Shortly after I met Shari Post back in 2002, she'd talked me into climbing Long's Peak. She'd climbed it once, was injured on it once, and, for reasons that I don't understand, wanted to do it again. Of course, it was mostly her and her husband Brad that got me hooked on 14ers anyway, so it seemed appropriate to climb with them. Lonny, Lisa, and I hiked the Keyhole route (which is the standard approach), while Brad, Shari, Alan, and his son Joe went up the Loft route - a shorter but more challenging route. We met at the summit and descended together. This is, by far, the most challenging 14er that I've done to date!
Click here to read a detailed trip report of this hike.
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Before setting off on the trail
Trekking towards camp at Jims Grove (Battle Mountain)
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-11-2006 5:02 pm
Alan and Joe arriving at camp
Photo by Brad Post
8-11-2006 5:21 pm
Brad, Shari, and Lonny filtering stream water
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-11-2006 6:38 pm
Lonny and Brian, both looking particularly gay
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-11-2006 8:55 pm
Lisa, Lonny, and Brian setting off for the Keyhole route at 3:55 AM
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 3:55 am
The front range city lights before dawn
Photo by Lonny Jacobson
8-12-2006 5:05 am
Sunrise over Mount Lady Washington (in the Boulder Field of Longs)
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 6:00 am
Alpenglow on the Diamond face of Longs and the Boulder Field
Lonny and Brian at sunrise
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 6:18 am
The Privies in the Boulder field!
Meanwhile: Alan, Joe, Shari, and Brad head up towards the Loft
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 6:47 am
Brian and Lisa picking through the boulder field
Photo by Lonny Jacobson
8-12-2006 7:22 am
Lonny climbing towards the Keyhole
Lonny, looking down 2,000 feet into Glacier Gorge
Hikers heading along the trail towards the Trough
Brian and Lisa resting in the Keyhole
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 7:29 am
Looking back on the Keyhole from the trail
Loft: Brad, somewhere along the Loft Route
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 7:47 am
Keyhole: Lonny, taking in Glacier Gorge
Loft: Alan, resting along the Loft ascent
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 7:47 am
Loft: Alan, Shari, and Joe, ascending towards the Loft
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 7:50 am
Keyhole: Back on the Keyhole route, Lonny and Lisa begin their ascent of the Trough
Loft: Joe, Alan, Shari, and Brad atop the Loft
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 8:23 am
Keyhole: Lonny and Brian in the Trough (who knows what Lonny is doing)
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 8:28 am
Loft: Downclimbing towards Clarks Arrow
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 8:32 am
Loft: Downclimbing towards Clarks Arrow
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 8:47 am
Loft: Downclimbing towards Clarks Arrow
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 9:03 am
Loft: Downclimbing from the Loft
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 9:06 am
Keyhole: Lisa and Lonny atop the Trough, just before passing onto the Narrows
Loft: Alan with Clark's Arrow!
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 9:08 am
Loft: Brad with Clark's Arrow
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 9:09 am
Loft: The elusive and famed "Clarks Arrow"
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 9:19 am
Keyhole: Lonny along the Narrows (it really does drop about 1700 feet immediately to the left of him!)
Loft: Heading towards the Homestretch (the Narrows visible just barely above)
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 9:26 am
Keyhole: Lisa climbing the Homestretch
Loft: Another glance back at the Clarks Arrow location
If you click on the image to view it full size, you can just barely make out Clarks Arrow from the Homestretch
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 9:55 am
The Loft and Mt. Meeker from the summit of Longs
The large expanse of the Longs summit
The Loft party ascends the Homestretch (note how busy it is!)
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 10:13 am
Lonny points to our camp site at Battle Mountain
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 10:49 am
Lisa and Brian
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 10:57 am
Alan and Joe
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 11:01 am
Starting our descent of the Homestretch (in the rain)
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 11:10 am
Photo-op over, now it's time to descend
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 11:11 am
Father and daughter of "Disaster Family", plus Eric, Brad, and Brian
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 11:29 am
The Narrows behind the Disaster Family
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 11:30 am
Shari, on the Narrows
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 11:34 am
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 11:37 am
Brian, on the Trough chokestone downclimb (in the rain)
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 11:48 am
Descending the Trough in little visibility
Photo by Lonny Jacobson
8-12-2006 11:56 am
Looking down the Trough as the clouds broke just a little
Glancing upwards into the cloudy Trough
The "nifty v slot" as Roach's book describes it...
Photo by Shari Post
8-12-2006 1:17 pm
Brian, going through the V-slot
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 1:27 pm
Taking a rest now that we're all through the Keyhole and the worst of the boulder field
Time for some Advil!
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 2:33 pm
Longs Peak - enveloped in clouds
Lonny, Lisa, and Brian returning camp
Photo by Brad Post
8-12-2006 4:43 pm
Lonny, with his Buttery Herb Pasta
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-12-2006 6:09 pm
The group at the Battle Mountain trail split
Brad, pointing to the Loft
The car accident on the way home from Estes Park
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-13-2006 11:46 am
Tire tracks, showing how close we came to hitting the "Bing Cherry Cider" stand.
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-13-2006 12:17 pm
The two blue cars (foreground and distance) that forced our maneuvers.
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-13-2006 12:30 pm
Brad, pointing to the post he popped his tire on
Photo by Lisa Davis
8-13-2006 12:42 pm
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