RETURN TO LONGS PEAK: THE KEYHOLE & MT. LADY WASHINGTON

Hike date: Saturday, June 18, 2005. Trailhead: Longs Peak Trailhead, Rocky Mountain National Park Starting elevation: 9,400 feet; Highest elevation on the hike: 13,281 feet Route: East Longs Peak Trail past Chasm Junction and Granite Pass to the Boulder Field. From the Boulder Field, continued across snowfields to the Keyhole. Returned to the Boulder Field and climbed Mount Lady Washington's two summits via the west slope leading directly from the Boulder Field campsite area. Descended the east slopes of Mount Lady Washington to intersect the main Longs Peak Trail and returned to the trailhead via the main trail. Total trip distance: About 12 miles. Weather/trail conditions: Perfect weather with sunshine and no clouds, and occasional wind gusts.

Hiking in the Rockies is a study in contrasts. A hike is a contrasting diversion from everyday life: sidewalks are replaced by trails, buildings by mountains, and traffic noise by bird songs. Longs Peak is a front-row seat for this concert of contrasts, as the mighty mountain looms over the Front Range cities of Colorado so closely that its shadow threatens to cover them up. After an hour of hiking on the Longs Peak Trail, you can stand at a point above timberline with a panoramic view. From here, the cities of the Front Range stretch out from north to south, hugging the feet of the foothills, and shining back at Longs Peak with reflections of the sunlight off of buildings and reservoirs. But turning the other direction from this viewpoint reveals a different world, as endless mountains and valleys appear on the horizon as they did thousands of years before any human ever set foot in what is now Colorado. Longs Peak is caught in the middle of these two contrasting worlds. At times, it is a massive, dangerous peak with varying ecosystems and a prime example of the wilderness in its natural, wild state. Yet, the trails on this giant mountain are often crowded like a sidewalk in a major city, as hundreds of hikers set foot on the mountain every day throughout the summer. It is therefore a peak that is both tamed and untamed, where its wild elements still exist and provide the backdrop to a trail that connects civilization with its mighty summit. On my last hike on Longs Peak, I was reminded of another element that often brings out the wild side of Longs Peak, namely the weather. On that August hike, our group was turned back by foul weather on an attempt to reach the summit, as we were plagued by an uncharacteristic pattern of cold, cloudy weather accompanied by roaring winds and intermittent snow and rain showers. On this day, about ten months later, the contrast Longs Peak was showcasing was its weather, as I would experience several different seasons on a gorgeous blue sky day on RMNP's most famous mountain.

Longs Peak from Chasm Junction

Mount Meeker and Longs Peak

As I passed timberline and Jims Grove and continued toward Chasm Junction, it was clear that I would be blessed with much better weather today than on my previous visit. The sky was a deep blue unblemished by a single cloud, the air was nearly still, and warm sun blanketed the mountain. My destination was the Boulder Field, where we were turned back last August, with my goals set on reaching some of the destinations that eluded us last year. I had no plan to continue to the summit of Longs, as deep snow on the west side kept the main summit route a technical climb. I would go as far as my feet could take me today, and appreciate the gorgeous weather I was denied on my previous visit.

Looking northwest from the Boulder Field

Longs Peak, near the 5 mile point

With the warm sunshine and dry trail, it felt very much like summer, an exciting time in the park when even the highest destinations shed their cover of snow for a few months. As I reached Granite Pass and continued toward the Boulder Field, the dry trail I had enjoyed from the trailhead was no more. Fueled by warm June temperatures, snowmelt runoff was rapid, turning the Longs Peak Trail in to a stream. For the next mile, the trail was almost entirely submerged, as water made its way downhill by the convenient gully the trail offered. Although it had felt very much like summer up to this point, spring was full force here, as the transition from winter to summer was evidenced with each soggy step I took on the trail.

The snow-covered Boulder Field

Approaching The Keyhole

I was actually grateful to see the massive snowfield that covered the Boulder Field as I approached the 6 mile mark, as it offered a reprieve from the waterlogged trail I had been trudging through for the last mile. My feet were already soaked, so I did not mind sinking in the snowfield with each step as I continued toward The Keyhole. Here, spring had turned to winter, as the North Face of Longs Peak and the Boulder Field at its feet were covered in deep snow. I was now following tracks through the snow, as the summer trail remained hidden at unknown depths beneath my feet. As I passed the Boulder Field campsite, I thought of my friends that had joined me on last year's memorable hike, wishing they could be here today.

A climber ascends the North Face

The climbers on the North Face

As I continued toward The Keyhole, it was clear that the winter conditions had not deterred enthusiasts from tackling the peak. All around me, I watched hikers and climbers heading in different directions as they headed for The Keyhole, Mount Lady Washington and the North Face of Longs Peak. I watched two climbers start from The Dove and follow tracks up the steep snowfield covering the North Face, giving me an excuse to pause for breath as I now reached 13,000 feet.

