This report is written for those folks that long to climb Longs and may approach it from a background similar to ours of limited climbing experience. It's a bit lengthy but I wanted cover some detail of lessons learned and some of the fun we had. Skip to the end if you want the short version.

The keys to our success centered on planning, persistence, and patience.

A bit on our background. I've done lots of back country primitive camping as a youth and as a scout leader with my son. We have limited back packing experience and no camping at altitude.

My son began to develop an interest in climbing the past two years. Living in the Midwest (Chicago area) presented few opportunities to climb on a regular basis. My son had been visiting climbing gyms as able. My daughter enrolled at Colorado State in Fort Collins in 2011 and last year my son really began to start talking about climbing Longs Peak. We visited our daughter in October of 2011 and drove up to RMNP. A few short hikes around Bear Lake left me winded. Stress at work and a slow decline in regular physical activity had lowered my stamina, raised my BP, and raised my weight. I made a concerted effort to get in better condition for a ski trip in early 2012. After a great ski trip in March of 2012, my son still was pushing the Longs idea. I kept the physical conditioning routine and my son started one of his own. In May of 2012, we made a plan to attempt Longs a few days prior to returning my daughter to school in August. After reading the great reports on 14ers.com as well as RMNP web sites, we developed our plan. Our plan was in general was;
Get in decent physical condition
Get the right gear
Get to the area early and acclimate with progressive hikes
Camp at the Boulder Field to rest prior to the climb above the key hole and the more treacherous sections
Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions
Have go-no go decision points on weather, mountain conditions, and our physical condition.

Here is how it all came about.
After several months I got my 6 foot frame from 200 lbs. to 185 lbs. and BP well under 120, I felt my physical condition was ready. My son had been running 5 to 7 miles several times a week.

In May, I reserved a one tent spot for two nights at Boulder Field by calling the RMNP Back country office. We would reserve two nights in case weather held us back on our first attempt. This would require a bit more food but we were not getting back to try for another year.

We flew from Chicago to Denver on a Saturday morning. We hit the Denver REI for some gear we still needed such as trekking poles. We drove up to Granby staying there overnight. On the way to Granby we drove up Mt. Evans and experienced what it was like at over 14,000 feet with no time for acclimation. We became light headed with only minor exertion. Sunday we entered the park and hiked about 5 miles round trip on the Green Mountain trail from the trail head to Big Meadows. We later drove up to the Alpine Center only to find the parking lot packed and a line of cars trying to get into the lot from both directions. We drove back about ¼ mile and parked to do a short hike. We could tell we were beginning to get acclimated. As we drove along with the almost bumper to bumper Sunday traffic, we got great views of the back side of Longs Peak. I just could not see how there were any routes at all along that face. It all looked like a sheer drop from that perspective.

We then drove to the Longs Peak Trail Head. We got there at about 4:30 PM. I was a bit taken back by the large numbers of people laying about in total exhaustion. People were staggering off the trail to the cheers of the other successful summiters. I was wondering what I had gotten myself into. I talked with a couple who had camped at the Boulder field and they assured us water was easily available.

We made our base in a hotel in Estes Park. Monday morning we got up early and drove up to Bear Lake to avoid traffic and road closure of later in the morning. We hiked to Flat Top Mountain with day packs. We started at the trail head at about 9 AM. On the summit at 11:30, then a short lunch, and down to the trailhead at 2PM. We wanted to climb over to Hallett but the weather up top was significantly cooler than down below. It was cloudy with mist at times and winds of 20-30 mph. Hiking conditions were OK and we were comfortable with some poly layers and gortex shells, but unlike my son, I failed to bring gloves and my hands were really cold so we opted to head down instead of bagging another summit. We felt our stamina was good enough to keep going up but it was simply too cold for my hands. On the way back to town we stopped at Beaver Meadows to pick up our Boulder Field camping permit. Tuesday we slept in a bit then headed over to Estes Park Mountain Shop for some additional gear. There, I filled up my MSR bottle with white gas and got water proof matches as you cannot bring those things on the plane. We rented a small bear canister to meet the campsite requirements and also rented helmets which I highly recommend. We drove to the Longs Peak Trailhead, parked well down the road as the lots were full, then stopped in at the Ranger station. The rangers checked that we had a permit then gave us a nice brief on what to expect on the climb. They went trough segment by segment using a 3D model of the mountain as well as photos. They cautioned us on the dreaded marmots and suggested we leave our tent fly open to prevent the curious critters from chewing into the tent. We followed their advice and had no problems or any trace of marmots bothering our site. We then began the slow trek up to the Boulder Field. We met lots of nice people on the trail. Some were on day hikes to Chasm Lake; some were descending from a successful summit. The friendliest of all were the Green Bay Packers fans we met. Spotting my way cool Packers sunglasses and cap, fellow fans would strike up a conversation. ( I was raised in Green Bay and I'm afraid there is no known cure) We kept pushing our way slowly averaging a bit better than one mile every hour including frequent breaks for rest and drinks.

