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Mountaineering – RMNP - Longs Peak TH - The Keyhole

The group cohesiveness was evident from the time we departed the Longs Peak Ranger Station through the course of the day. The group readily took care of themselves by taking adequate breaks for nutrition, hydration, clothing adjustments, and bio breaks. We ascended quick rapidly through the tree line, Chasm Trail junction, and to the Boulderfield.

Placeholder Contact Profile Terry Ploski
October 20, 2024
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • The trail was easily accessible from the Longs Peak Ranger Stations trailhead, through the Chasm Lake trail junction and approaching the Boulderfield. The trail became covered with trace snowfall at the approach to the Boulderfield. The snow depth became more significant as we ascended to the Keyhole, with ~4" of fresh, powder snow completely obscuring the route to the Keyhole.

The group began our ascent of Longs Peak at 4:47am from the Longs Peak Ranger Station trailhead. We ascended the trail by the illumination provided by our headlamps. We broke treeline and continued in the early morning darkness to the interim destination of the Chasm Trail junction. We paused for a dedicated break at the Chasm Trail junction. Gentle breezes and cool temperatures were a constant presence. 

We made our way to the Boulderfield in the early morning daylight. Our moods were tempered by the appearance of fresh snowfall as we traversed through the Boulderfield. Longs Peak and the surrounding mountains were covered with fresh snowfall from the past 24-hours.

We were slowed when we departed the Boulderfield to ascend to the Keyhole by the 4" of snowfall. Each step was tedious and demanding as we ascended the slope. We arrived at the Keyhole at 10:30am for a dedicated break, examination of the remaining route, and make an informed decision as to proceeding with the hike or to descend.

The route - Ledges, Trough, Narrows, Homestretch - was snow packed from the recent snowfall. We estimated requiring an additional 2-hours to navigate the 1.2 mile distance to the Longs Peak summit. We were mindful that the challenge of ascending the route, regrouping at the summit, and safely descending would possibly require 3-hours.

We made the collective decision to descend from the Keyhole. We believed that the time, effort, and energy to make a successful winter ascent of Longs Peak would pose an unnecessary risk to the group safety and well-being.

We safely descended from the Keyhole with the prudent use of traction control devices - microspikes, YakTrax, crampons - with no regrets regarding our decision to turn around. We kept our traction control devices on as we traversed through the snowy Boulderfield. These devices gave us a margin of safety and wellbeing as we descended the snow-covered slope and trail network.

The weather gradually warmed up as we removed our traction control devices and approached the Chasm Lake trail junction. We enjoyed another dedicated break as we prepared to transit the trail to the trailhead. 

We arrived at the Longs Peak Ranger Station trailhead at 3:45pm. The day was filled with a sense of accomplishment and relief.