Longs Peak

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/10/2016, By: katbiette
Info: Still a few patches of snow, but all completely avoidable. In the Loft Couloir, stay left of the snow for easiest navigation. There's a bit of snow below the Home Stretch which we avoided by staying below it, just watch for the snowmelt making the rock slick. We descended the keyhole route with was completely snow free! Great day on the mountain! 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/5/2016, By: ctubridy
Info: I climbed yesterday (Monday, July 4). Started hiking at 5:20, summited at 9:50, back to the car at 2:00 - descent was slower than normal because I totally messed my right knee up.

Mountain was surprisingly not that busy. No bottlenecks. Saw a few people on the Narrows that had absolutely no business being up there, per usual (wearing Vans and jeans). Keyhole route is completely free of snow the entire way (small patches in the Trough can easily be avoided). The Homestretch was a bit tricker because there were some snowmelt runoffs making the best route wet, so a bit of route reading and scrambling was necessary.

Had a bit of thunder and rain when crossing Mills Moraine on the descent, but it was pretty nice relief from being in the sun for so long. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/4/2016, By: pmooney3
Info: We left the trailhead at 2:30am and got to the summit at 8:30am. The Trough and Homestretch have small patches of snow that can easily be avoided. It was a great summer hike on Longs Peak! 

Route: Kieners
Posted On: 6/26/2016, By: Monster5
Info: Kieners: Approach snow-free except for the usual Chasm view spot (icy in morning, but buckets). Good snow in Lambslide, Broadway dry, cruxes dry, and some wet slab above cruxes.

Homestretch to Keplinger's: some icy spots, but mostly avoidable. People coming up the Keyhole reported no need for snow gear.

Gorrel's: dry.

Loft descent: ax used. Ax and traction recommended. Still a couple hundred feet of snow and a few hundred optional. 

Route: Kieners and cables
Posted On: 6/20/2016, By: yingyangsoup89
Info: Lambs slide - snow still good in am.

Kieners- summer condition except areas in notch couloir. Broadway clear.

Cables- wet rock so we roped up for most of traverse to bolts but we stayed low. Snow below second rappel and down to boulder field.


No snow shoes on approach to chasm lake. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/20/2016, By: appleseeds
Info: I didn't climb Longs but here are some distant pictures of the terrain beyond the keyhole. 

Route: Kieners
Posted On: 6/16/2016, By: pbakwin
Info: Kieners is in! There are a couple patches of snow on Broadway, but easy to get around. Also the usual early season snow patch on upper Kieners, but again it's not much of an issue. The route is, of course, pretty wet, but overall conditions are good and will be getting better day by day, I imagine. The Notch Couloir looks like it still has continuous snow at least thru the narrow spot. N Face cables section had a lot of wetness and verglass when I descended around 9am. I have no photos, but someone posted a few from Lambs Slide recently (thanks!) 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 6/14/2016, By: unclegar
Info: Trail up to treeline mostly clear of snow. Microspikes optional. Winter cutoff is mostly melted and this will probably be the last time I try to use it this year. On the main trail, after the lightning warning bridge and on up to Chasm Junction there are several snow patches to navigate. Melting fast though. Between Chasm Jct. and Chasm Lake the trail is clear until the Peacock Pool crossing. Chasm Lake is melting but there is still a trail in the snow along the lake on the W side. I went up Lambslide but took a pic of the Loft couloir that is included. The Loft proper is dry. The gully down Clark's Arrow is also basically dry. There is still snow in Kepplinger's couloir and still a large snow field at the top (exit) and the Homestretch is still completely snow. You can navigate to some rocks on the way to the Homestretch but it is mostly snow. Lambslide was in great condition. The Loft is still holding quite a bit of snow and I doubt that it is avoidable but all is melting fast! 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/14/2016, By: unclegar
Info: Trail up to treeline mostly clear of snow. Microspikes probably not needed to the lightning warning bridge. Winter cutoff is mostly melted and this will probably be the last time I try to use it. On the main trail, after the lightning warning bridge and on up toward Chasm Junction there are a few snow patches to navigate. Melting fast though. Between Chasm Jct. and the Boulderfield there are also some snow fields to cross. Once in the Boulderfield it is mostly clear until the camping area then some more large snow fields to cross. The large boulders toward the Keyhole are pretty much clear. In the ledges conditions are also mixed but there are some snow fields to cross with significant exposure. I would not cross them without some traction and an axe. The Trough is full of snow, Narrows mixed with snow, Homestretch completely snow. Still need winter skills to get there but melting fast! 

Route: North, East Faces
Posted On: 6/13/2016, By: emgordon
Info: Photos from other spots in RMNP 

Route: The Notch
Posted On: 6/12/2016, By: jwrader
Info: Climbed the Notch on Friday. Conditions were sloppy. No ice left on the bulges near the top. Kieners was very wet as well. The approach to Chasm lake is pretty much snow free, and Lamb's slide is still skiable in the morning. 

Route: Trough
Posted On: 6/6/2016, By: LoganBoss
Info: Climbed Trough via Glacier Gorge. Snowshoes needed above Mills Lake. Increasing snowmelt destroying snow bridges over Glacier Creek complicating navigation. Ramp from Black Lake to upper basin in great shape. Trough in great condition, too. Firm early, soft on descent. Narrows and Homestretch both snow covered. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 6/6/2016, By: unclegar
Info: Road to parking lot and lot clear. Lower trail melting fast but still enough snow to warrant microspikes. Winter cutoff still an option but also melting fast. Trail is next to stream on lower part, getting very soft toward upper part. You want to stay toward the left a little after the hill to avoid punching through the stream on the upper part of the cutoff near the Battle Mtn sign. Snow at Chasm Junction. I used crampons to cross by Peacock Pool. Chasm Lake starting to melt but I was able to walk on the edge in some places. Witnessed a wet slide about 8:30 am from the right side of the Diamond. Was going to go up Lambslide but got too late of a start and turned around after traversing most of the lake. Justiner has a TR with a recent pic of Broadway. 

Route: Keplinger Couloir
Posted On: 4/10/2016, By: yingyangsoup89
Info: Loved this route. Consistent snow levels began (from Copeland Lake TH) at about 9,600 feet. Stayed on sand beach lake trail to about 10.2K and took a north turn to make our way to wild basin. The snow was perfect from 10.1K all the way to the summit of longs. Minimal post holing on the approach/descent.

Conditions in Keplingers: just awesome. firm and supportive and perfect kick-stepping snow from 12k (start) to 13.6K where it meets up with clarks arrow. From 13.6k to the beginning of the traverse to the homestretch there is minimal snow and some class 3 scrambling.

The traverse to the homestretch was fine. Steep, yes. But the snow was supportive and gave us no concern. The homestretch has snow but an axe and crampons will suffice.

After the heavy, wet snow that came through on our descent, i would be wary of this route for some time. 

Route: Trough from Glacier Gorge TH
Posted On: 4/8/2016, By: bmcqueen
Info: Started from Glacier Gorge TH with microspikes. Switched to snowshoes just after Mills Lake. Above Black Lake, took the ramp up to the east, then south to get into the Trough and switched crampons. Snow was stable, but a tad softer than I was hoping for on the ascent. Snow thinned as I got closer to the top of the Trough. Narrows were snow covered - definitely still wanted my crampons on while working carefully across. Home Stretch had snow all the way up as well.