Special note for Amateur Radio Operators. If you're not familiar with this just skip it. But to those ham operators out there that frequent the back country, you know how valuable having a two way radio can be. I brought along my HT. A Yaesu FT60. I used a rubber duck style antenna. I brought along a ¼ wave but lost it somewhere on the trail. I wanted to stay aware of any afternoon storms which pop up in the summer months. I contacted the local radio club, Estes Valley Amateur Radio Club, and they monitored me going up the mountain on their repeater on 146.685 MHz PL123. I had 50% coverage from trailhead in to about 1.5 miles. You could generally hear the repeater but you had to be in a specific spot to make contact. From about 1.5 to 2 miles in I could not hear the repeater at all. Once I crossed the log bridge over the creek about 2 miles in, I had solid contact all the way to the Boulder Field. Also at the Boulder Field I could hit the 145.115 machine in Fort Collins. It gave me a lot more sense of security knowing those guys could hear me. I did not check coverage after the keyhole as I was concentrating on the climb but as you can imagine, at the summit you got out pretty far. If any climbers are technically inclined, then you might consider looking into getting an amateur radio license for some additional security in the back country. It's not overly difficult. Check out www.arrl.org.

About one mile before the Boulder Field, we met a couple from Milwaukee (of course they were Packers fans too) who had summited after camping at the Boulder Field. They filled us in on their experience. The woman noted how gross the privies were. I mentioned I had done a great deal of camping with Boys Scouts so I was used to disgusting. She stated that she was employed by the BSA council in Milwaukee and was also familiar with disgusting from a scouting perspective but this was pretty bad. We found out later how accurate she was. We kept an eye on some building clouds; we got to our camp site by 5:30. We were set up just as some light rain and wind moved in. The rain quickly ended and we cooked up a dinner, visited with a few others, pumped some water, then went to bed but not before using the privy. The Boulder Filed privies bring a new recalibration to the disgust-o-meter. We speculated it was the NPS attempt to bring a little bit of Everest Base Camp to Longs Peak. Just when do they pump those things out? I think the answer is...they don't! And why the heck they got solar cells? Are they used to cook the insides to enhance the stink level? Open air privies that stunk to a level far greater than any enclosed privy I've ever encountered.

I slept on and off being woke by the wind buffeting the rain fly. I used ear plugs (they come in handy camping with scouts) which helped block some noise but I still woke up from time to time. My son slept less than I did. It was not overly cold. I had a knit cap but really did not need it. I used a zero degree sleeping bag. I was toasty. One disappointment was the night sky. Although clear, there was haze in the air making the star view no better than a typical summer night sky in the Midwest. Still, we thought camping at the Boulder Field for us was the right choice. Even with marginal sleep, we still had our muscles recover and we were ready for the areas beyond the key hole.

My son set his watch alarm for 4:45 as we wanted to have a snack for breakfast then be at the keyhole by sunrise, or 6:15. We altered our plan a bit delaying the start until after 5:45 so I could see where I was going. I don't know how those folks walk up from the trail head in the dark. There are lots of steps and rocks. The boulder field is even more difficult in the dark. Maybe 57 year old eyes have something to do with it. We headed out with daypacks with water and snacks. We were wearing two poly shirt layers, fast dry pants, with gortex shell and pants, also helmet and gloves. Breezy and maybe 40 degrees. We were at the keyhole by 6:45 after watching the sun come up from behind Mt Lady Washington. Wind was about 20 mph with few gusts as we approached the keyhole. Now I've read and been told about how startling a view it is after the keyhole. So I'm crawling up just peeking over the rocks and it still takes your breath away. After I gather my composure I look toward The Ledges. Now the mental aspects of the journey become more intense. Pictures really can't capture all of this. It is true that things are not as bad as they appear in photos but also there are spots that are much more extreme than in photos. By myself I could do this. With my son whom my wife has charged me with returning alive and unharmed, this now gets me nervous. Conditions are good, our stamina is good, so we press on. The wind died down after the Key Hole but it was still cool so we kept our shells on. About 50 yards into The Ledges we reach to point where there is some exposure and you have to work around a rock with steel rods placed for assistance. I'm very nervous as I watch my son navigate this and I think his heart rate at this point is higher than mine. After we worked through that point we pause to catch our breath. My son is confident that we can summit. We worked our way through the rest of the Ledges without too much stress. Sometimes we can't see the bull's eyes but turning around we can see the bull's eyes for the way down which helps keep us on track.

