Under mild temperatures and cloudy skies, David and Susan Burke of Iowa set their sights on the summit of Longs Peak standing at 14,259 ft above sea level. If successful, this would be a new personal altitude record for them. At the onset of our adventure, we heard Elk bugling their love songs, serenading us as we ascended the trail. In the wee hours of the morning, we saw shooting stars.
Before the boulderfield, we happened upon a group of Ptarmigans all puffed up and vocalizing their annoyance. There were 11 of these globe-like birds and I wondered how soft or coarse their feathers might be.
We summitted at 8:45am. NOTE: The park service has upgraded the Keyhole route to technical.
Cheers, ~jilly
