Longs Peak

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/26/2013, By: AWright
Info: Clear and free of snow from trailhead up to the Keyhole. Some slight mud/water on the trail due to melting snow, mostly between turnoff for Chasm Lake and the boulderfield. After the Keyhole, fair sized patches of snow and ice along route. I hit the Keyhole at 7am, so everything was still frozen pretty solid from the night. Definitely made the first part, traversing to the trough, much slower than had it been dry. (Image 3) The trough was a mix of snow, rock, and ice, with the snow providing the best bet for climbing. (Image 4) Narrows were almost completely dry except for 1 patch of ice. Compared to other parts of the hike, definitely not the sketchiest part. Homestretch was mostly solid spring snow with some ice. Ice ax definitely needed after the Keyhole, and crampons would also help significantly. Image 1: Longs from Chasm Lake turnoff Image 2: Boulderfield from the Keyhole Image 3: Traversing to the Trough from the Keyhole Image 4: Looking back down the Trough from part way up 

Route: The Flying Dutchman
Posted On: 6/14/2013, By: moose_535
Info: Good snow in TFD with short ice section (WI2/2+). Traverse rock and snow to Homestretch. Decent snow on Homestretch but softening. Keyhole descent substantially covered in snow/ice to Keyhole, especially along Narrows and Ledges. Soft snow in Trough. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/10/2013, By: thebeave7
Info: Went up and down the Keyhole route on Sunday 6/9/13. Warm in the morning (50F), and pleasant on the summit (maybe high 40s-50?). It was very warm at the trailhead when we returned in the afternoon (70s). Very minimal crowds still up there, as the parking lot was half empty. Conditions were still as reported by Alan on 6/6/13. The trail is mostly clear all the way into the Boulderfield, with just a few small snow patches to cross. The trail is VERY wet above Chasm Jct and turns into a full on river by the afternoon. Prepare to get wet if you're heading up there, though this means the snow is melting fast. From the Keyhole to the summit is also complete snow, with a few sections of rock. At 9am before the sun hit the Keyhole Traverse/Trough it was hard snow, but took crampons really well. When we hit the Narrows and Homestretch around 10ish they were in full sun and softening, but the steps were still solid. Be careful if you are ascending/descending after this time. The Trough and Keyhole Traverse get sun starting around 10am, and were nice and soft by 11ish when we returned, good plunge stepping, but no postholing at that hour. Overall snow conditions were good, but would recommend full crampons/ice axe, though one person from another party did ascending in microspikes, crampons would be more secure. Photos; #1-Keyhole Traverse, #2-Trough, #3-Narrows, #4-Homestretch 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/7/2013, By: Alan Arnette
Info: Mostly dry below Boulder Field then full on winter snow and ice to the summit. Same for descending via Loft route all the way to Chasm Lake. I made a video of the entire climb at http://youtu.be/-V05lBjxC4c 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/3/2013, By: robbieflick
Info: Hiked up to chasm lake junction hoping to get on dreamweaver but were turned around at chasm lake junction due to 60 mph gusts. Trailhead clear of snow down low, encountered lots of hard packed icy sections halfway to treeline that merited microspikes. Didn‘t bring snowshoes and definitely didn‘t need them. 

