeyD »

betho217 wrote:I have a boulder field permit for Saturday night. I just got off the phone with a ranger in the back country office and he said there is snow on Longs. There's a chance it could melt by Sunday (the day we would be summiting) but there is no guarantee. Myself and my two climbing partners are going to have to decide if we are going to give it a try or not. Is anyone else in the same situation? What are your thoughts? I don't want to mess with Longs Peak if there's snow on the route. This will be my 9th 14er but first class III route. I have microspikes although I'm not sure how much they would help.

I've had the permit since March, been looking forward to doing this climb for well over a year and Sunday is my birthday! I'm trying to leave emotion out of this decision.

Advice appreciated. Thanks!
I'd probably say go for it, but be prepared to turn around if there's significant snow (or, especially, ice) beyond the Keyhole. Microspikes or not, if it's your first class 3 route, I wouldn't suggest doing it in icy conditions - that makes things quite a bit more serious. That said, the forecast is not bad, and there's a decent chance the snow will melt off by then. If nothing else, you will have given it a good effort and probably get to have seen some amazing stars from up there.

Good luck!
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SoCool
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by SoCool »

Agree with the above. This experience will require the right attitude, summed up by the cliche phrase: it's about the journey, not the destination. In other words, if you do not reach the summit, this particular camping trip can still be a great experience by itself.

And I know I'm sometimes overconfident about my scrambling skills, but I have to say that these current conditions photos don't look all that bad to me:
https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/ ... report.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by justiner »

Go, and if it doesn't look good @ the Keyhole, just Summit Mt. Lady Washington, Storm, Battle Mountain, and/or Estes Cone.

I may be up there on Friday to check things out, but I'm not too concerned over snow ;)
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richwill
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by richwill »

Longs with snow is one of the most intimidating things I've ever seen. We had a great snowshoe trek to Battle mountain, which was an outstanding day! Whatever you decide, use good judgment, be safe, good luck!
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Tornadoman
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by Tornadoman »

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Last edited by Tornadoman on Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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unclegar
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by unclegar »

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Last edited by unclegar on Fri Aug 26, 2016 8:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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JROSKA
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by JROSKA »

I concur with the suggestion of still making the trip, and seeing how things look, with an open mind on turning back. You could always audible to Lady Washington or Chasm Lake and get some beautiful views of Long's.

One thing I'd add. Try to make your decision on risk tolerance (regarding snow, ice, etc.) ahead of time, and don't deviate from that once you get there. We all have a tendency to rationalize. It's easy to say ahead of time "I'm going to turn back if I see any snow", but once you're actually in the Boulder Field, with the summit right there, after climbing 3800 feet, getting a good night sleep, reaching the Keyhole, adrenaline pumping, it's difficult to avoid the temptation to rationalize, if you do encounter snow / ice. "Yeah, there's some snow, but maybe it's not that bad", or, "Let's just see how far we can get", or, "other people are dealing with it, so we can too". I just think it's real important to have a set plan ahead of time as to what will cause you to make a turn-back decision and stick with that. Also, make the decision quickly based on the criteria you set and don't linger around. As others have said, Long's Peak is serious business when snow and ice enter the equation, you can slide a long ways off the Ledges (immediately past the Keyhole) and many climbers have gotten into trouble on this mountain.

I'd just focus on the overall experience. It's a beautiful peak, whether you reach the summit or not.
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Tornadoman
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by Tornadoman »

Someone posted on the facebook page that they climbed it yesterday morning, and there was ice on most everything from the ledges onward, especially the homestretch. (Then there was the new snow last night). Like I posted above, nothing wrong with making the attempt as long as you know when to turn around. Just figured I would pass on the info that I saw. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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betho217
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by betho217 »

Thank you for all of the advice and encouragement. I already have the permit so we're going to go for it and see what happens. Thanks everyone! I'll let you know how it went!
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CMar75
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by CMar75 »

My hiking partner amd I are in a similar situation. We've been planning Longs on Sunday for a while. It would be our first class 3 attempt. From what Ive read and know of my own comfort level, I don't want to do it with any snow or ice. IF there isn't more precip today, what might the chances be that it's actually all melted out by Sunday? I know there is beta from Thursday, but was anyone up there yesterday? I know things can change on a daily basis around here.
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Re: Longs This Sat/Sun?!?!

Post by justiner »

I was up today. Other than the Trough, the Keyhole route is practically snow free. The amount of snow in the Trough is minimal, although less experienced people may have trouble at the very top. There certainly were many summiters today.

A little nippy in the morning, but it was like any other summer day up there: absolutely gorgeous.

Other than a small amount of avoidable snow/ice in the exit ledges, the Loft is also snow-free. Just be careful of that very avoidable ice.

No snow/ice what so ever on Homestretch.

Cables was dripping and sadly for me, the crux of the NW Gully was covered in ice.
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