Longs Peak Trip Report 07/22/2009

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Longs Peak - 14,259 feet
Date Posted	07/22/2009
Date Climbed	07/21/2009
Author	flashover00

Random Tuesday on Longs- Keyhole
LONGS PEAK 14,255 ft. Solo Ascent Via Keyhole to finish off the Front Range I had plans on getting up Longs last season, but things came up and I never got a chance. At the start of this season I put Longs at the top of my list...just had to wait until the keyhole route was melted out. I saw Aubrey's trip report from a few days ago and it basically made up my mind for me. I hit the TH at 3:45am. Should have been there earlier but I took a slight sleep deprived detour all the way up 36 to Estes Park instead of taking 7 right to the parking lot. Hiking up to treeline solo in the dark is definitely an experience..... The sun started to come out just before the Chasm Lake turnoff. As I made my way up below the boulder field the whole mountain lit up and the cloud cover burned off quickly. "Hymenoxys grandiflora" Old man of the mountain was growing everywhere on the way. Longs comes into view. Practically stepped on this ptarmigan on the trail....he jumped up onto the tundra and posed for a bunch of photos. Cairn and Longs....it really is a spectacular view as you make your way up into the boulder field. I think there were 5-6 tents set up....I always imagined the boulder field campsite to be a huge tent city...i was wrong. The Keyhole Looking back down the boulder field Looking through the keyhole The bottom of the trough looking up....my quads hurt just looking at this pic. Looking down the trough... The chock stone at the top of the trough. I used the ridge to the right to get up it.....a lot of fun. Climber on the narrows Random shots of the narrows...snow free. Palisades just after the narrows Looking up at the bottom of the homestretch. View down the homestretch. Everyone always says "it's not as bad as it looks"....I'd have to agree...I imagined something far worse. Almost there.... Fourteener #19.....done with the Front Range A few summit shots View of the homestretch from the summit...makes it look easier. I stayed on the summit for a good 25 minutes and then descended back to the keyhole. As I was making my back through the tent sites, I noticed a a few marmots raiding a food storage can. Caught this guy with his paw in the cookie jar. I scared him off and put the lid back on....unfortunately the little guy did a number on a bag of trail mix. I started this hike at 3:45...made it up to the boulder field before 7 and was on the summit around 9ish. I slowed down tremendously on the return trip on account of tired legs and all the wild flowers blooming along the trail. I took of few shots of some of my favorites... Bistorta-bistortoides Columbines Purple Fringe "phacelia sericea" Little Pink Elephant "pedicularis groenlandica" If anyone knows what the next two are called please let me know....I couldn't identify them..but they were amazing Maybe a wood lilly?

Random Tuesday on Longs- Keyhole

LONGS PEAK
14,255 ft.
Solo Ascent Via Keyhole to finish off the Front Range

I had plans on getting up Longs last season, but things came up and I never got a chance. At the start of this season I put Longs at the top of my list...just had to wait until the keyhole route was melted out. I saw Aubrey's trip report from a few days ago and it basically made up my mind for me.

I hit the TH at 3:45am. Should have been there earlier but I took a slight sleep deprived detour all the way up 36 to Estes Park instead of taking 7 right to the parking lot. Hiking up to treeline solo in the dark is definitely an experience.....

The sun started to come out just before the Chasm Lake turnoff. As I made my way up below the boulder field the whole mountain lit up and the cloud cover burned off quickly.

"Hymenoxys grandiflora" Old man of the mountain was growing everywhere on the way.

Longs comes into view.

Practically stepped on this ptarmigan on the trail....he jumped up onto the tundra and posed for a bunch of photos.

Cairn and Longs....it really is a spectacular view as you make your way up into the boulder field.

I think there were 5-6 tents set up....I always imagined the boulder field campsite to be a huge tent city...i was wrong.

The Keyhole

Looking back down the boulder field

Looking through the keyhole

The bottom of the trough looking up....my quads hurt just looking at this pic.

Looking down the trough...

The chock stone at the top of the trough. I used the ridge to the right to get up it.....a lot of fun.

Climber on the narrows

Random shots of the narrows...snow free.

Palisades just after the narrows

Looking up at the bottom of the homestretch.

View down the homestretch. Everyone always says "it's not as bad as it looks"....I'd have to agree...I imagined something far worse.

Almost there....

Fourteener #19.....done with the Front Range

A few summit shots

View of the homestretch from the summit...makes it look easier.

I stayed on the summit for a good 25 minutes and then descended back to the keyhole.

As I was making my back through the tent sites, I noticed a a few marmots raiding a food storage can. Caught this guy with his paw in the cookie jar. I scared him off and put the lid back on....unfortunately the little guy did a number on a bag of trail mix.

I started this hike at 3:45...made it up to the boulder field before 7 and was on the summit around 9ish. I slowed down tremendously on the return trip on account of tired legs and all the wild flowers blooming along the trail. I took of few shots of some of my favorites...

Bistorta-bistortoides

Columbines

Purple Fringe "phacelia sericea"

Little Pink Elephant "pedicularis groenlandica"

If anyone knows what the next two are called please let me know....I couldn't identify them..but they were amazing

Maybe a wood lilly?

Comments or Questions

flashover00	Thanks Kimo... 7/23/2009 8:46pm Longs is a great mountain! You‘ll definitely have a good time heading up there. The next time I do it I‘ll probably camp at the boulderfield and head up the loft route to avoid the crowds (and experience the other side of the peak).
Sourdough	Longs Trip Report 7/24/2009 4:05am Well done! Thanks for posting the names of the beautiful wildflowers.
JBS	Nice photos 7/27/2009 5:15am of wildlife and flowers. The first unknown plant appears to be a pasqueflower (Pulsatilla patens), and what you photographed were the feathery fruits. The last image is a paintbrush (Castilleja sp). There are several paintbrush species, and ID can be tricky, but my guess is that it is rosy paintbrush (Castilleja rhexifolia).
rev_al47	Thanks 7/28/2009 2:06am Great report. I‘m planning on doing this peak next week and was a little anxious about the snow still up there. I was also aprehensive about the homestretch but your pics show it well and I feel fine about it now! Thanks!
flashover00	Thanks Everyone 7/29/2009 3:33pm This was one of my favorite mountains so far.
bfuerst09	Great report 8/6/2009 4:12am Great beta and great pics. Looking forward to climbing soon.
droidly	Great Documentation 11/30/2010 5:28pm I did this climb on 7/21 but left my camera at home and had only a few shots from my cell phone. Your report may be the most comprehensive of any I've seen here. Super job! Especially between the Keyhole and the Summit. Well done and should be noted as key reference for first timers climbing Longs.
Kovar	Thanks for the TR 12/16/2010 6:43pm Going up via Keyhole in two weeks, thanks for the post of your trip. I‘m really looking forward to my stay in the Boulder Field and a hopeful summit bid mid-August.
kimo	Nice... 2/5/2011 12:22am There‘s a wealth of good beta in your report for a Longs first-timer like me. Thanks for the post and photos. I‘m excited to climb Longs soon - been waiting anxiously for it to turn non-technical. I think I‘m going to enjoy it...:D

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