This stiff but non-technical ascent leads to the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park with unrivaled postcard views. TO TRAILHEAD: From Estes Park, take CO 7 E. Turn R toward Longs Peak Campground (marked by brown National Park sign). Turn L @ Y, and park in trailhead lot.
Location: 40.272228, -105.556801
The alarm beeped at 2:30 a.m. We barely logged 3 hours of sleep thanks to the late campfire talk from nearby campsite #10 and the anticipation that hotwires our nerves before a long day on a big mountain. We slowly mashed our gear into our daypacks, headed to the trailhead, and signed the trailhead register @ 3:15 a.m. Our goal: Summit Longs Peak (14,255 ft.) before noon, before the snow turned to mash potatoes, and before thunderheads charge into the Front Range. Following the narrow beams from our headlamps, we headed W on East Longs Peak Trail.
LON002
Location: 40.275051, -105.564796
We stayed on East Longs Peak by veering L @ Y.
LON003
Location: 40.272919, -105.570801
On L is Goblin Forest, a primitive campsite (permit required). Ahead, we could hear the rushing waters of Alpine Creek but never saw them in the midnight light. We climbed switchbacks.
LON004
Location: 40.273232, -105.579803
Cross two footbridges over Alpine Creek. This is a good spot to top off water bladders, grab an early morning snack, or soak your tired dogs on the return trip. In a short bit, the trail leads above treeline (roughly 10,900 ft.) with the first sweet views of Longs Peak.
LON005
Location: 40.270851, -105.584297
Stay left, keeping on East Longs Peak Trail. Dawn brought light winds and the territorial crowing of two ptarmingans, whose snow-white plumes stuck out on the grayish rocks of Mill Moraine.
LON006
Location: 40.265678, -105.592598
Turn right toward the Boulder Field, but first scope the impressive and memorable East Face--its sheer granite wall rises more than 1,600 feet above Chasm Lake. The next mile traverses around the N ridge of Mount Lady Washington (13,281 ft.), then over the windy Granite Pass.
LON007
Location: 40.274120, -105.605301
At Granite Pass, turn left. Climb more switchbacks (a handful of wooden signs ask hikers not to shortcut trail). Big mountain views for miles and miles into Rocky Mountain National Park.
LON008
Location: 40.263920, -105.615196
Our pace slowed in the expansive, aptly-named Boulder Field. It's a long slog on hardscrabble trail, over boulders and sometimes knee-deep snow. On the right is a solar-powered privy. Jon called the view from inside the house one of the best he's seen (see photos). We also passed 2-foot-high rock walls built by winter campers to shield their tents against the howling winds. In the SW, sits a huge rock notch called the Keyhole, our gateway to the less technical west side of Longs.
LON009
Location: 40.260300, -105.621201
Just to the E and below the Keyhole is a small stone building, built in memory of Agnes Vaille, a woman climber who perished on Longs in 1925 after a successful winter ascent up the E face. Even in late-May, the inside was stuffed with snow--another clue how wicked winter must be up here. Continue scramble.
LON010
Location: 40.260231, -105.621101
We rested @ the Keyhole with super views into Glacier Gorge, a glacier-dozed valley rich with vivid blue alpine lakes. The route here is marked with painted bull's eyes, and any snow or ice turns it into a crampons and ice axe route. Even in late-May, this side of the mountain was still in winter phase. It's a less-technical hiking route usually from July to early-September.
LON011
Location: 40.257881, -105.620499
We strapped on our crampons here, and traversed along a band of ledges and cracked slabs.
LON012
Location: 40.255989, -105.620598
From here, the route climbs roughly 600-foot up a skinny couloir called The Trough. At 10:30 a.m. this climb was still shady with Styrofoam snow.
LON013
Location: 40.254349, -105.618202
The top of this gully ends at a small platform at 13,850 ft. There's still 405 vertical ft. left and the views become more expansive.
LON014
Location: 40.254219, -105.618103
The route traverses S along more exposed Ledges. In the SE is Sandbeach Lake, a popular destination in Rocky Mountain National Park. See link: http://backpacker.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?TripID=8204
LON015
Location: 40.254009, -105.615799
The last 200 feet called the Homestretch was slow-going with Everest-like breaths: right step, breathe; left step, breathe. This was the most difficult section of our day-a mixture of snow, ice, and rock with angled, airy slabs above giant sharkfin rocks.
LON016
Location: 40.254799, -105.615601
Longs Peak (14,255 ft.): We shared the large, surprisingly flat summit with one person, and had unrivaled panoramas of hundreds of cloud-scrapping peaks, including Longs' little brother, Mt. Meeker (a wee under the 14er mark @ 13,911 ft.). Hikers without a rope should retrace route back to trailhead. Experts with a rope goto Waypoint 17 for a quick rappel down the north slope along the old Cables Route. It cuts at least an hour, maybe two, off the descent.
LON017
Location: 40.257118, -105.616402
Until 1973, Longs Peak had a via ferrata, or cable route, on its slabby north face. The cables are long gone but a few of the eyebolts remain and offer perfect rappel anchors. Use the lower bolt (marked by this waypoint) for an easy rap down into the Boulder Field.
LON018
Location: 40.257252, -105.616302
A 60-meter rope strung us past the icy and snowy ledges. From here, it's tramp down either a snowfield or boulder field (in summer). We rejoined the main Keyhole Route near the privy (Waypoint 8) and retraced our route back to the trailhead. We finished at 6 p.m., almost 15 hours after we started.