Mount Meeker via Iron Gates
Longs Peak via Clark's Arrow
7/20/2008
As the summer scrambling season treks on we had been talking about hitting Longs again, but not wanting to tango with the extraordinary crowds (now that the "technical" climb warning at the ranger station had been lifted which marks the true tourist wave), we had been a little uncertain. Finally, we decided that we could miss 90% of the people by going around Clark's Arrow and then just cope on the way down the Keyhole. After setting up the plans we finally agreed on going up Meeker via the Iron Gates, crossing the knife-edge to the upper summit, then trekking down Clark's Arrow to Longs and looping back on the Keyhole route.
We signed into the register at 2:20am and set off. Passed a few sets of people but were really surprised that there hadn't been more that had hit the mountain yet. Making ok time we were at Chasm meadow by about 3:30 and set off up the left-most of the Iron Gates. The route up to the ridge on Meeker was quite steep with many loose rocks, and made more interesting in the dark. The spectacular sunrise we got a few hundred feet below the false summit of Meeker more than made up for the trudge up the Gates.
We took a short break on the false summit then set off across the knife-edge. I felt the scrambling was not too challenging and very enjoyable and we found ourselves on Meeker proper at 7am sharp.
The true summit on Meeker is very nice and is a great contrast to the sprawling summit on Longs. The view of Longs from Meeker is amazing and it was fun to spot the few people that had made it up so early.
After soaking up some scenery we set off down and across the Loft towards the downclimb to Clark's Arrow. I found a series of very obvious cairns that led directly to the route and thought it was very clearly marked.
The downclimb into the backside of Longs was very straightforward and only contained a few interesting moves. We soon landed right next to the very elusive Clark's Arrow.
A friend of ours had done the same route the day before and said that if you wanted to avoid the downclimb you could descend from more towards the middle of the Loft and come around below Clark's Arrow. Apparently it is just a walk down that way. Here is a picture he gave me of that route.
From Clark's Arrow the views up the rest of the route are spectacular and the route is very obvious.
We took a short (and highly irresistible) detour up into the Notch. The final climb into the Notch itself was a very interesting- possibly a low 5th class climb- but had a great view of Chasm Lake.
Back down onto the route and towards Longs was very simple except there is one patch of snow persisting. It was bypassed on the left by some scrambling up some fairly steep, wet and slippery rock. This was the only place I felt extra care was needed.
After that we quickly were back on the Homestretch (which surprised a few people) and hit the summit about 9:20a.
Enjoying the views and feeling good we headed back down the Keyhole Route without incident (other than the crowds going up) and made it back down just in time to avoid an early storm that was dropping lightning.
A wonderful route that I would highly recommend. It is a great way to loop hike the two tallest peaks in the park and feel secluded on one of the busiest 14ers out there.
As the summer scrambling season treks on we had been talking about hitting Longs again, but not wanting to tango with the extraordinary crowds (now that the "technical" climb warning at the ranger station had been lifted which marks the true tourist wave), we had been a little uncertain. Finally, we decided that we could miss 90% of the people by going around Clark's Arrow and then just cope on the way down the Keyhole. After setting up the plans we finally agreed on going up Meeker via the Iron Gates, crossing the knife-edge to the upper summit, then trekking down Clark's Arrow to Longs and looping back on the Keyhole route.
We signed into the register at 2:20am and set off. Passed a few sets of people but were really surprised that there hadn't been more that had hit the mountain yet. Making ok time we were at Chasm meadow by about 3:30 and set off up the left-most of the Iron Gates. The route up to the ridge on Meeker was quite steep with many loose rocks, and made more interesting in the dark. The spectacular sunrise we got a few hundred feet below the false summit of Meeker more than made up for the trudge up the Gates.
We took a short break on the false summit then set off across the knife-edge. I felt the scrambling was not too challenging and very enjoyable and we found ourselves on Meeker proper at 7am sharp.
The true summit on Meeker is very nice and is a great contrast to the sprawling summit on Longs. The view of Longs from Meeker is amazing and it was fun to spot the few people that had made it up so early.
After soaking up some scenery we set off down and across the Loft towards the downclimb to Clark's Arrow. I found a series of very obvious cairns that led directly to the route and thought it was very clearly marked.
The downclimb into the backside of Longs was very straightforward and only contained a few interesting moves. We soon landed right next to the very elusive Clark's Arrow.
A friend of ours had done the same route the day before and said that if you wanted to avoid the downclimb you could descend from more towards the middle of the Loft and come around below Clark's Arrow. Apparently it is just a walk down that way. Here is a picture he gave me of that route.
From Clark's Arrow the views up the rest of the route are spectacular and the route is very obvious.
We took a short (and highly irresistible) detour up into the Notch. The final climb into the Notch itself was a very interesting- possibly a low 5th class climb- but had a great view of Chasm Lake.
Back down onto the route and towards Longs was very simple except there is one patch of snow persisting. It was bypassed on the left by some scrambling up some fairly steep, wet and slippery rock. This was the only place I felt extra care was needed.
After that we quickly were back on the Homestretch (which surprised a few people) and hit the summit about 9:20a.
Enjoying the views and feeling good we headed back down the Keyhole Route without incident (other than the crowds going up) and made it back down just in time to avoid an early storm that was dropping lightning.
A wonderful route that I would highly recommend. It is a great way to loop hike the two tallest peaks in the park and feel secluded on one of the busiest 14ers out there.
