Longs Peak

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. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 4/25/2026, By: Jschramm87
Info: Started at 3 am. There were about a dozen cars in the parking lot when I got there. Some snowy patches to cross in the forest and above treeline. Can be tricky to find the trail in spots in the dark. No need for traction before the Keyhole. I didn’t summit. Turned around at the Keyhole due to weather. Boulderfield was mostly dry. 

Route: Loft Couloir/descended Keyhole
Posted On: 4/22/2026, By: andy_schlichting
Info: The Loft Couloir: this is melting out fast, but still has good snow from the base to the top. Snow was pretty supportive. Instead of taking the ramp to the climber's left as described in the route description on here, we took the snow all the way to the top and up the right of the couloir. There was one short (maybe 5 feet long) icy section of very steep ice at the choke point that required some easy mixed climbing. Exiting the couloir at the top took a couple low class 5 moves.

We then went up Southeast Longs (for my unranked/unnamed 14ers finisher!). That was basically dry the whole way. The route over to Longs from the Loft was sketchier than I expected, but didn't exceed class 4 (was mostly class 2 and 3) and was almost entirely dry. Just a lot of steep, loose rocks, and route finding. The final section up to where The Loft route meets the Keyhole route for the homestretch required us to put our crampons on again as this was steep and full of snow. Fortunately, even in the early afternoon sun, it was very stable. Thanks to the group ahead of us from New York that ascended a different route for putting this book pack in. Once on the homestretch, it was mostly dry.

Keyhole Route: honestly, no consequential snow on the entire route. The Narrows, The Trough, and The Ledges all had some snow, but it was packed and supportive. I did not use traction after taking the crampons off when we joined the standard route. Homestretch was a little slick in spots, but you can fairly easily stay on rocks the whole way up, especially if your boots have good traction.

I wore trail runners up to the bottom of the couloir and on the descent after reaching the keyhole. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 4/9/2026, By: jkillacky
Info: Wanted to give Kieners route an attempt, bailed at chasm lake due to some sketchy windslabs earlier and switched to the loft. Rough conditions in the couloir, sugar snow on rock slab made it difficult to climb with any sort of traction. Me and my group all used boots and an ice axe, although in some spots crampons would have been nice. The exposure on the exit ledges was terrifying with the snow quality. From loft to summit, the climbing got much easier and drier. Rappelled the cables route from the summit. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 3/30/2026, By: Connor1
Info: Trail was dry for the first little bit. Then patchy but mostly continuous snow up to the tree line. After the treeline there rest of the route is mostly snow free. There was just 2 small snowfields that need crossing after the keyhole. After that there was still some snow going up the trough it can easily be avoided. I climbed this part without touching much snow at all. Although it would have been easier to climb the snow up that part. Then now snow after that to the summit. Overall no need for flotation at all. All snow is packed down. Spikes are helpful especially after a good refreeze. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 3/29/2026, By: SuperMario
Info: Did Longs on Saturday, easily doable without boots or any heavier duty winter gear or flotation. Snow below tree line is off and on, and fully packed. Basically none all the way to the keyhole. Past the keyhole is pretty easygoing with minimal snow until you reach the trough. I was grateful to have crampons but people were doing it without them. Once you get past the trough any sort of tools are overkill, it’s basically dry. The trough is the only “snowy” part (again, easily avoidable).

Had a great trip and glad to check Longs Peak off the list, it’ll be getting some snow this coming week so get it done soon before it gets hit by the storms! Hope the pictures help, for more check out my insta @marios__adventures. 

Route: Cables
Posted On: 3/22/2026, By: Charliemenke
Info: Sent an overnight trip with a bivy at boulderfields. Conditions were obviously bizarre for the season because of the low snow winter and current heat wave.

Trail below tree line is almost continuous snow, but very packed and firm. No issues. Above treeline and all the way to the boulderfield is a smattering of snow drifts, but mostly dry trail.

Most of the bivy sites were snowed in, but a few of the larger ones offered more than enough space. Additionally, don't expect any running water here even with the recent heat. We had to melt snow.

The snowfield approach to Cables was "normal". The route itself was a mix of bone dry and ice. After the last eyebolt it's a few larger snowfields and some scrambling to the summit. 

