Longs Peak, Colorado

Longs Peak, Colorado

Longs Peak is a monstrous beast brooding over the northern Front Range near Estes Park. The sheer, east face is a diamond-faced dilemma forcing most climbers to take a grueling detour around the backside of the mountain.

Making it just to the Boulderfield is no easy task, where the tundra environment looks like something from another planet. Passing through the unique Keyhole formation delivers the determined to a new dimension named Glacier Gorge.

A quick traverse ends at the bottom of the Trough, a steep, rocky slot leading towards the crest of an exposed ledge. After negotiating the frightening tightrope known as the Narrows, the final push up the Ramp is a piece of cake.

From the flat, football-field-sized summit, there is a celebration of spectacular scenery that rewards your strenuous effort. That exhilarating sense of accomplishment you feel after earning the top is what mountain climbing is all about.

Comments

  1. dysfunctionalmindApril 14, 2016 at 6:31 AM

    The pictures are fabulous! There's just so much beauty around us, it's unfathomable. Thank you for sharing.
    [@samantha_rjsdr] from
    Whimsical Compass

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerMay 3, 2016 at 1:59 PM

      Thanks, this area around Longs Peak is beautiful.

      Delete
  2. CourtneyApril 14, 2016 at 4:12 PM

    Sounds like you've tackled this beast at least a couple of times, to know how difficult it is and have that sense of "accomplishment." Maui Jungalow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerMay 3, 2016 at 2:05 PM

      Yes, I've been to the summit twice. It's a long, grueling hike and climb to get to the top. I don't think it's something I could do today. Now, I just hike around down below and take pictures of this beastly mountain.

      Delete
  3. SumoflamMay 3, 2016 at 2:18 AM

    I never mentioned that as a junior high kid in the late 1960s, I got to hike Long's Peak with my Dad. It was a clear beautiful July morning. By the time we got halfway up and with little cover, we were bombarded by lightning and a massive hailstorm. I'll never forget that Long's Peak welcome

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dan MillerMay 3, 2016 at 2:06 PM

      That sounds about right. Climbing this peak is tough. You have to summit before noon and hustle back to the trailhead because it seems like thunderstorms come in every afternoon during the summer.

      Delete

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