On August 4/5 a group of seven of us backpacked up Long's Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park.  We hit the trail from the Long's Peak Ranger Station on Friday about 3:00 PM.  We camped at the Boulderfield at elevation ~12,800 feet and then summited Saturday morning.  The weather was great.  Mostly overcast and cool.  It rained around us but we did not get too wet.  As we headed up to the Boulderfield Friday evening we heard thunder nearby but we did not see any lightning.   The hike was 16 miles long with 5,100 ft elevation gain ending at the 14,255 foot summit of Long's Peak.

Ethan at the start of the hike

Tom V.

Aaron and Sarah.

Trees are getting a little thinner.

This is one of the first views of Long's Peak.  It is the highest peak in the middle of the

picture.  The East face is nearly vertical.  Our hike from here takes us towards the peak and then off

to the right of the photograph before circling all the way around the backside of the peak

Note that the vegetation is getting sparser and we're getting close to the tree line.

Tom V, Elgin, Zoe, Ethan, Sarah, Aaron.  Long's Peak in the background.  

Long's Peak at the right side of the photograph from near the Chasm Lake trail junction

Ethan, Aaron, Elgin, and Tom V. near the trail junction before heading up to

the Boulderfield.  We started hearing pretty serious thunder to the south

at this point.  We pushed up to the Boulderfield quickly.

Aaron and Sarah hiking up to the Boulderfield.

View is to the north.  The valley below is a popular area of Rocky Mountain National

Park.  It contains Glacier Gorge and Bear Lake which are popular hiking spots

We got to the Boulderfield around 6:30 PM.  The thunder subsided.

Our campsite was near this spot.  Plenty of running water.  The

elevation is around ~12,800.  Very little wind all night long

and the temperature stayed pretty warm.

Sunset looking north (We did not have a west view)

We went to bed around 8:30 PM and got up about 5:30 AM.  People who hike this

route in one day sometime start around midnight.  We had hikers walking through our

campsite (and talking loud) at 3:00 AM.  Sunrise looking east.  Ethan looking tired.

Sunlight hitting Long's Peak in the morning.

Close-up of the Keyhole.  This is at the far (West) end of the Boulderfield.  This is where the trail

starts the tight curl around the 'backside' (West and South sides) of the mountain.  This is also where some

people turn around.  The trail from this point on gets narrower and steeper.  However, it was not

too bad.  The rock was 'grippy' and there were plenty of handholds.  Not as bad as it was played

up in my mind before the hike.  Note the shelter to the left of the Keyhole.

Tom V and me standing in the Keyhole.  View looking West/North-West

Starting the hike South from the Keyhole.  This stretch has little elevation gain.

In the back of this shot you can make out the Trough which is shown in the next shot.

Elgin in the foreground.  Tom V hiking in front of Elgin.

Starting the hike up the Trough.  The trail at the base of the Trough is at elevation ~13,300 ft.

The top of the Trough can be seen at the lowest rock point (in the "V").  It is about 600 feet higher.

This was taken about 7:00 AM.  Lot's of people on the hike.  The Ranger estimates

that 200-300 people hike this every weekend day during the Summer.  

Elgin and Tom V. heading up the Trough.

From the top of the Trough we head East along the Narrows.  This section is narrow and the

exposure is higher but it was not too bad.  Generally plenty of room to pass people and

good handholds.  This section of the trail was generally flat.

The final pitch gains about 300 feet and is called the Homestretch.

It was steep but pretty easy going up and coming down.  The summit is at the top lip.

Long's Peak summit looking West about 8:00 AM.

The elevation is 14,255.

Back to the Boulderfield to break camp.  Horses come to this point but no higher.