The sun and a rock wall of The Keyhole

At the base of The Keyhole

The Keyhole has always been a favorite destination of mine since my first visit to the landmark in 1993. The steep final ascent to reach the top and the surprise view that instantly opens up before you combine for a great sense of accomplishment and reward. I sat down in the rocks on the west side, taking in the view of Glacier Gorge and the west side of the park. The sun was still emerging over Longs Peak, leaving me in the shade, where I enjoyed the cold, crisp air.

Keyboard of the Winds from The Keyhole

View of Chiefs Head Peak and Green Lake

The views from The Keyhole emphasized the transition from winter to summer, as massive snowfields still enveloped the peaks and valleys, but lakes and rocks were clearly emerging from their winter blanket. The contrast of dark rock walls and sunlit snowfields were spectacular against the deep blue sky. I took photographs in every direction and appreciated the opportunity to capture the gorgeous scenery.

View toward Thatchtop and Hallett Peak

A climber returns from The Trough

Pagoda Mountain and Chiefs Head Peak from The Keyhole

McHenrys Peak across Glacier Gorge

Mount Lady Washington from The Keyhole

I sat at The Keyhole for nearly an hour, enjoying some surprisingly quiet moments on what is often Colorado's busiest trail. I was soon joined by a visitor as I snacked on trail mix, as a large yellow-bellied marmot came up to greet me. Apparently, I had welcomed myself in to its home without asking, but it seemed indifferent to letting me share the view for a little while. I could certainly understand why this creature had chosen this location for its home, as the view from The Keyhole was the kind that makes real estate agents smile from ear to ear. Fortunately, the arm of civilization has not yet reached this far, and only this marmot can claim rights to live here. It smiled as it watched me, and I could not help but think it appreciated that fact very much.

A yellow-bellied marmot at The Keyhole

A smiling marmot taking in the view

After mentally debating what to do next, I was drawn in by the lure of dry slopes on Mount Lady Washington, and chose that return route to avoid the soggy route back to Granite Pass. I descended to the Boulder Field before turning east toward the lower of Lady Washington's two summits. The ascent was short, but still a challenge in the thin air above 13,000 feet. I reached the summit ridge and photographed one of my favorite views in the Rockies, the East Face of Longs Peak from Mount Lady Washington. This view is breathtaking example of the wild side of Longs, where the contrasting forces of mountain building and subsequent erosion come together to form what is widely considered Colorado's most spectacular cirque. The towering figures of Longs and Meeker above and the dwarfed basin of Chasm Lake far below accentuate the incredible vantage point Mount Lady Washington offers.

Longs Peak from Mount Lady Washington

Summit ridge of Mount Lady Washington

Still-frozen Chasm Lake from the summit ridge

Looking toward Mount Meeker

I was working my way along the rocks on Lady Washington's summit ridge when a sudden sound caught my attention. The silence had been broken by the unmistakable sound of rocks letting loose and tumbling down a slope - an avalanche. As I turned around, huge rocks were landing in a snowfield near the Broadway route on Longs Peak's East Face, and a shower of powdery snow was cascading in their wake. The erosive forces that have carved at the East Face for tens of thousands of years had won another battle, cutting away another relatively small piece of the mountain and depositing its remnants hundreds of feet below. After about a minute, the last of the sugary shower of snow had settled amid the rocks, and the avalanche was over.

An avalanche breaks out on the East Face

Close-up view of the avalanche

I spent several more minutes on the true summit of Mount Lady Washington, trying my best to soak up the fantastic view that surrounded me. The perfect weather continued, as now at midday the first clouds were just beginning to decorate the sky. I then turned my back on the East Face and descended the dry, rocky east slopes of Lady Washington. This is usually the route I use to ascend to the summit, a straightforward boulder-hopping exercise that seems to vary only in its levels of steepness. Patience is the key here, as over 1500 feet of elevation separates the main Long Peak Trail from Lady Washington's 13,281 foot summit. Naturally, it is much faster to descend this route than climb it, and I enjoyed the short descent and the great views that accompanied me.

View northwest toward Hallett Peak

View north to the Mummy Range

After re-acquiring the main trail, I had just over 3.5 miles to hike before reaching the trailhead. I was certainly feeling the effects of the inevitable exhaustion that sets in on a hike like this, and the miles went their usual slow pace on the descent from Longs Peak. However, I enjoyed each moment of sunshine as I returned from this wild mountain and approached civilization again. I encountered many hikers along the way, reminding me that I was not as far removed from everyday life as I thought. After all, hiking on the Longs Peak Trail is an experience that walks the fine line between an ever-growing civilization and ever-threatened wilderness, with contrasting forces at work on all of one's senses. In the end, I am grateful that Longs Peak has been tamed just enough that I could enjoy a hike like I experienced on this day. But, I am most grateful that the marmot I met does not have to share its home with anything other than an occasional hiker passing through, a testament to the awesome wonders of the true wilderness one can find in the Rockies.

Photos and text by Mike Amfahr, June 2005

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