15.5 miles 5250 feet of gain.
Longs Peak TH
Dad, Melissa, Laura
Well, we tried this baby 3 other times, and one year couldn't try due to ice, but had never actually made it to the top. First time we turned around at the keyhole. The next two times somebody got scared at the start of the narrows. This time we made it. We had been out in Colorado longer, so maybe that helped, and maybe we were in better climbing shape.
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| Early am start. 2:30 ish |
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| Easy walking in the dark, saving our energy for past the keyhole |
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| Mountain starting to come in view |
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| Could have started a half hour earlier or gone just a bit faster |
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| Coldest part of day, just as sun is coming up |
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| Take a little break while some use the solar toilets |
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| Boulder Field - some camp overnight |
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| The can, man |
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| Start up to the Keyhole |
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| Some Cairns to help, but basically head up, maybe a little right and then back left to the keyhole |
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| Gets a bit steeper the closer you get |
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| Was very nice. Low wind this time. That is the exception, not the norm. |
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| Laura ready to hit it hard. She was never the cause of turning back.... But Melissa and Dad, wellll........lets just say, Another Story, Another Place, Another Time |
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| Take a left and follow the bulls-eyes. Back in the shade |
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| Take your time, 3 points of contact |
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| You can see the bulls-eyes for the return trip |
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| I said THREE POINTS OF CONTACT |
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| Iron bars area. Wicked. One dude was really mumbling about this spot. |
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| Just take your time |
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| Dad and Melissa |
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| Worst part of the route in Dad's mind |
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| Laura finishing it up |
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| Whew, we all made it.... |
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| That's just a long ways down. Don't see that very often |
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| Keep heading to the trough |
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| Mills and Jewel Lakes in the distance |
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| Transition to the trough. Less exposure, but way steeper |
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| Break time - Laura and Dad |
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| Blue Lake pops into view as we climb the trough |
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| Melissa |
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| Quite a few people for a week day |
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| Nearing the top of the trough and gonna be to the narrows |
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| You can do this. |
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| Melissa coming straight up the chock-stone. Others tried to find a way around |
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| You just about got it. |
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| On the narrows, Dad said no pictures or looking down... somebody did not listen |
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| Sweet views from the narrows |
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| Hug that wall, I mean HUG IT.. |
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| Watch you step too |
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| As you go around the first part of the narrows, it widens out and is not bad |
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| Lois |
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| See, easy stuff |
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| Just one foot in front of the other, and hold on with one hand |
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| Melissa kinda tagging along after us |
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| And just like that, the narrows are over. Next up will be the homestretch |
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| Oops, forgot about Melissa, hang on |
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| Having a fun time |
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| Your typical narrows pic |
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| Almost to the homestretch |
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| Just a little tricky up climb at the end of the narrows |
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| And then you see the other parts of Longs!! |
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| Pretty mountains and a marker for your return. |
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| Some boulder hopping |
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| Mt Meeker peeks over at us.... next time we go meet meeker |
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| And there is the homestretch |
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| Some nice cracks to hold on too |
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| Take a few steps, pause, a few more steps, pause, repeat till you reach the top. A bit of a scramble at the top and then,,,,, |
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| SUMMITT |
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| Weather still not bad |
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| 14,259 feet Melissa, Dad, Laura |
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| Dad, Melissa |
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| Dad, Laura |
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| Melissa, Laura |
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| These guys were more excited than Dad about being on top |
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| Time to go, do NOT want to be here if weather blows in |
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| Okay, okay, take one more pic of us and we can get going |
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| This guy came from Loft route. |
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| After 9 minutes on top, We head down |
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| After some crab walking you arrive at the narrows junction |
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| Easy route finding |
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| Keyhole route |
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| Back across the narrows |
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| He goes down fast |
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| Melissa |
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| Laura getting to the narrow part of the narrows |
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| Squeeze thru |
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| Oh oh, traffic jam at 13,900 |
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| Took a bypass for the chock-stone. Next time, just come down the chock-stone |
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| getting back to ledges section |
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| Upper glacier gorge. |
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| Bars section of ledges |
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| Breather |
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| Almost back to keyhole |
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| Few more steps to end the ledges |
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| Smiling now |
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| The end. That was a neat day. Just under 11 hours total, including lunch. As you might notice, it is all clouds now. |
