Longs Peak

Route: 
Posted On: 8/12/2011, By: GeorgeB
Info: Driest, easiest conditions I've ever seen on Cables in ~8 trips. Confident leaders will be happy in approach shoes, only slinging the eye bolts. NO need for ice axes. Stepped on snow/ice exactly once. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 8/9/2011, By: tjerasdave
Info: Trail is in great shape and snow free. There are a few muddy parts below the boulder field but nothing too bad. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/24/2011, By: Dancesatmoonrise
Info: Did Longs north face, Cables route, yesterday. Parking at 8am was an issue, but we encountered surprisingly few visitors on the mountain, and no large groups.

The approach is completely dry. Snow below the technical rock section can be avoided by climbing left, then across, with the exception of a narrow apron at the base, which has good kicked-in steps.

The Cables route itself has no snow or ice, but plenty of water running through the cracks and grooves. In retrospect, we did not feel being roped was necessary were it not for the water coming off the snowfield from above. Unless your rope is new and triple-dry, expect it to get soaked. The climbing was still very pleasant with numerous good holds on dry rock on the face to the right. There is also a fine-looking 5.7ish finger/hand crack about 50 feet right of Cables, which had no water and would make an excellent alternative on a busier day.

The snowfield above is fading rapidly. It can be avoided by traversing loose rock, but the good steps and softer snow across the middle make it a safer option. We opted to use axes. Approach shoes worked well for the entire route.

My partner was there this time last year and was pleasantly surprised at the paucity of visitors. There were maybe four or five tents in the boulderfield, and we saw maybe eight or ten people come and go during an hour's time on the summit in pleasant afternoon conditions. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/24/2011, By: GraceU2DSummit
Info: Keyhole route is dry; ledges, narrows, homestretch included. The snow that remains on The Trough is all avoidable. Already crazy busy up there. 

Route: Radical Slam
Posted On: 7/22/2011, By: alwetend
Info: My buddy and I did the radical slam on Saturday. Conditions are as follows:

Traverse above peacock pool still has some snow on it but it is well kicked in. People have been leaving sticks to help the walk across if necessary.

There is some snow going up the loft but if you skirt left you only climb about 150ft of it. The snow is soft enough you that you can kick steps. We were in approach shoes. We pulled out ice axes but they weren't really necessary.

The top part of Keplingers to the homestretch has snow in it. I can not comment on the conditions as we climbed the notch and South ridge to the summit which is wonderful and snow free. I imagine Kieners above broadway is snow free as well.

The homestretch is snow free as is the narrows. The trough has snow in it but it is easily avoidable and even so it is soft enough to step in with shoes. Everyone on top had shoes and no ice axe.

Storm has snow on the east face that makes for a nice glissage down. The rest of the route was completely snow free...

In general I would say crampons and ice ax on Longs are unnecessary except on Lambs slide of course.

Have fun... 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/16/2011, By: JohnWilliams
Info: The keyhole route appears dry and all snow is avoidable.
Cables is soaking wet with unavoidable snow below and above the rock pitch.
Keyhole ridge is dry and awesome! GO DO IT!!!!
Kieners is drying out up high
Notch looks out of service, or will be shortly 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/17/2011, By: vonmackle
Info: A look at recent snow conditions leading to the Loft 

