Longs Peak

Route: Kieners/Cables
Posted On: 7/12/2026, By: dbolton
Info: As of July 11, Lambs slide was soft and pleasant at the bottom, but fairly firm and somewhat icy starting about 200 feet below the exit to Broadway. With crampons and an ice axe we felt OK, but if it was much firmer (like it will be in a week or so?) I'd want to rope up for it. No snow crossings at all on Broadway or Kieners.

On the descent there's one snow patch to cross on the way to the Cables rap station, but that it's not nearly as bad as Lambs slide. Cables is a waterfall right now. Still need more time for it to come into condition for an ascent of that route. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/7/2026, By: josephsiefers
Info: As others have mentioned, standard route is summer conditions except for a 20 - 30 foot stretch in the upper portion of the trough that covers the regular ascent. We went up the middle in that section and with careful foot placement on the exposed rocks for a 15 foot set of moves it was fine (didn't have spikes). On the way down we stayed far to the right (climber's left) and avoided the patch entirely in the cracks. It was a more difficult way but I thought easier than dealing with the snow/ice. Many people went down through the middle though (including a 9 year old kid with his dad) and were fine as well. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/6/2026, By: mdehenau
Info: Keyhole route is in great shape. Encountered some snow/ice towards the top of the Trough and although not required, would recommend brining some micro-spikes for this section if you have them 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/6/2026, By: BigC
Info: Ascended via the Loft, descended via the Keyhole. Began at 5:00AM. Summer conditions on the peak; you'd think it were August. While I shudder to use the S-word, it appears our summit spider friends (Aculepeira carbonarioides) are having a prolific and prosperous year. Stay on trafficked routes to avoid our rather well-fed looking eight-legged friends.

The Loft: Trail to Chasm Lake and the base of the Prow were completely dry. Stunning splays of wildflowers and columbine dotted the slopes in several places. The Loft itself was easily navigable. A small snowfield remains at the top of the couloir. On the ascent, stay to climber's left. You will have zero difficulty. Ledges were fine; damp moss and no snow whatsoever. At the top of Keplinger's Couloir, just before reaching the Homestretch, another easily avoided patch of snow. Little runnels of water flow in the crevices of the Homestretch. They pose no risk and there were no slick spots.

Keyhole: A few places in the Trough were a little slick and wet. A small patch of snow in an inconvenient place is all that remains of the winter. It was completely manageable, no issues or difficulties whatsoever. Simply go around. Everything else was dry and stable. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/4/2026, By: GreatGlissader
Info: Descended Meeker via the loft. Almost all snow avoidable, just a small 20 foot section going down on half snow on one side half rock on the other. Did not want or need spikes or axe for this section. This way to avoid the snow is probably not the standard trail, but it goes. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/21/2026, By: Caitlin123
Info: As others have said, it’s summer conditions up to the keyhole.

Snow in the trough was firm around 6am, with a good boot pack. I was in trail runners and felt fine going up the boot pack without putting on spikes or taking out my axe. On the way down, I took the slabs on climbers left. There was ice in some places but it was easy enough to identify and avoid. There was significantly more ice on the homestretch and that required a bit more care to avoid.
It’s definitely not summer conditions up there yet; if you’re wanting to bag Longs but don’t have experience with mixed conditions (eg snow, black ice, slab) it might be better to wait a few weeks. 

Route: Other
Posted On: 6/19/2026, By: GreatGlissader
Info: Lambs Slide: Started couloir at 5am. Mostly half to full boot steps, some sections of only crampon points, probably in skiers tracks.

Clarks Arrow: Dry until the traverse from Keplingers to the homestretch. Unavoidable steep and firm snow to get to homestretch.

Cables: Sucks. Lots of snow on the north face, deep unsteady steps, or tiny bit of snow over ice. Only eye bolts exposed are the belay bolt at the top of the 5.4 section, and 2 below that. others still buried under snow. 5.4 section is a snow ice mix. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/19/2026, By: Troyister
Info: Summer conditions to the boulder field. Boulder-field small snow fields easily avoided. Ledges a couple small snow fields easily avoided. Trough full of snow the whole length. I climbed the snow with micro spikes and a shorten trekking pole with no issues in the early morning. On the descent I stayed climber right (descent right) and was able to avoid all snow and descend. It was much more challenging and easy to get into class 4 plus moves if not careful. Narrows clear of all snow. Homestretch snowfield a the top easily avoided to climbers right when ascending. Not very busy this morning (probably due to the snow in the trough), but will once the trough melts out some more over the next couple of weeks. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/6/2026, By: wombat
Info: Summitted at 7:00 AM. Trough filled with plenty of snow that the sun doesnt hit until late morning. Recommend ice axe and crampons on the trough and possibly homestretch for quick ascent and safety. Most other stretches may be managed with boot steps and ice axe for protection. 

Route: Up Loft down Cables
Posted On: 5/31/2026, By: slawrence2011
Info: Thanks to Luke for Keplinger beta and Joseph and Eric for Cables beta. Went up Loft in hopes of seeing if Keplinger was in with Cables as a backup. Mostly dry to where loft turns off from chasm lake. Pretty continuous snow from there to the top of the loft. It looked like the direct loft finish could be in, but I couldn't verify, so took the ledges out left which were a snow covered traverse over cliffs, but good snow conditions for crampons. Clark's arrow was dry, transitioned back to hiking boots, managed to keep those on until a 50 foot firm shady section right below snow ramp to Keplinger from Homestretch, which was in great, and very soft around 11. That ramp doesn't link to homestretch any more by 100 ft or so, and homestretch is well covered, but not continuous, with a 50 foot gap in there. Does go down about 200 ft right off the summit. The fatal blow was Keplinger has a 200 foot gap at the top and doesn't connect to the snow traverse from homestretch. So I went for cables. At 2 pm, combination of breakable crust and very firm until below the Crux where it went straight to mashed potatoes. Skiing would have been very fun and much more casual if the snow softened. The breakable crust caught me off guard and pulled me down off my very first turn. I reascended to the ridge and followed the tracks, and at least that was firm rather than breakable. 