Route: Lady Washington east slopes
Posted On: 5/27/2013, By: cougar
Info: Still a lot of snow on and around Longs Peak - much more than usual sticking around. The trail is wet and has significant snow above and below treeline, but is all bootpacked and mostly firm. Trail is easy to lose around treeline. The Boulderfield and Storm Peak are coated in snow - not windblown as usual. That late wet spring snow just clung to everything and stuck, even though areas look drier/patchy from afar. There are large dry patches, but also snowfields - mostly firm snow good for kick-stepping. Mt Lady Washington has some snowfields about halfway up. Loft is full of snow. Couloirs appear in - saw some climbers who came up Martha and said it was in good shape. Including pictures of the Meeker couloirs and other points of interest on the east side. Chasm Lake partially frozen but melted at the edges. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 5/25/2013, By: JohnWilliams
Info: If you like spring snow climbs, go do Longs right meow. There is more snow up there than many have seen in quite a while. I wore trail runners to the keyhole, from there, crampons and an ax are necessary. The ledges are one giant continuous snowfield, you can really fly across this section. But it is very steep so be aware. Trough is full, so full in fact that the snow has piled up at the chokestone, making an easy exit from this section. The Narrows is insanely steep, snow has piled very high and is currently hard packed. Making this traverse requires your full attention. Homestreach is all snow, fun climbing! We rappelled the cables; NF is typical spring conditions, the pitch itself is mostly snow. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 4/6/2013, By: Kevin Baker
Info: I did a recon hike today on Longs with an intention to check out the conditions of the NW couloir. We turned around not far past the Keyhole on the ledges as the snow is very loose and unpredictable. There‘s a lot more snow up there than there was on my winter ascent in Feb. Getting to the Trough will be tricky for awhile. 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 3/2/2013, By: zephyr_pelicante
Info: Didn‘t summit Longs, sorry, but I can give an update and say that you do not need snowshoes on the trail up to the chasm lake turnoff, it‘s all bootpacked. Be careful around the 0.5 mile marker, I saw some renegade trails. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 1/26/2013, By: ChrisinAZ
Info: It looks like the easy climbing window for Longs has closed. Trail is still mostly bootpacked snow below treeline, a mixture of that and mostly-bare ground above treeline. No special gear was needed up to the Chasm Lake turnoff. Above this, there‘d been rolling clouds, light flurrying and high winds through the night, causing the rocks to collect snow and become dangerously slick; we turned around at ~11800‘. The south face of Longs, holding the Narrows and Homestretch, looked to have a fresh dusting of snow on it from afar. As this weather is supposed to continue for the next week or so, I don‘t think conditions will improve any. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 1/20/2013, By: Yikes
Info: very dry. bootpacked to boulder field. small amount of snow on the back side was probably more like late spring. snowshoes, beacon, helmet, axe, gaiters were not needed. microspikes useful on the homestrech where a few spots of boilerplate snow and ice made things interesting. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 1/17/2013, By: IkeB
Info: Trail is boot packed snow to the MLW/battle mt saddle and to chasm lake. Did not go any further due to my 1pm start time and fadding daylight. 

Route: Cables
Posted On: 1/4/2013, By: SnowAlien
Info: No snowshoes needed for the approach. Trail is boot packed to Chasm juncture. After that the snow is mostly avoidable with rock hopping through Boulderfield. North Face route is in great shape, with some snow and ice as expected. Pic 1: Approach to Boulderfield Pic 2: North Face Pic 3: Cables Pic 4: Upper route 

Route: Cables
Posted On: 1/4/2013, By: Summit Lounger
Info: Climbed the North Face today. No snowshoes needed. Trail is boot packed well to treeline. Snow above treeline is pretty thin except for drifts that are easily avoided. Snow apron below route is mostly firm snow, no sugar. Summer zigzags worked well. Route has some ice in it. Climbed technical pitch in crampons. Snow above is firm also. 

Route: Misc
Posted On: 12/16/2012, By: Dave B
Info: Hiked to just above Peacock Pool yesterday, ‘twas windy. Trail is uncompacted snow. No flotation or traction needed. Image one is fatness at Columbine and Left of Columbine Falls Images two and three are requested photos of Kieners 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 12/2/2012, By: ulvetano
Info: Did a solo jaunt up Longs today. It was windy in the Boulderfield and especially at the Keyhole and rounding the corner onto the Narrows, but the snow was...of course...minimal. I did it in my running gear and cross trainers, but the descent would have been aided slightly by having an ice ax. (there are some slippery spots in the Trough). By bouncing around the Homestretch gullies, you can piece together a snow-free route. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 9/30/2012, By: jsdratm
Info: I went up to the boulderfield today and there is a good layer of snow above 12,000‘. As I ascended Mount Lady Washington, the snow depth increased and I had to put on microspikes. I‘m sure the other side of Longs is even worse, but I didn‘t go over to the keyhole to find out. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 9/23/2012, By: LetsGoMets
Info: Summer conditions along Keyhole route to Trough, where some snow/ice is present on climbers right of ascending side, easily avoidable. No snow to speak of on Narrows or Homestretch. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 9/21/2012, By: TravelingMatt
Info: Occasional snow in Trough is easily avoidable. Most conspicuous at very top of Trough but again, can be avoided. Think I saw one rivulet of ice in the Narrows. No snow in Homestretch. Note Narrows and Homestretch face east so melt first if morning is sunny. Breezy in AM but died down around 11am. Visibility is lousy due to smoke from Wyoming/Pacific NW. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 9/19/2012, By: aliciaf
Info: Very windy today all the way to keyhole. Once past the keyhole, wind died down. Very little snow/ice in trough - completely avoidable. Large patches of ice in narrows, but below the route if you follow the bullseyes. No ice, snow, or water in homestretch. Overall, very good conditions for September. Just a few patches of snow and/or ice to try to avoid, which is easily doable. In addition, we only saw two people heading down back to the TH from the time we started at 2am until the beginning of our descent at 9:45am. We were alone on the summit, which seems to be unsual for this peak from what I‘ve read.