Route: Loft Route
Posted On: 7/15/2011, By: gbutler80
Info: I scrambled up to The Loft on Tuesday July 12 and part of the way through the Notch before I turned back due to weather moving in. The middle of The Loft Couloir, where most of the trail would be located, is still under snow, but it is an easy hike on the left side until you get to the top where you will have to cross the snow before you get to the class 3 scrambling at the top. There was still some snow in the Notch area and I did have a hard time finding the route before I turned back. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 7/9/2011, By: JohnWilliams
Info: Trail snow free through the Keyhole.
Ledges are very wet and slick, PLEASE take caution on this section!!!!
Trough has snow on south side, possible can be avoided by ascending on climbers LEFT.
No info on Narrows or Homestretch.
Cables has no snow in the upper part of the rock pitch, but will be very wet, even early. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/30/2011, By: Snoda21
Info: Only patchy snow along the keyhole route below trough after keyhole. The trough is burried and solid icy patches remain throughout day which makes hiking the actual trail without snow climbing gear dangerous. It is possible however to carefully avoid the snow in the trough by climbing the rocks to climbers left. Narrows have sketchy boot pack and almost enough exposed rock to squeeze by. I made it to the top of the home stretch, by climbing the rocks climbers left of the steep solid snowpack covering the trail. All in all it was a fairly sketchy climb, probably verging on class 5 towards the top, and the forest service is wise to keep it classified as technical to deter inexperienced climbers from overstepping their bounds. I did not summit as the very top was still snow pack and sliding down into the homestretch without gear is not an option. At least three more weeks for this trail to finish thawing out. From the top it looked like climbing Meeker from chasm lake then following the saddle through the loft and then up longs may have worked. From the home stretch, if you could cross the snow pack to climbers right you may be able to get the last 50 feet. I think it could be climbed in running shoes right now, but would require great care! 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 6/1/2011, By: Ridge runner
Info: Consistent snow within the first half mile of TH, but trail is packed down all the way to tree line. Looked like a couple people had post-holed through the snow into the stream at the shortcut. Plenty of snow in the boulder field and the North Face. Upper Loft route looked loaded, but talked to two guys who went up the Loft part-way said the snow conditions were good. MLW has considerable snow on east face, but bare on the west. Storm Peak still holding lots of snow. Overall, lots of snow still up there but it is melting fast.

1st pic: North Face
2nd pic: Keyhole from Storm Peak
3rd pic: Loft and Diamond 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 5/10/2011, By: DaveSwink
Info: We climbed Mount Lady Washington on Monday morning under bluebird skies. The trail to treeline was hard-packed and traction (micro-spikes) was helpful. At treeline, the deep snow had softened in the upper 30 degree temps so we used snowshoes. The east slope of Mount Lady Washington alternated between the exposed tops of talus and snow fields up to 100 meters high. The snow slope was perfect for easy kick-stepping.

The views from the top were great. As the attached pics show, the North Face of Longs is very heavily loaded, and the Boulder Field has heavy snow up to the Keyhole.

On the way out, the trail snow pack had softened and snowshoes were needed to avoid postholing. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 4/27/2011, By: mountainmicah83
Info: We were in the Longs area on Saturday checking out conditions. If it didn't get too hammered this week, you should make it to the boulderfield with no snow shoes due to the packed trail but it is snow right out of the parking lot from the rangers station. We made the mistake of dropping our snowshoes below the boulderfield to find ourselves miserably postholing to our knees through much of it. Surprisingly the cables route was 100% snow covered. There was no dry rock section at all and the snow was very unstable. Upon crossing over to the keyhole, the rocks were covered in thin verglas and the top of the trough looked very suspect as well. Be sure you have snowshoes, crampons, axe, and probably a rope with some gear. It got hammered there last week and probably is getting quite a bit this week as well.

By the way. It was totally worth it to carry a snowboard for the return as it got us back to the car in a jiffy. Only had to take 1 foot out twice for about 20' each in the trees around goblins forest. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 4/10/2011, By: Barb4rian
Info: Climbed the Lady yesterday and got a really nice look at the boulderfield, loft couloir, and the general approach to Longs. Trail is bootpacked from the parking lot all the way past tree line. About a half mile from the Chasm Junction the snow begins to thin out and is melting away. The boulderfield is covered in snow from the privy to the Keyhole and the Loft Couloir/various other couloirs below the diamond has/have plenty of snow (I can't say on the conditions of the snow though, sorry!)

P.S. If its a warm day when you go, expect some corn and general softening everywhere. Flotation wasn't necessary but traction is definitely recommended. 

Route: Keyhole Route
Posted On: 3/14/2011, By: JB99
Info: Snowshoes are not needed below timberline, traction might be nice. We left the crampons on our backs though and got by okay. Several shortcuts are well packed and we rediscovered one today that we started breaking back in. Just a short jaunt up to treeline today so I don't have any word on conditions higher up. Pretty nice weather, except for the wind.