...you didn't go up Longs' North Face? It seems like it would have been faster and easier (effort-wise) than the Keyhole Route. Great trip report about a HUGE effort!
Mountain Jim - Feb 13, 2006 11:56 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: I'm curious why...
Actually, it's about the same amount of effort to get from Storm Peak over to the base of the old cable route ... and besides I wanted to leave my pack and rope at the bottom of Homestretch and pick them up on the way to Pagoda.
Cool. I guess I hadn't thought about zig-zagging back and forth across the Boulder Field. Now it makes sense that if you did Lady Washington first, when you're on top of Storm that you're pretty much at the Keyhole. An amazing day for sure!
I had wondered about the possibility of something like this, but to do that traverse without stopping to camp--incredible! And to try it six times! I loved reading this inspiring trip report. Also, I have enjoyed many of the pictures you have added to SP. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mountain Jim - Feb 22, 2006 4:14 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Congratulations!
Thanks for your appreciation ... at my age it's nice to feel useful ... Looks like you've done quite a bit ... keep on fightin' gravity.
I'll have to try that sometime! What would you rate the ridge on Pagoda if you were going the opposite direction from Chiefs Head?
Mountain Jim - Aug 12, 2006 5:19 am - Hasn't voted
Re: amazing loop Jim
Thanks. I've been down the ridge 4 times, but I've never gone up. Friends who have, and an old guide books say it's in the 5.7 range. If you're in Estes Park stop by Komito Boots and ask Steve Komito about the route. He and Tom Hornbein climbed it a few years ago.
Just one other thought ... the first time I tried the traverse, I was going the other way. The second time, I attempted it the way described in the trip report ... the reason I changed directions was to get the higher peaks and the harder parts done while you still have energy.
It would be difficult to backpack this route because there aren't any designated back country sites above timberline or nearby, and doing the technical sections with a big pack would be a challenge.
Peace, Jim
Have you heard of any others who have repeated the Glacier Gorge Traverse? If so, any ideas of what the current time record may be?
Mountain Jim - Jun 30, 2008 3:49 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Incredible
I know of one other party that sort of repeated the route ... they avoided the West Ridge of Pagoda by dropping off into Glacier Gorge, and the McHenrys Notch by dropping into the North Inlet Valley ... I don't know what their elapsed time was.
And, an SPer tried it a year, or so, ago going the opposite way and got stopped by the West Ridge of Pagoda. I think he posted a trip report.
Peace, Jim
Bill Briggs did a version of the Glacier Gorge Traverse that included Longs, Pagoda, Chiefs Head, McHenrys, Powell, and Taylor. Incredibly, he completed this in 7:17 (source).
Bill Wright and I did the reverse route (Flattop, Hallett, Otis, Taylor, Powell, McHenrys, Chiefs Head, Pagoda, Longs, Storm) today (7/5). Needless to say, it was hard! Finished in 13:55. Bill Briggs' time for this loop is phenomenal.
Correction: Bill Briggs' loop did not include Storm, Otis, Hallett, and Flattop. His time is still unreal.
Jim, do you know of a good source information about other insane RMNP link-ups? Others that I know of are:
1. Longs Peak Radical Slam
2. Longs Peak Grand Slam
3. Mummy Kill 8 Peak Version
4. Mummy Kill 6 Peak Version
5. McHenrys Notch Loop
If such a list doesn't exist, you're probably the best qualified person to create one. I'm sure that it would get a lot of attention, and maybe generate some grand ideas for some wild adventures.
Mountain Jim - Jun 30, 2008 4:06 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Other insane combos?
I think there are trip reports here on SP on some of the ones you mention.
I have a couple more that I may write up one of these days, including a south to north traverse from the Sand Beach Lake Trailhead to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead across Lookout Mountain, Mount Meeker, to Longs (across The Notch), then down the Keyhole Ridge to the Keyhole and on to Storm Peak, and then down Storm's North Ridge to Half Mountain. And, another you might be interested in was from the House Rock Road (east of Meeker Park) to the Lily Lake trailhead via all the "summits" on Twin Sisters.
My son, Dave, has done a some of impressive ones ... like the peaks of the Never Summer Range from Static Peak to Baker Mountain in 17 hours.
Glen Porzak & friends stayed right on the Continental Divide through The Park, which included doing the McHenrys Notch and the North Ridge of Isolation. I think theirs was a multi day trip.
Bottom line ... people have done some crazy things in The Park.
This is similar to Rossiter's "A Walk in the Park". I've summarized these 2 routes & their fastest known times (FKTs) here:
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/324/glacier-gorge-traverse-c0?page=1&scrollTo=3315
It's confusing because "A Walk in the Park" traverses Glacier Gorge proper, while this route ("Glacier Gorge Traverse") traverses Glacier Gorge, Loch Vale, Chaos Canyon and Tyndall Gorge.
Andy - Feb 13, 2006 10:10 pm - Voted 10/10
I'm curious why......you didn't go up Longs' North Face? It seems like it would have been faster and easier (effort-wise) than the Keyhole Route. Great trip report about a HUGE effort!
Mountain Jim - Feb 13, 2006 11:56 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: I'm curious why...Actually, it's about the same amount of effort to get from Storm Peak over to the base of the old cable route ... and besides I wanted to leave my pack and rope at the bottom of Homestretch and pick them up on the way to Pagoda.
Andy - Feb 14, 2006 8:14 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: I'm curious why...Cool. I guess I hadn't thought about zig-zagging back and forth across the Boulder Field. Now it makes sense that if you did Lady Washington first, when you're on top of Storm that you're pretty much at the Keyhole. An amazing day for sure!