Route: The Cables
Posted On: 5/29/2026, By: ericahlstedt
Info: Skied the Cables Route on Longs Peak off the summit, a 5.4 rock climb that’s currently in as a snow climb and skiable, with Tyson Daboxer.

14.25 miles
5,030’ gain
9h 30m

Ski start at 1050am.

The snow was… not good lol

We put in a fresh bootpack and while the surface was softening in the sun and punching mid-boot deep on the way up, and seemed like the surface might become something like hot pow. I was hoping it would soften more, but a cloud rolled in, it started snowing, and things refroze just enough to make it literal dust on crust above the crux cliff band. Would have likely been glorious spring hot pow/slushy if that cloud hadnt come in. A half hour later, it was back sunny on the mountain. The mini snow storm squall made the ski more exciting and adrenaline pumping. Was able to cross the boulder field on skis, making it about 12,500, for about 1700 ft of vertical skiing.

It was edgeable and punchy, but definitely scary skiing above the Diamond like that. The exposure is very real there, an uncontrolled fall would certainly be fatal.

We made it back to the car just before the skies opened up and started dumping rain and sleet, so decent timing all things considered.

Thanks/shoutout to Joseph McCarty / splitboard14ers on here, who provided super helpful beta on this route after shredding it last weekend. 

Route: Cables Route
Posted On: 5/29/2026, By: Splitboard14ers
Info: Approached via standard Keyhole Route from Longs Peak Trailhead, until reaching Boulder Field. Snow patchy first mile or so. Then more snow coverage the whole rest of way. Shortly after reaching Privy transitioned to skin a ways, then transitioned back to boots to climb up and over Mount Lady Washington, then transitioned back to skins and kept them on past Boulder Field straight toward the base of the Cables Route. Once too steep to skin, transitioned back to boots and put crampons on to ascend. Snow was deep fresh powder. I began to boot pack, and after about 400 feet reached the small rock band which was not fully covered in snow, so kicking in steps did not work. I kept the line straight, and scrambled the rock until back on to snow pack. There was no ice surrounding the rock, and this section is only a few feet in length. Just above rock band I did encounter a short section of firm snow, and the crampons were vital. The rest of the face booted beautifully until I reached the Summit ridge. From there it was an almost flat walk over to stand on the Summit. Conditions had been perfect, but some fog clouds snowing were rolling in. So I dropped off Summit and snowboarded back down this line. The face skied very well with nothing but beautifully edge-able snow. At the rock band I slowed down, positioned, and aired over the rock, then rode the rest of the way back down the lower run out making tasteful turns. Rode all the way back across the flats until Lady Washington. A short unstrap, and few feet walk, then strapped back in and rode back through the rocky flank of the hill towards the Privy. A few hundred feet before the Privy the snow coverage was too thin to continue riding, and I transitioned back to boots and hiked the rest of the way back down. Approx: 11.84 miles, 4975'ft vertical. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 5/16/2026, By: gmarcotte
Info: Did not summit. I left Chasm Lake around 7:30am heading to the couloir and the snow was just starting to soften. Made it up to about 12,400' where the slope angle starts to steepen around 8:15am and turned around as the snow quality was quickly deteriorating. Lots of postholing on the way back to Chasm Lake, pretty sketchy since there are big rocks just under the snow cover.

In hindsight, would have wanted to be a couple hours earlier to be topping out the couloir by 8am, given how much morning sun it gets. Snow coverage was pretty good for ascending, but probably too thin to glissade - the rocks are barely covered in a lot of places. 

Route: Trough from Black Lake
Posted On: 5/9/2026, By: daway8
Info: Did not attempt to summit, just did a conditioning hike to Black Lake as I'm recovering from foot problems that have had me mostly out of action since mid-winter. Posting to share some photos and conditions for this approach.
Despite big recent snow dump, did not bring nor need snowshoes. Things are melting fast. A lot of the trail is either a stream, a mud pit, or slush pit. GoreTex footwear highly recommended. Didn't use spikes since the icy spots were so crunchy and uneven that traction wasn't necessary. Most of the trail was already well packed with snow often not above the top of my boots. Closer to Black Lake it got deeper but still good tracks and usually didn't sink more than halfway to my knees, but I was down below Mills before noon so might sink more later in the day.
Only faint hint of old tracks past Black Lake. I put in fresh tracks to the far side of the lake. Coverage above looked fairly spotty but with freeze, thaw cycles going I would expect icy spots up higher. 9.7mi, 1,430ft in 5hr 41min for average speed of 1.7mph. Not bad for sitting out most of the season. 

Route: Notch
Posted On: 4/26/2026, By: vermontster
Info: Snow is still dry and wintery in the notch and on most of Broadway. Very time consuming to move through. Only a few non-snow moves to get to the top of the notch. The staircase is a nasty mixed pitch to the summit.