Route: Cables/Keyhole
Posted On: 3/19/2026, By: Logan5280
Info: Snagged a March climb of Longs today with an ascent of the Cables and descent of the Keyhole. The temps were crazy warm today (43 degrees at the trailhead at 4am and 60 degrees in the afternoon), with the usual howling wind.

The trail is almost continuously covered in packed, icy snow up to tree-line, though I imagine that could change in the next few days with the heat. There are then intermittent snow patches up through granite pass and the boulderfield.

Cables: the chasm view snowfield was fairly firm with some ice patches. The actual climbing was thought-provoking mixed climbing with some semi-rotten ice, firm snow, some sugar snow, and a good amount of bare rock. Above the main pitch, there are several straightforward snowfields. Aside from the ice in the chimney, the north face looked like it was June.

Keyhole: definitely low tide right now, but axe and crampons still seem advisable. The ledges have a couple of windswept snowfields to cross. The trough also has a fair bit of windswept, icy snow. The narrows have a bit of snow in the main walkway, but it's definitely not loaded with snow. The homestretch has some icy snow wedged in the cracks between all the slabs.

I imagine that these conditions are likely to change quite fast as the heat wave continues. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 3/1/2026, By: BadWolf
Info: Some pillows near treeline but not of a size/angle to be to worried. In between Granite pass and chasm junction there was a section of snow ~30/1° with a 4" wind slab. Caltopo confirms the slope angle. Didn't feel comfortable crossing this solo. Maybe if I was bolder, with a group, or on a low risk day (today was moderate) I'd feel ok crossing but wasn't feeling up to it. Jim's grove might (?) bypass avy problems here, but couldn't quite tell.
A mix of clouds/blowing snow meant that I never even saw longs peak and when wind gusts picked up it was very hard to see in front of me.
Used spikes pretty much the whole way to my turnaround point.
Rough coordinates of snowdrift:
40.267951,-105.599778 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 2/9/2026, By: SchralpTheGnar
Info: Trough route from Glacier Gorge - a day with a variety of footwear.

- Hike to black lake - trail runners with spikes
- Black Lake to end of the valley - boots and crampons (needed for the lower section just above Black Lake)
- End of the valley to the base of Trough to above the lower cliffs - just boots, no snow, completely dry, avoided the lower cliffs/ice section by scrambling up some boulders to the left.
- In the trough proper - crampons back on and necessary, snow all the way to the narrows, firm snow, some slab, great conditions for climbing all the way to the narrows.
- Narrows - kept the crampons on, mixed snow and ice and rock, very good conditions.
- Homestretch - crampons necessary, mostly snow, a little ice and rock, some snow over rock, not great conditions but good enough. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 2/6/2026, By: JROSKA
Info: Did not climb the peak, stopped at Chasm Lake junction. But here is a picture for anyone considering the Loft route this weekend before the next storm.

As for the Longs Peak Trail to that point, it was fully packed down with continuous snow in the forest and patchy snow above tree line. The trail up towards Granite Pass appeared snow free until the top. Microspikes helpful on the descent but probably not necessary. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 1/4/2026, By: ajeski
Info: Great day hiking Longs Peak on 1/3/2026. Didn't feel much like winter. Constant snow from trailhead to tree line. Then, it's bone dry until the turn off for Chasm Lake. There is some snow from the Chasm turnoff to the boulder field, but it is minimal and mostly avoidable. The entire boulder field was dry. Keyhole to Summit was patchy snow here and there. I used microspikes the whole time. Crampons were not necessary. I would suggest spikes because the rocks were slippery and icy considering it is still winter and cold. One slip and you can be in serious trouble. It was my 3rd time summitting Longs Peak & 1st official calendar winter 14er! I look forward to snowboarding this peak in the near future. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 12/16/2025, By: xavier81_81
Info: Went up to the summit via the Keyhole on Sunday. Good boot pack until tree line, microspikes are helpful but not necessary. Very dry from tree line until the Keyhole. Ledges and the Trough had a good bit of snow, but the Narrows and the Homestretch were very dry for this time of year. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 12/14/2025, By: IkeB
Info: Just went to the keyhole. Bootpacked to tree line, dry til the keyhole. Ledges don’t look to have too much snow. Overall very dry up there for this time of year.