Longs, Meeker - Cables/Gorrell's Traverse/Iron Gates

5410 up (+33), 5470 down (-36), 3 laps, 5:44

Solo. On the ascent, stayed on the trail (no shortcuts) until the Jim's Grove junction. Turned onto the Jim's Grove trail. Ran everything from the start until a ways past the switchback on the Jim's Grove trail. When I hit the main trail again, I turned onto it and continued on it past Granite Pass. I left the trail past Granite Pass and started cutting the switchbacks (staying on rocks as much as possible). When I reached a couple of the switchbacks, I was hitting the trail with other hikers just below, so I felt guilted into staying on the trail for a bit before getting some distance on them, then cutting the trail again. Didn't really like doing that, but I was trying to go as fast as possible, and those switchbacks suck! Continued across the Boulderfield and up the talus toward Chasm View. There was still a little bit of snow below the Cables pitch. My crux of the day was probably getting past one icy section down here. Once I reached the pitch, it was pretty much entirely wet. However, the climbing went pretty easy and wasn't stressful. Above the pitch, I looked at my watch, and I had 14 minutes to go to break 2 hours. I had only eaten 1 Gu so far and felt like I had been slowing down since starting up from the Boulderfield. I didn't think I'd make it, but I held on and topped out at the summit boulder in 1:58:02. I hung out and chatted with a few folks from Iowa (working in Estes for the summer) for a bit. Then I headed down the Homestretch, then down toward Keplinger's Couloir. I eyed the Palisades as I approached, looking for the likely line of Gorrell's Traverse. I decided to give it a go. I initially headed up talus toward the Notch, then scrambled up to the right. I thought the initial traverse was going to be along some flakes that I had seen, but when I scrambled up and looked at those flakes, no way! Too hard, way too exposed! But I then saw a ledge a little higher up. Scrambled up to it. It was 1-2 feet wide with excellent handholds, but it was very exposed. I carefully worked my way across and down the ledge. The crux here was making a step down where a large flake is detached. Once down by this flake, I was on easy ground. I zig-zagged my way up a bit, heading for what appeared to be a trivial 3rd class chimney system to the left. I started up the chimney and realized it was steeper and harder than I initially thought. I continued up, coming to a tricky section. With some loose-looking blocks to my right, I made one difficult move up. After that, I still had a tricky section. I didn't feel comfortable down-climbing the move I had just done, but the next move wasn't very appealing either. I took my time and worked out a sequence. I think this is probably the section the Gillett guide calls 5.4. I wouldn't argue with that. In my running shoes, this was very exciting! It was easy ground above this section. Atop the chimney, I continued up to "Southeast Longs". Hung out for a bit looking down on Kieners, then continued over to Meeker. After a brief break, I continued over to Meeker Ridge. I saw a climber on the Ridge's "summit" and thought that I saw him headed toward me, but as I approached the summit, he was hanging out there. After some conversation (and a chocolate from him), he introduced himself as Sean Connor from 14erWorld. Cool! We descended Meeker's East Ridge together toward the Iron Gates. Down through the Gates, then down, down, down talus. I eventually left Sean to descend more quickly. Passing the Ship's Prow, I stopped briefly to watch a pair of climbers on Gangplank! (?). The leader was trying to free a big roof, but wasn't making any progress. I continued on, running to Chasm Junction, then running hard back down to the trailhead.

