"On the way up, three hours seemed like 30 minutes."
Deep breaths.
"Now, 30 minutes seems like three hours."
They call it Longs Peak, after Maj. Stephen H. Long, who explored it in 1820. But most people who make the 16-mile round trip, with 4,855 feet in elevation gain to reach the 14,255-foot summit, refer to it as Looongs Peak.
From bleary-eyed marching in the dark to rock scrambling that borders on climbing at times, the hike offers a wide range of experiences for a day hike.
Potential hikers be warned: By day hike, I mean an 11-hour trek starting at 3 a.m.
Much like a trout that grows in length with each new telling of the story, reports of people hanging onto the side of Longs Peak for dear life, only one bad foot placement away from a fatal plummet, did not pan out. All in all, it's a physically demanding hike with a couple of potentially dicey maneuvers and unbelievable views. You might spot a hawk overhead, an elk herd in the distance or groundhog under your feet if you're lucky.
Longs Peak had seduced me for nearly a year before I set off on its rocky trails. I was drawn to the folklore surrounding the mountain - you can't talk to anyone in Colorado about it who doesn't mention one person a year dies on it - and the physical demand. At the very least, I thought, the views must be spectacular for so many people to devote so much time on a single hike.
For my girlfriend, reaching the mountain's elusive summit - those same fearmongers will remind you that seven out of 10 people don't make it up, although they rarely mention it's the afternoon storms that turn people around - would mark an important milestone. This would be the longest distance, biggest elevation gain and most exposed rock of any hikes she had attempted.
I did my research on the helpful site www.14ers.com and talked to friends in Colorado to separate fact from myth.
The approach becomes technical when snow drops, so for those who hurry to Rocky Mountain National Park's tallest mountain, here's what you can expect:
2:15 a.m.: After four hours of "sleep" in the back of a Jeep Liberty, a cell-phone alarm stirs us awake. Thanks to my trusty camping stove, freshly brewed coffee is imbibed and beef stew munched. Headlamps and long underwear - check.
3:15 a.m.: We start up the mountain with about a dozen others scattered about. Light from people's headlamps bounces around the forest surrounding us. We quickly pass an 8-year-old boy, never to see him or his mother again.
4:10 a.m.: We continue through the forest, coming closer to the sound of a stream that has trickled lightly in the background for most of the hike so far.
4:17 a.m.: Stars! We make it out of the trees and into the "alpine tundra" where the sky opens above.
Girlfriend: "I feel like I'm at the planetarium."
4:55 a.m.: Four miles to the top! I fight my instinct to hike fast, recalling my guide's often-repeated phrase on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro: "Polé, polé." Slowly, slowly. We wouldn't need to adjust to extreme elevation like in that trek, but the advice was still good for such a long day's journey.
5:30 a.m.: Only 3.3 miles to go. At our leisurely pace, we've passed about the same number of people (eight) as have passed us. We look behind us to see a line of headlamps slowly winding their way up the mountain behind us.
5:35 a.m.: We look up to see what I swear is a plane.
Girlfriend: "I think that's a planet. Maybe Mars?"
Me: "I'll bet you a beer that's a plane."
5:47 a.m.: I realize my "plane" hasn't moved one bit and is most certainly Venus or Mars.
5:53 a.m.: Faint rays of pink and orange light appear in the distance, revealing thick blankets of white fog below.
6:05 a.m.: Headlamps off, we are guided by the sun as a boulder field comes into view.
6:24 a.m.: We reach the boulder field as campers who braved the 30-degree night with gusting winds are gearing up to make their ascent. They look tired.
7:11 a.m.: A snack of summer sausage and Gouda below the famed Keyhole, a rock formation that serves as a gateway to the more technical parts of the jaunt.
7:31 a.m.: To make it to the Keyhole, we hop from boulder to boulder and then scramble, climbing up large rocks stacked on top of each other at a gentle pitch. Once we reach the top, wind from the other side of the Keyhole slaps our faces. Landscapes open up on the other side, revealing lakes below and a handful of mountains.
Crossing through the Keyhole marks a drastic change not only in terrain but in views below as well. As you stand at nearly 13,000 feet, less prominent peaks emerge with natural lakes scattered below. We have just 1.5 miles of scrambling left.
