Neníisótoyóú'u
Longs Peak
Coros Global Data
Total Miles - 14.2 mi
Elevation Gain - 5,256ft
Total Time - 9hrs 52min
Trip Overview
Date - September 9, 2023
Summit elevation - 14,256ft (4345m)
Route - Keyhole (Standard)
Guide Used(Y/N)? N
Climbers - Brian Buttray & Sean Packard
Text Message - Sat Sept 2 at 3:01pm
“Hey man! Watching some videos of Longs Peak, super excited.”
Ah, a man after my own heart. Like my climbing partner for this trip, Sean, I too was watching YouTube videos (good and bad) of Longs Peak climbs to get more of a sense of what was to come. Bless YouTube creators, well, some of them at least. For me, these videos just represent another resource to make sure we were as prepared as possible before heading out into the mountains.
I’m actually quite conservative and a bit of a scaredy cat going into any climbs or hikes. The unknown can be quite scary. Groundbreaking statement, I know.
Text Message - Sat Sept 2 at 3:01pm
“Looking like I'll be arriving in the Estes area late on Thursday. Is it ok if I crash with you the night before the climb? Do you want to shoot to climb Longs early Saturday or Sunday (weather dependent) — We could probably sleep at the trailhead for an early early start..”
The weather report looked perfect for Saturday September 9th. Thankfully, there was also no need to sleep in the trailhead parking lot as, after two years on the road, I decided to call Estes Park home, which also happens to be 15 minutes from the trailhead of Longs Peak.
Sure, we’d still have to wake up on a Saturday morning when most young adults are settling their bar tabs and making questionable decisions to wake up to. No judgments here, do your thing kids.
Just when it felt like I was really settling into a delightfully deep sleep, that oh so familiar and dreaded noise rang out from my iPhone just a few feet from my head. You know that standard iPhone alarm sound.
I sit up in bed, thumb that “Stop” button on the phone, rub my eyes and scan the dark room.
A deep breath and before I know it….
The living room is brightly lit and the smell of a fresh pot of coffee, Peets if you were wondering, fills the small cabin as Sean finishes organizing his pack. We fill up our mugs, sling our bags over one shoulder and we’re out the door.
As we drove through the empty and dark roads of Estes Park en route to the trailhead, Sean fiddled with his playlist, seemingly trying to find the perfect genre of music for 3am driving. Does that even exist? It in fact does! Soulful with a hint of psychedelic rock. The Monophonics began to dance in the early morning hours through our ears. Fun fact about Sean, he used to be in a funk band so he has incredibly good taste in music, especially soul/funk. Plus, his band had opened for the Monophonics.
Around 3:30am we began hiking. Well, hiking a half mile on the paved road to the actual trailhead because parking at Longs Peak in the summer is wild. It’s a popular hike to say the least. After a couple of minutes we officially began our hike, relying on the glow emitted by our headlamps to navigate the dark forest. We had set a decent pace, not too fast but steady, as we leapfrogged some other hikers on our 3.5 mile hike to the Chasm Lake/Longs Peak Junction.
iPhone Images - Chasm Lake hike from previous weekend with Conor
I was familiar with this first section of the hike to the junction as I had hiked it the previous weekend, albeit in the daylight, to Chasm Lake with one of my best friends, Conor. Conor had happened to be in town, all the way from Thailand, for a family wedding.
I was incredibly excited that the timing had lined up where Conor was going to be passing through my new home and had enough time to squeeze in a hike. A hike I could also use as a bit of a scouting mission as well for Longs Peak.
“Yeah, I can see why you moved here”, Conor noted as he got his first close up glimpse of the Diamond of Longs Peak.
The Diamond is the focal point of the rock-written skyline of Rocky Mountain National Park which towers over the town of Estes. This east facing vertical wall commands your attention, especially at sunrise.
“Woooo-eeee”, Sean yells back.
A sunrise above the treeline is never disappointing and it usually brings with it a renewed sense of hope, especially if you’ve been slogging along in the dark for a while.