We then reach The Trough. This is just going to be hard work. The breeze is back on the Trough so we keep our shells on. We push up to the next bull's eye then rest. Push to the next then rest. We repeat and take longer rests as needed. We were wearing helmets which can come in handy on this section as it is easy to kick stones loose and send them tumbling turning the area into a shooting gallery. People were pretty good on this day and the helmets were not needed here. Still, helmets would prove to be a good idea. At the top of The Trough is a giant chock stone blocking the way up. If you have basic bouldering skills you can work up it. I do not have bouldering skills so I found hand holds on the right side and worked my way up through an uncoordinated set of hand and foot moves. My son tried bouldering up and got there as well. Now I'm staring at the narrows. If you slip off the Ledges, in most spots you'll get roughed up. It's like traversing a double black diamond ski run. If you slip off the Narrows, in most places, I'm convinced you will die. The stress level in watching over my progeny just went up by a factor of ten. I'm not sure if I go first to show him a safe way and not see him fall to his death, or let him lead so I can correct him then watch him fall to his death. We took turns. The temperature warmed up on the Narrows so we took off our shells and stored them in our day packs. On the narrows is where the helmet came in handy. I was working my way through a spot I think after the chock stone when I bumped my head hard up into a rock. Without a helmet, that could have been a serious injury and ended the day. I'll use a helmet every time.

We made it through the Narrows and now at almost 14,000 feet we see the home stretch. We kept our same strategy of pushing to a bull's eye then resting. We were about 100 feet from the summit and my son stopped; he was feeling dizzy and sick. We worked our way to the left and paused. We took some water and rested at least 10 minutes conjuring up some patience until we felt we were ready. We changed our technique from pushing between bull's eyes to slow steady steps with a focus on an increased breathing rate. Slow and steady got us up to the top at about 10:00. We spent about 25 minutes resting at the top, took on some water, and ate some snack bars. Weather was clear and pleasant without much of a breeze. There were about 20 people up there. It seemed a happy place. We took pictures of the panorama and took pictures for two women who made it up also.

We used the slow and steady butt slide strategy to work our way down pausing often and butt sliding as needed. I had no pride noting Proverbs 16:18, Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall which seemed to take on new meaning this day. We knew what was next but took our time not wanting to get over confident. The move over the steel rods on the ledges was again stressful for my son but he changed his approach and went on his belly feet first to make it through. We paused at the Key Hole for some pictures then got back to our Boulder Field campsite by 2:30. From the Key Hole the view of the Boulder Field looks like something seen from a Mars rover. It is not very picturesque. But the camp was a good place to rest. I was feeling pretty weak and hit the tent. Looking back I think I should have eaten more calories but I can stomach only so many energy bars. Maybe also more water although we tried to watch water consumption pretty closely. We were going to cook a late lunch before breaking camp but we went inside to avoid some rain that turned to hail. We brought Rice-a-roni only to find it needs to simmer for 20 minutes. Altitude will push that to 30-40 minutes. Try that with an MSR stove. Instead, we ate more energy bars, some sausage and broke camp heading down at 4:00. Before leaving I gave our roll of toilet paper to a woman in an adjacent camp site who, by her thankful but calm reaction, had not yet experienced the facilities. We slowly worked our way down, watched the weather, and rested often. We enjoyed the scenery as the lighting changes due to the lowering sun added a new look to each turn. I was running out of gas about a mile out. We got to the trailhead at 7:30. I thought we'd get down by 5:30 and I'd likely drive to Loveland. I had to alter my plans and fortunately got a room back where we stayed on Sunday and Monday in Estes Park. After returning our gear we stopped for dinner. My son wanted food fast so he voted for McDonalds. I scarfed down and Big Mac, large fries, and a large real coke. Yes, super size me. I burned likely 6000 calories in the last two days and consumed maybe 4000 at most. I later woke up at 4 AM hungry. Like large pizza hungry. It took a few days for the calorie count to get back to a normal level.

Summary
Planning,
Get in decent physical condition
You don't need to be a marathon runner but you can't be a couch potato either. Prior to the climb, at age 57, 6 feet tall, 185 lbs. Three to four times a week, I'd run one mile to warm up. 30 minutes level 13 on Lifecycle. 15 minutes on a cross trainer. Then 5 or 6 different weight machines, 3 sets of ten reps on each. Alternately I think if I was just running 2 miles 4 days a week I could readily do this. I was by far not the oldest person on the summit that day. I think my son was the youngest.

Get the right gear
Good hiking shoes, you do not want to roll an ankle. I bought new boots at the REI spring sale and wore them daily to work so they would be broken in well before the climb.
Helmet, a concussion up there is a very bad day.
Gloves, if you are not a regular climber your hands will be raw.
Layered clothing
Trekking poles are worth every cent especially if you are packing for camping but beyond the Boulder Field they are not needed.
All the stuff mentioned on the RMNP Longs Peak web site.

Get to the area early and acclimate with progressive hikes

Be prepared for a variety of weather conditions
We were lucky in that there was no lightning late in the day when we were still out above the tree line. This is not usually the case.

Have go, no-go decision points on weather, mountain conditions, and physical condition.
We would not go on if surfaces were wet or icy
We would go to safe areas if lightning was threatening
We would go down at signs of altitude sickness.

Persistence,
You will get fatigued
You will be uncomfortable
If you stay within your plan and limits, you need to persistence to press on.

Patience.
You have to find your own pace. There will be others passing you by. There are a lot of runners going up and back in remarkable time. It does not have to be a race. Pause as needed to maintain your progress and enjoy the experience.

Thanks again to all the great trip reports because it really helped make our experience great and our first attempt at a fourteener being successful.