stopwatch:
00:07:20 - first switchback
00:28:31 - bridge
00:37:16 - Jim's Grove junction
01:58:02 - summit boulder
05:42:45 - trailhead

log:
5:38 am, 9410, 0 - started the log
5:39, 9450, +42
5:40, 9500, +55
5:41, 9540, +32
5:42, 9550, +16
5:43, 9590, +36
5:44, 9630, +42
5:45, 9670, +36
5:46, 9720, +52
5:47, 9770, +45
5:48, 9810, +42
5:49, 9860, +52
5:50, 9900, +32
5:51, 9920, +26
5:52, 9970, +52
5:53, 10020, +45
5:54, 10050, +29
5:55, 10080, +26
5:56, 10100, +26
5:57, 10130, +29
5:58, 10160, +32
5:59, 10200, +32
6:00, 10230, +36
6:01, 10270, +32
6:02, 10300, +32
6:03, 10340, +39
6:04, 10390, +52
6:05, 10430, +39
6:06, 10470, +42
6:07, 10510, +39
6:08, 10550, +39
6:09, 10580, +29
6:10, 10630, +45
6:11, 10670, +45
6:12, 10700, +29
6:13, 10750, +49
6:14, 10790, +39
6:15, 10820, +32
6:16, 10860, +39
6:17, 10900, +36
6:18, 10930, +32
6:19, 10960, +32
6:20, 11000, +36
6:21, 11040, +42
6:22, 11080, +36
6:23, 11120, +36
6:24, 11150, +29
6:25, 11190, +49
6:26, 11240, +42
6:27, 11280, +45
6:28, 11320, +36
6:29, 11360, +39
6:30, 11390, +32
6:31, 11430, +36
6:32, 11470, +42
6:33, 11510, +42
6:34, 11550, +36
6:35, 11590, +39
6:36, 11640, +55
6:37, 11700, +52
6:38, 11730, +36
6:39, 11790, +59
6:40, 11820, +26
6:41, 11840, +26
6:42, 11890, +42
6:43, 11910, +22
6:44, 11920, +13
6:45, 11980, +59
6:46, 12020, +39
6:47, 12070, +49
6:48, 12120, +52
6:49, 12160, +32
6:50, 12200, +49
6:51, 12250, +42
6:52, 12280, +32
6:53, 12320, +39
6:54, 12360, +36
6:55, 12370, +13
6:56, 12390, +22
6:57, 12410, +19
6:58, 12440, +29
6:59, 12450, +9
7:00, 12480, +32
7:01, 12510, +26
7:02, 12540, +29
7:03, 12570, +29
7:04, 12610, +45
7:05, 12660, +42
7:06, 12710, +52
7:07, 12740, +26
7:08, 12780, +45
7:09, 12840, +62
7:10, 12890, +42
7:11, 12940, +52
7:12, 12980, +42
7:13, 13030, +45
7:14, 13080, +52
7:15, 13140, +55
7:16, 13180, +45
7:17, 13220, +36
7:18, 13260, +42
7:19, 13290, +32
7:20, 13310, +19
7:21, 13330, +16
7:22, 13360, +29
7:23, 13390, +26
7:24, 13420, +29
7:25, 13450, +32
7:26, 13490, +42
7:27, 13540, +49
7:28, 13570, +32
7:29, 13620, +49
7:30, 13660, +39
7:31, 13720, +55
7:32, 13750, +32
7:33, 13800, +45
7:34, 13850, +52
7:35, 13890, +42
7:36, 13930, +39
7:37, 13940, +6 - summit of Longs Peak
7:38, 13930, -9
7:39, 13930, +6
7:40, 13940, +6
7:41, 13940, 0
7:42, 13940, 0
7:43, 13940, -3
7:44, 13930, -3
7:45, 13940, +6
7:46, 13940, +3
7:47, 13950, +3
7:48, 13940, -3
7:49, 13940, -3
7:50, 13940, 0
7:51, 13940, -3 - started down
7:52, 13850, -85
7:53, 13800, -52
7:54, 13730, -72
7:55, 13680, -42
7:56, 13640, -42
7:57, 13580, -65
7:58, 13550, -22
7:59, 13520, -36
8:00, 13470, -42
8:01, 13450, -19
8:02, 13440, -19
8:03, 13430, -9 - low
8:04, 13450, +26
8:05, 13480, +29
8:06, 13520, +36
8:07, 13530, +16
8:08, 13530, -3
8:09, 13520, -13
8:10, 13550, +29
8:11, 13560, +9
8:12, 13590, +29
8:13, 13600, +9
8:14, 13610, +9
8:15, 13610, +6
8:16, 13610, 0
8:17, 13610, -3
8:18, 13610, +3
8:19, 13630, +13
8:20, 13640, +16
8:21, 13680, +36
8:22, 13710, +32
8:23, 13760, +52 - summit of "Southeast Longs"
8:24, 13760, -3
8:25, 13750, -6
8:26, 13740, -9
8:27, 13740, -6
8:28, 13750, +9 - started down
