Your feelings exactly mirror my own on Mt Washington. I was just there in September and was promptly thrown back by Hurricane Ike (what luck!), and got about 3/10ths of a mile from the summit. I cannot wait to get back there. And Longs is another on my list. The Narrows seem to freak me out, but I'll trust you that they aren't quite that bad. Awesome description of everything, and great pics!
In 05' I was a lot farther from Longs summit than your 0.3 miles. I give you credit for turning around. I'm sure it was painful.
As for the exposure on the Narrows, I'll default to my opinion that everyones comfort with exposure is an extremely personal matter - ratings are somewhat relative. As I said in my report, I'm sure there are experienced climbers that think the Homestretch is no big deal (I will admit I was much more comforatble there in 08'). In 06' there were several people on the Keyhole looking at the Ledges and decided to turn around. I think that seems to be the deciding point for most people on whether to continue on or not. If it gives you any comfort, I would say I have a fairly low tolerance for exposure, although I do enjoy scrambling.
since you keep going back to scratch it :)
It must have been so hard to turn back on your last day in RMNP. But you did get to go back and achieve your goal. Congratulations! Well written and enjoyable trip report!
Kathy
I'm sure I'll always have a small itch to get back to Longs. But I am taking at least one year off from RMNP. There's plenty else to see in Colorado and beyond - althought there is enough in RMNP alone to keep me busy and fresh for a few more trips.
And yes it was very hard leaving right away and not getting another shot - but as I said, it was still a great trip and I saw so much beautiful scenery on my other hikes.
Great story, I admire your determination to go back the next year. Turning back was the right decision that day, but it had to be depressing after all of the time you had spend planning and looking forward to the hike.
I live in Texas and have had the Longs Peak itch too since we visited RMNP back in 2013. Thankfully I was able to climb Longs a few weeks ago back with my college aged daughter. We climbed it on Aug. 1, 2016.
Like you, I was concerned about the weather, but fortunately we had a good day although it was fairly windy. My overall experience was very similar to your trip report. Hiking at night through the stars was super cool and the view when you step through the Keyhole was absolutely amazing. The Ledges and Narrows were scary, but not as bad as I expected; especially if you took your time and moved carefully.
My experience on the Trough was just like yours. It was a brutal 45 minute climb to the top and the Chokehole at the top was much tougher than I expected. I am slender and 6'1", but I had a lot of trouble making it up. The Homestretch was just as you describled; quite slick and steep. I basically made it to the top by climbing on all fours.
The descent down the Keyhole Route was maybe tougher than the climb up; especially the Trough. Also, my knees were shot which made coming down from the Keyhole and Boulder Field super tough.
At the end, I was incredibly exhausted, yet proud to have accomplished my goal. My initial reaction was I never want to climb Longs Peak again. That has completely changed. I often think about the climb and look forward to trying it again in the next couple of years.
Thanks for visiting! Congrats on your summit. I can understand your wanting to get back there. I've ended up on top 3 times and since the last was with my son, now that he's bagged Longs I doubt I will head back. The older I get, the tougher this summit day gets. Happy Trails, Mark
maddie77777 - Jan 12, 2009 4:01 pm - Voted 10/10
Great report!Your feelings exactly mirror my own on Mt Washington. I was just there in September and was promptly thrown back by Hurricane Ike (what luck!), and got about 3/10ths of a mile from the summit. I cannot wait to get back there. And Longs is another on my list. The Narrows seem to freak me out, but I'll trust you that they aren't quite that bad. Awesome description of everything, and great pics!
MarkDidier - Jan 12, 2009 5:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great report!In 05' I was a lot farther from Longs summit than your 0.3 miles. I give you credit for turning around. I'm sure it was painful.
As for the exposure on the Narrows, I'll default to my opinion that everyones comfort with exposure is an extremely personal matter - ratings are somewhat relative. As I said in my report, I'm sure there are experienced climbers that think the Homestretch is no big deal (I will admit I was much more comforatble there in 08'). In 06' there were several people on the Keyhole looking at the Ledges and decided to turn around. I think that seems to be the deciding point for most people on whether to continue on or not. If it gives you any comfort, I would say I have a fairly low tolerance for exposure, although I do enjoy scrambling.
Thanks for the comments and votes.
Mark
silversummit - Jan 12, 2009 9:40 pm - Voted 10/10
Maybe more an itch?......since you keep going back to scratch it :)
It must have been so hard to turn back on your last day in RMNP. But you did get to go back and achieve your goal. Congratulations! Well written and enjoyable trip report!
Kathy
MarkDidier - Jan 13, 2009 3:04 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Maybe more an itch?......I'm sure I'll always have a small itch to get back to Longs. But I am taking at least one year off from RMNP. There's plenty else to see in Colorado and beyond - althought there is enough in RMNP alone to keep me busy and fresh for a few more trips.
And yes it was very hard leaving right away and not getting another shot - but as I said, it was still a great trip and I saw so much beautiful scenery on my other hikes.
Glad you enjoyed the report.
Mark
Jimbo - Aug 30, 2016 11:11 pm - Hasn't voted
Great ReportGreat story, I admire your determination to go back the next year. Turning back was the right decision that day, but it had to be depressing after all of the time you had spend planning and looking forward to the hike.
I live in Texas and have had the Longs Peak itch too since we visited RMNP back in 2013. Thankfully I was able to climb Longs a few weeks ago back with my college aged daughter. We climbed it on Aug. 1, 2016.
Like you, I was concerned about the weather, but fortunately we had a good day although it was fairly windy. My overall experience was very similar to your trip report. Hiking at night through the stars was super cool and the view when you step through the Keyhole was absolutely amazing. The Ledges and Narrows were scary, but not as bad as I expected; especially if you took your time and moved carefully.
My experience on the Trough was just like yours. It was a brutal 45 minute climb to the top and the Chokehole at the top was much tougher than I expected. I am slender and 6'1", but I had a lot of trouble making it up. The Homestretch was just as you describled; quite slick and steep. I basically made it to the top by climbing on all fours.
The descent down the Keyhole Route was maybe tougher than the climb up; especially the Trough. Also, my knees were shot which made coming down from the Keyhole and Boulder Field super tough.
At the end, I was incredibly exhausted, yet proud to have accomplished my goal. My initial reaction was I never want to climb Longs Peak again. That has completely changed. I often think about the climb and look forward to trying it again in the next couple of years.
MarkDidier - Sep 10, 2016 1:15 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Great ReportThanks for visiting! Congrats on your summit. I can understand your wanting to get back there. I've ended up on top 3 times and since the last was with my son, now that he's bagged Longs I doubt I will head back. The older I get, the tougher this summit day gets. Happy Trails, Mark