Of the many fascinating and delightful mountain climbs, the ascent of
Longs Peak is the most inspiring, and it is one of the most strenuous.
The great altitude of the mountain, 14,255 feet above sea level and more
than 5,000 feet above the valley floor, and its position well east of
the Continental Divide, affording a magnificent view back upon the
range, make it much the most spectacular viewpoint in the park. The
difficulty of the ascent also has its attractiveness. Longs Peak is the
big climb of the Rocky Mountain National Park. And yet the ascent is by
no means forbidding. One may go more than half-way by horseback. Over a
thousand men and women, and occasionally children, climb the peak each
season. Those making the Longs Peak trip should have strong, comfortable
shoes, stout warm clothing, and remember that cold or stormy weather is
sometimes encountered.
The peak may be reached by either of two trails which lead to the
Boulder Field, the highest point on the climb to which horses may be
taken. The east trail, which begins near Longs Peak post office, 9 miles
south of Estes Park, winds up the slope of Battle Mountain, passes
timberline at an elevation of more than 11,000 feet, swings to the crest
of Mills Moraine, overlooking Chasm Gorge, then skirts the slope of
Mount Lady Washington, goes through Granite Pass, and leads to the
shelter cabin in the center of the Boulder Field, at an elevation of
12,700 feet, a distance of 6 miles.
From Glacier Gorge Junction on the Bear Lake Road, the north trail winds
its way up the north slope of the peak through the great burn of 1900
and joins the east trail at Granite Pass, a mile and a half below the
Boulder Field cabin. The distance to the Boulder Field by this trail is
9 miles.
From the Boulder Field cabin the ascent to the summit may be made by
either of two routes. The north face route, which is the shorter, climbs
the precipitous north side of the summit, skirting along the rim of the
east precipice, with magnificent views down the sheer drop of 1,200 feet
into Chasm Lake in the gorge below. The Longs Peak climb includes the
hazards usual to any major mountain ascent. Visitors are cautioned that
use of the assisting cables on the North Face route is at their risk and
the Government is in no way responsible. The other route leads across
the Boulder Field to the Keyhole, half a mile distant and some 500 feet
higher, where there is a small storm shelter.
On passing through the Keyhole, one sees the imposing Front Range, and
2,000 feet below the Glacier Gorge. To the left there is a narrow,
steeply inclined ice-filled gulch, called the Trough. Finally, after
what is to the amateur often an exhausting climb, one passes along the
Narrows, up a steep incline known as the Homestretch.
The trip to the Keyhole is well worth while for those who do not care to
climb Longs Peak, but who do wish to see at close range the rugged
grandeur of the mountains. Another splendid foot trip from the Boulder
Field cabin is to Chasm View, half a mile distant, where one sees the
precipitous east face of Longs Peak, from the summit down to Chasm Lake,
2,500 feet below.