Today I headed up to the Long’s Peak trailhead at 5:30 a.m. Long’s Peak is the
Northernmost “14’er” and the highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. I figured I would just hike up as far as I safely could and then turn around. Too bad the sun didn’t rise until just after 7 a.m., and I had left my headlamp back at our condo. So there I waited for some light to invade the night sky as gusting winds shook the car.
At 6:20 a.m. I set on out with snowshoes on. The trailhead starts at around 9600 feet of elevation. I was there for a workout and the altitude made sure I had a good one. I tried to push the pace and watched a glorious sunrise coming over the Great Plains to the East.
My favorite part of any mountain is the alpine area – above the tree line. Long’s Peak impressed me with its immensity once I came out of the trees and onto the frozen meadows. The granite cliffs form a formidable face which will evoke joy and awe from any climber.
My goal had been to at least make it to Chasm Lake – and that proved to be a worthwhile goal. Going beyond that would have required crampons, an ice axe, and an experienced guide. I think of myself as a conservative climber so I made a confident run around once I crossed a ridge above the lake. My GPS read about 11,650 of altitude.
I cruised down the mountain – arriving back at my car at 9:20 a.m. The parking lot was still empty as I was the only person on the mountain this morning. Throughout today’s hike the chorus “Great is Our
God” was ringing through my head.
At 6:20 a.m. I set on out with snowshoes on. The trailhead starts at around 9600 feet of elevation. I was there for a workout and the altitude made sure I had a good one. I tried to push the pace and watched a glorious sunrise coming over the Great Plains to the East.
My favorite part of any mountain is the alpine area – above the tree line. Long’s Peak impressed me with its immensity once I came out of the trees and onto the frozen meadows. The granite cliffs form a formidable face which will evoke joy and awe from any climber.
My goal had been to at least make it to Chasm Lake – and that proved to be a worthwhile goal. Going beyond that would have required crampons, an ice axe, and an experienced guide. I think of myself as a conservative climber so I made a confident run around once I crossed a ridge above the lake. My GPS read about 11,650 of altitude.
I cruised down the mountain – arriving back at my car at 9:20 a.m. The parking lot was still empty as I was the only person on the mountain this morning. Throughout today’s hike the chorus “Great is Our
God” was ringing through my head. 
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing your pics Matt. I love the Rockies too. Enjoy your Trip.
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