MrWasatch - Feb 14, 2006 8:58 pm - Hasn't voted
Well done!Great report. Sounds like an incredible route!
Brad Snider - Feb 20, 2006 7:53 pm - Voted 10/10
Congratulations!I had wondered about the possibility of something like this, but to do that traverse without stopping to camp--incredible! And to try it six times! I loved reading this inspiring trip report. Also, I have enjoyed many of the pictures you have added to SP. Thanks for the inspiration!
Mountain Jim - Feb 22, 2006 4:14 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Congratulations!Thanks for your appreciation ... at my age it's nice to feel useful ... Looks like you've done quite a bit ... keep on fightin' gravity.
Chris - Jun 12, 2006 8:08 pm - Voted 10/10
Wow.Wow... that's about all I can say about this one... sounds like an awesome epic! Great job!
Mountain Jim - Jun 13, 2006 1:46 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Wow.Thanks. Looks like you've done a lot of good climbs, also ... good job to you, too !!!
coloradoclimber - Aug 11, 2006 10:24 pm - Hasn't voted
amazing loop JimI'll have to try that sometime! What would you rate the ridge on Pagoda if you were going the opposite direction from Chiefs Head?
Mountain Jim - Aug 12, 2006 5:19 am - Hasn't voted
Re: amazing loop JimThanks. I've been down the ridge 4 times, but I've never gone up. Friends who have, and an old guide books say it's in the 5.7 range. If you're in Estes Park stop by Komito Boots and ask Steve Komito about the route. He and Tom Hornbein climbed it a few years ago.
Just one other thought ... the first time I tried the traverse, I was going the other way. The second time, I attempted it the way described in the trip report ... the reason I changed directions was to get the higher peaks and the harder parts done while you still have energy.
Dottie Little Tent - Mar 6, 2007 11:05 pm - Voted 10/10
NiceCan a person backpack while doing this route?
Mountain Jim - Mar 7, 2007 3:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: NiceIt would be difficult to backpack this route because there aren't any designated back country sites above timberline or nearby, and doing the technical sections with a big pack would be a challenge.
Peace, Jim
tomlauren - Jun 29, 2008 8:41 pm - Hasn't voted
IncredibleHave you heard of any others who have repeated the Glacier Gorge Traverse? If so, any ideas of what the current time record may be?
Mountain Jim - Jun 30, 2008 3:49 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: IncredibleI know of one other party that sort of repeated the route ... they avoided the West Ridge of Pagoda by dropping off into Glacier Gorge, and the McHenrys Notch by dropping into the North Inlet Valley ... I don't know what their elapsed time was.
And, an SPer tried it a year, or so, ago going the opposite way and got stopped by the West Ridge of Pagoda. I think he posted a trip report.
Peace, Jim
John Prater - Jul 6, 2008 12:25 am - Hasn't voted
Re: IncredibleBill Briggs did a version of the Glacier Gorge Traverse that included Longs, Pagoda, Chiefs Head, McHenrys, Powell, and Taylor. Incredibly, he completed this in 7:17 (source).
Bill Wright and I did the reverse route (Flattop, Hallett, Otis, Taylor, Powell, McHenrys, Chiefs Head, Pagoda, Longs, Storm) today (7/5). Needless to say, it was hard! Finished in 13:55. Bill Briggs' time for this loop is phenomenal.
Correction: Bill Briggs' loop did not include Storm, Otis, Hallett, and Flattop. His time is still unreal.
tomlauren - Jun 29, 2008 8:47 pm - Hasn't voted
Other insane combos?Jim, do you know of a good source information about other insane RMNP link-ups? Others that I know of are:
1. Longs Peak Radical Slam
2. Longs Peak Grand Slam
3. Mummy Kill 8 Peak Version
4. Mummy Kill 6 Peak Version
5. McHenrys Notch Loop
If such a list doesn't exist, you're probably the best qualified person to create one. I'm sure that it would get a lot of attention, and maybe generate some grand ideas for some wild adventures.
Mountain Jim - Jun 30, 2008 4:06 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Other insane combos?I think there are trip reports here on SP on some of the ones you mention.
I have a couple more that I may write up one of these days, including a south to north traverse from the Sand Beach Lake Trailhead to the Glacier Gorge Trailhead across Lookout Mountain, Mount Meeker, to Longs (across The Notch), then down the Keyhole Ridge to the Keyhole and on to Storm Peak, and then down Storm's North Ridge to Half Mountain. And, another you might be interested in was from the House Rock Road (east of Meeker Park) to the Lily Lake trailhead via all the "summits" on Twin Sisters.
My son, Dave, has done a some of impressive ones ... like the peaks of the Never Summer Range from Static Peak to Baker Mountain in 17 hours.
Glen Porzak & friends stayed right on the Continental Divide through The Park, which included doing the McHenrys Notch and the North Ridge of Isolation. I think theirs was a multi day trip.
Bottom line ... people have done some crazy things in The Park.
Peace, Jim
pbakwin - Sep 13, 2015 10:57 am - Hasn't voted
GGTThis is similar to Rossiter's "A Walk in the Park". I've summarized these 2 routes & their fastest known times (FKTs) here:
http://fastestknowntime.proboards.com/thread/324/glacier-gorge-traverse-c0?page=1&scrollTo=3315
It's confusing because "A Walk in the Park" traverses Glacier Gorge proper, while this route ("Glacier Gorge Traverse") traverses Glacier Gorge, Loch Vale, Chaos Canyon and Tyndall Gorge.