8:29, 13690, -52
8:30, 13660, -36
8:31, 13600, -55
8:32, 13540, -59
8:33, 13490, -49
8:34, 13440, -55
8:35, 13380, -62
8:36, 13310, -62
8:37, 13260, -55
8:38, 13220, -42
8:39, 13210, -9
8:40, 13190, -13 - low
8:41, 13210, +16
8:42, 13220, +6
8:43, 13230, +19
8:44, 13230, -3
8:45, 13230, 0
8:46, 13230, 0
8:47, 13230, 0
8:48, 13250, +19
8:49, 13280, +32
8:50, 13320, +39
8:51, 13370, +42
8:52, 13380, +16
8:53, 13420, +39
8:54, 13460, +36
8:55, 13470, +13
8:56, 13500, +32
8:57, 13550, +49
8:58, 13590, +36
8:59, 13610, +19 - summit of Mount Meeker
9:00, 13610, -3
9:01, 13600, -9
9:02, 13600, +6
9:03, 13600, -6
9:04, 13600, +3
9:05, 13610, +6
9:06, 13610, +6
9:07, 13620, +6
9:08, 13620, 0 - started down
9:09, 13610, -6
9:10, 13590, -22
9:11, 13550, -42
9:12, 13540, -3
9:13, 13540, -6
9:14, 13530, -3 - low
9:15, 13540, +6
9:16, 13560, +22
9:17, 13570, +9
9:18, 13580, +6 - summit of Meeker Ridge
9:19, 13560, -16
9:20, 13560, 0
9:21, 13570, +6
9:22, 13570, 0
9:23, 13570, 0
9:24, 13570, -3
9:25, 13560, -3
9:26, 13560, 0 - started down
9:27, 13550, -13
9:28, 13520, -26
9:29, 13480, -39
9:30, 13450, -36
9:31, 13420, -32
9:32, 13410, -6
9:33, 13380, -32
9:34, 13350, -22
9:35, 13330, -22
9:36, 13310, -22
9:37, 13280, -29
9:38, 13260, -13
9:39, 13230, -39
9:40, 13200, -29
9:41, 13160, -32
9:42, 13140, -26
9:43, 13100, -36
9:44, 13080, -22
9:45, 13060, -16
9:46, 13040, -19
9:47, 13020, -19
9:48, 13000, -22
9:49, 12970, -26
9:50, 12970, -6
9:51, 12960, -9
9:52, 12960, +6
9:53, 12950, -9
9:54, 12920, -29
9:55, 12900, -26
9:56, 12880, -19
9:57, 12840, -39
9:58, 12810, -29
9:59, 12770, -36
10:00, 12760, -16
10:01, 12710, -42
10:02, 12690, -22
10:03, 12660, -32
10:04, 12630, -29
10:05, 12600, -32
10:06, 12550, -45
10:07, 12530, -22
10:08, 12500, -29
10:09, 12470, -26
10:10, 12440, -32
10:11, 12400, -32
10:12, 12370, -32
10:13, 12340, -29
10:14, 12310, -36
10:15, 12290, -19
10:16, 12260, -26
10:17, 12210, -45
10:18, 12190, -19
10:19, 12130, -68
10:20, 12120, -9
10:21, 12100, -19
10:22, 12080, -13
10:23, 12080, -3
10:24, 12070, -9
10:25, 12060, -6
10:26, 12030, -32
10:27, 11990, -39
10:28, 11950, -39
10:29, 11910, -42
10:30, 11850, -55
10:31, 11790, -62
10:32, 11760, -36
10:33, 11690, -62
10:34, 11660, -29
10:35, 11640, -26
10:36, 11630, -6
10:37, 11640, +9
10:38, 11630, -13
10:39, 11620, -9
10:40, 11580, -32
10:41, 11550, -36
10:42, 11530, -16
10:43, 11500, -36
10:44, 11450, -49
10:45, 11420, -29
10:46, 11400, -13 - low
10:47, 11400, -6
10:48, 11410, +13
10:49, 11450, +39 - high at Chasm Cutoff/Junction
10:50, 11430, -16
10:51, 11390, -45
10:52, 11350, -39
10:53, 11330, -16
10:54, 11270, -62
10:55, 11180, -88
10:56, 11090, -91
10:57, 11010, -82
10:58, 10930, -75
10:59, 10860, -68
11:00, 10790, -68
11:01, 10760, -36
11:02, 10680, -78
11:03, 10630, -52
11:04, 10540, -88
11:05, 10480, -55
11:06, 10400, -78
11:07, 10350, -55
11:08, 10260, -85
11:09, 10210, -52
11:10, 10140, -65
11:11, 10090, -55
11:12, 10030, -62
11:13, 9970, -52
11:14, 9900, -68
11:15, 9830, -72
11:16, 9750, -78
11:17, 9660, -95
11:18, 9580, -75
11:19, 9490, -91
11:20, 9440, -49
11:21, 9340, -98 - stopped log