Longs Peak, Keyhole Route

School might be in session but don’t tell that to Longs Peak. People are playing hooky from work and school in order to scale this mountain. Conditions are great and the Keyhole route has returned to non-technical status. Although another large storm could change things quickly, climbers continue to hedge their bets and set their sights on the summit of Longs Peak at 14, 259 feet.
Jim and Alex Ritter were all smiles when I met them at 1 am for our recent ascent of Longs. More than half-way through the trip this father-son duo from Omaha, Nebraska were still beaming as we passed below one of the well-known bulls-eye markers.
These men put in a strong effort, achieving a new personal altitude record. Congratulations Jim and Alex! Way to go!

Longs Peak, Keyhole Route

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