Longs Peak

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 8/19/2019, By: Jenna N S
Info: Great conditions overall. All snow is avoidable. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 8/19/2019, By: tymclane
Info: 11:30 PM start from the trailhead, sorry don't have any pictures! Even with beautiful moonlight it was too dark! Took our time with such an early start but the route is clear and well marked all the way to chasm lake. We stayed right on the lower half of the couloir before crossing over the left side to avoid snow which appears about halfway up the couloir. Near the top of the snowfield is where you'll exit left onto the ramp, pretty cool part of the hike. From there we switchbacked once more and scrambled to the top of the loft. Once you're on the loft and round the corner towards the south side of longs you'll want to stay low and locate the cairn that marks the class 4 descent (which we definitely felt was class three, maybe low 4). There were a couple different ways to get down, some more difficult than others. Again, we hiked the entire route in the dark but even in the light would still recommend a gps or kml file as route finding could certainly be difficult, especially if you didn't do a ton of research. Keplingers is pretty straightforward up until the notch. Near the notch there is a small snowfield which is totally avoidable but just below it is quite wet and some ice that is difficult to see. No spikes necessary just be careful. Reached the summit at 6 AM, and had the luxury of watching the sunrise all to ourselves.

Descended the Keyhole route which is in summer conditions.

Loft is way better than Keyhole in my opinion. More difficult route finding, more class 3 scrambling, and basically zero people. Not sure what the hype is all about with the trough, really not exposed at all, just a bunch of class 2 switchbacks. The narrows is more exposed but completed solid rock and plenty wide.

Highly recommend the loop though since it's all so different. Longs is a pretty damn cool mountain! 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 8/16/2019, By: bangerth
Info: The Loft Couloir is mostly snow free -- there is a small snow patch just below the dark bands at the top where I suspect that one would otherwise be able to just go up in the middle. It can be bypassed on good rocks on the left leading up to the escape ledge from the couloir, but at the expense of a few minutes of high class 3 or low class 4 climbing.

After getting out of Keplinger's couloir, just before joining the home stretch, there is a sizable snow field still in place. It is easy to stay below.

The rest of the route is in summer conditions. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 8/13/2019, By: mountainmanAJ
Info: Longs is dry to the top. There is some trickling water in the trough and on the homestretch. 

Route: Kieners/Cables
Posted On: 8/11/2019, By: Monster5
Info: Kieners: Used Glacier rib (dry) and a couple hundred feet of Lambslide (still punchy, good). Broadway and Kieners were snow free, if damp.

Cables: upper section and crux were snow free. The crux was soaked and had running water but no ice. Some snow at the base can be carefully managed or avoided. I used an ax for a 10 ft traverse section with consequence.

Sprinkled on the way up and rained fairly hard on the down. 

Route: Kiener's/North Face Descent
Posted On: 8/8/2019, By: alwetend
Info: Arrived at Lamb's slide right at sunrise. The snow was soft and great for kick-stepping without crampons, although I can't imagine it will be around for more than a week in these temps--I could feel the ice underneath the snow. Upper Kiener's was completely dry. The North Face itself is snow-free but wet, and there is still some significant snow below the raps. Some might not feel comfortable going up or down the snow. 

Route: Keiner’s
Posted On: 8/8/2019, By: joshgray_82
Info: Went up Keiners yesterday and rappelled the Cables. Lamb's Slide was still good for kicking steps. My partner went up in approach shoes and I used Kahtoola's. It is going out of condition quickly though. Boots/crampons will more than likely be necessary in 7-10 days. Upper Keiner's is totally dry. North face still had some snow in spots and crux is completely running in water. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 8/8/2019, By: durkan
Info: Second attempt at baggin' Longs was a success. Only snow and some ice encountered on the trail was in the Trough, and even then it was avoidable. Microspikes were dead weight, but always safe to pack them.
At one point, our party had the rare chance of having the summit to ourselves with negligible wind. Great day! 

Route: Cables Route
Posted On: 8/5/2019, By: Buckie06
Info: Two patches of unavoidable snow that you have to cross to get to the base of the cables route. They're pretty minor but I was glad I had my ice axe for the second patch. Many people did not have axes or microspikes and did ok though. They were easy coming down but in the morning climbing up the snow was pretty firm. The cables route itself was extremely wet with water running down it, making it feel harder than 5.4. The wet slab was very slippery for footholds. If there is a trail from the Boulder Field to the base of the Cables we could not find it. fun day! 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/29/2019, By: Shaller13
Info: Still snow on the loft but it's all avoidable. The section before heading up to meet up with the Homestrech has some icy spots you can't avoid but all doable. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/29/2019, By: WSC_Geologist12
Info: Posting pictures cause not a lot of people seem to be doing so.
Mixed reports of snow/no snow/avoidable snow. Look at the picture and decide for yourself what you want to call it. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/28/2019, By: davidkircos
Info: Mostly melted, no snow or ice that is required to walk over. Summer conditions. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/27/2019, By: philbearbutt
Info: The trough is mostly melted by now, it's back to it's usual difficulty of still very hard. Crampons were not necessary. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/25/2019, By: Scotty21
Info: Still a good amount of snow & ice along the main route and a couple bullseyes buried up the trough. Had too pick a different route away from the snow. Wet and slick with water seeping down the homestretch be extra cautious while heading up the trough and homestretch. No snow or ice on Ledges and Narrows.
A funnel cloud was spotted just west of Rocky Mountain National Park about 12:15pm that day. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/26/2019, By: Hike Like A Yogi
Info: Snow and ice on the Trough. We realized we were over our heads with our abilities and turned back. Had an amazing time at Longs and will return when conditions are better.