Thankfully, today we only had a few hours in the dark. Sean and I couldn’t stop snapping photos of the Diamond as the universe did its best Bob Ross impression using the wall as its canvas and splashing gold across the Diamond, as well as our route ahead through the boulder field to the KeyHole, where the climb would properly begin.
The wind rips through the KeyHole as we scramble the last of the pile of giant rocks that make up the talus field. It’s beginning to feel real. Well, much more real than the generally casual approach hike it had been. I am a few feet above Sean and we both are thinking the same thing, “Really hope we don’t have to deal with this wind the rest of the climb”.
I take out my GoPro as I pull myself with one hand up onto the rocks that make up a little platform that is the bottom of the KeyHole. Wind continues to howl through.
I let Sean know I’m going to just venture ahead ten more feet or so and set up to get him coming through the Keyhole on video. I stepped through the Keyhole and took a few steps left, because well, straight, was straight down. As soon as I made it to the backside of the mountain though the wind stopped. We were protected. Whew.
I yelled to Sean that he could continue as well as the good news that we would not be battling howling winds. Needless to say he smiled and excitedly gave an “Allllllriigghhhttt…” as he walked by me, starting the traverse toward the Trough.
We both stopped for a moment just above 13,000ft and looked up the defined gully which is affectionately known as “The Trough”.
We could see folks both on their way up and down the 600 vertical foot gully.
This is why we brought our helmets, I thought to myself. Given the crowds and the very mixed experience levels of those who attempt Longs, rockfall caused by climbers is way more common than mother nature and the mountain itself.
Time to slog and scramble our way up knowing the reward at the top of the Trough was the much talked about “Narrows”.
“Ohhhhhhh…” Sean says as he laughs, staring across the stretch of narrow ledge which is as little as 3 ft wide in some spots as it hugs a 1,000 ft rising wall to your left and a delightful clear air drop of at least 500 ft to your right.
It sounds intense and it can be, especially if there are crowds in this section, but it’s not too bad if you just take a little extra caution with your feet. For Sean and I, I’d say we classify it under fun exposure that looks even scarier on video. The perfect combo.
Yes, that’s me admitting that it looks worse than it is.
“This must be the Homestretch”, I shout over to Sean as I stare up at the 40-45 degree gorgeous granite slab and the clear crack lines and climbers leading to the summit.
I was stoked here. Great conditions (ie no slick/wet rock) and a proper Class 3 scramble to the summit.
Sean leapfrogged me and began questing up until he got to a little ledge where he could stand, lean back into the wall and point his GoPro down toward me as I made my way up to him. We traded another leapfrog as I made my way up to the end of the granite slab at the base of the summit block and then it was my turn to shoot Sean coming up the final section.
“Big move at the top!” Sean says loudly as he pulls himself over the last boulders. We walked together up onto the incredibly flat and way larger summit platform than we imagined, even after all the videos and pictures we had looked at.
14,256 ft and nothing but bluebird skies in all directions surrounding us on the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.
We made it!
The usual fist bumps and smiles took place, followed by finding a nice place to sit and have some grub.
Nothing like a PB&J at 14K.
I even had service on the summit and Facetimed my nieces, showing them the gorgeous world all around us.
“How’d you get up there, Uncle Brian? Did you take a plane?”
“No, I walked.” I responded as I laughed.
We said our goodbyes after a few minutes and of course, they told me not to fall off on the way down.
9 hours and 52 minutes after setting off in the dark we took our final steps to the trailhead sign and had that delightful feeling wash over us.
That feeling of getting out and doing something in the mountains.
That feeling of climbing and summiting something for the first time.
That feeling of not rolling any ankles or falling off any cliffs.
And most importantly, that feeling of stepping on the gas and heading toward a beer and a burger with a buddy.
Cheers!
All Images used in this journal, with the exception of the below images, were taking by me.
Credits below.
Image used in journal by Sean Packard
Image used in journal by Sean Packard