7:49 a.m.: After rounding a corner, hiking on the most exposed rock yet, we see the steepest part of the hike so far. We begin the 100-yard stretch, which lies on 30- to 40-degree pitch with plenty of sturdy footing.
8:24 a.m.: We see more people on this part than any other section of the hike so far. The slow, careful climbing causes a bit of a bottleneck. Some people begin coming down, but most are taking a casual pace like we are. My girlfriend is relieved to see a group of three 20-something men struggling as much as she is.
8:45 a.m.: The most technical part of the hike - so far - presents itself: My girlfriend expertly pulls herself up through a narrow opening. We reach the top of the scramble and are simultaneously hit with gusts of wind similar to the Keyhole and more views. Another natural lake presents itself below, along with mountains to the east.
8:55 a.m.: Looking up at an even steeper 100 yards of climbing ahead, I ask my girlfriend if she wants to stop to eat something.
Girlfriend: "No. I want to get this over with." She is not smiling.
9:11 a.m.: We are two-thirds through the Homestretch, the most feared portion of the climb. Nobody is clinging on in fear, but most of the dozen or so people in front and behind us are going slowly. A few hot shots cruise by us without using their hands for support. Others cling on with both hands.
9:40 a.m.: The peak! A bit anticlimactic because there is no point to climb up, but the 360-degree views are hard to beat from the field of rocks that's about as big as a football field. We spend an hour eating, whining about hurt feet (me) and chatting up tourists. I hear a few foreign accents - Austrians, perhaps - and joke with two men who were holed up in a cave shivering just an hour before. They are happily eating sandwiches. Some people sign the official registry and climb a 3-foot-tall boulder for optimum photos of their conquest.
10:50 a.m.: The descent begins.
11:50 a.m.: And continues.
12:15 p.m.: We make good time through the more technical parts of the climb. Parts that my girlfriend feared on the ascent are a breeze now. A light snow falls as we pass through the Keyhole, at 13,000 feet. Then the sun comes back out.
1:18 p.m.: Oh look, a groundhog!
1:50 p.m.: I wonder if we'll ever get off this mountain.
3 p.m.: I think I see cars. I am wrong.
3:50 p.m.: I really do see cars. Tears of joy. I think I will camp at the boulder field next time.
We planned to stop at a Boulder brewery on the way back to Denver to settle my debt and enjoy a beer, a typical day-hike routine for me. But this was no ordinary day hike. We drove directly to Denver; I drank a homemade milkshake and slept for 14 hours.
When I woke, I was happy to have accomplished a goal while debunking some of the myth. And it only cost me a beer.
rrizzo@sltrib.com
Long Peak stats
* Distance: 16 miles round trip.
* Elevation gain: 4,855 feet.
* Elevation at top: 14,255 feet.
* Time: Allow 14 hours. Day hikers should start by 3 a.m. to avoid afternoon storms.
Longs Peak
* WHY GO: Challenging day hike with great views.
* HOW TO GET THERE: Fly to Denver and drive a little over an hour to Estes Park, 70 miles northwest. Or drive the whole thing. You should be able to cover the 520-mile trip in seven hours.
* WHAT IT WILL COST: $150 round trip by plane, or about the same in gas. You don't need to enter Rocky Mountain National Park to hike Longs Peak, but it will cost $20 for a weeklong pass if you do. You can sleep in the town of Estes Park right at the entrance of the park or camp on the mountain.
* NOT TO MISS: The feeling of pain mixed with accomplishment after hiking 11 hours.
* WHERE TO EAT: There are a couple of passable restaurants in Estes Park. Your best bet is in Boulder, halfway between Denver and the mountain. Pack plenty of trail mix.
* WEATHER: Starts snowing on the mountain as early as August.
* WHAT TO WEAR: The mountain gets chilly at night, so pack as if you were going on a winter excursion. Long underwear, hats, sturdy gloves and plenty of layers are essential. A walking stick wouldn't hurt. Don't bring the pooch - dogs aren't allowed on Longs Peak.
* MORE INFORMATION: www.estes-park.com.
