Longs - Keyhole

Started at 7:58 am. Took the initial shortcut trail. It was in pretty rough shape from recent rains. Hit the main trail and stayed on it through a right switchback and a left switchback rather than take the shortcut. Now on the long flat section, I slowed looking for the shortcut before the next creek crossing that Bill and I had come down last year. It was further along than I anticipated, but I found it and took it. I followed it initially but lost it after crossing a small stream. A trail had continued up the stream before I crossed it, but that seemed to be going too far to the north. I ended up just heading up, trending left, until I hit the shortcut trail to Jims Grove. This took me directly to the privy where I headed hard left/south to come out of the Grove to the Jims Grove trail. Followed that up (without shortcutting) to the main trail below Granite Pass. Followed the main trail to Granite Pass and up the switchbacks to the Boulderfield. I stayed with these annoying switchbacks for the most part but did shortcut just a bit when the trail became a stream in a few spots.

Through the Boulderfield to the Keyhole and along the Ledges beyond. For the most part, really no snow and ice to deal with until about 50 yards before the Trough. I tried kicking a few steps in the snow to work my way up to the rocks above, but the snow was really firm. So, I stopped and put on my Kahtoolas while chatting with another fellow (he turned back here). I then took a low traverse to the Trough and climbed up on snow. About 2/3 of the way up, the snow ended for a bit so I removed the crampons. When I hit snow again, I went left onto the slabs which I followed to the top of the Trough. Across the Narrows which was essentially snow-free except for some patches up high which were out of the way. The Homestretch still had a pretty good snowfield in the upper half. I avoided it by scrambling up further to the right than normal. A touch trickier than the normal route.

Descending the Homestretch, I stayed closer to the normal route, still avoiding the snow, which was quite wet/verglassed and slippery. Took my time here. I decided to descend the right side of the Trough on the slabs/rock. Right near the top, I stepped on a patch of black ice on a slab. Fortunately, I didn't fall down the slab and just smacked my hand on the rock, bruising my palm. Descended very cautiously after that. Took a higher traverse across snow with good steps back to the Ledges. Back through the Keyhole and the Boulderfield to Granite Pass.

Left the trail at Granite Pass to run the ridge over Battle Mountain and over to Pine Ridge. Topped out on all of the major bumps along the ridge. From the furthest point, I then made my way back toward Pine Ridge, which I was thinking I'd follow all the way down. I had to traverse high to skirt some snowfields before I could drop down toward the ridge. Snowed a bit on me here. As I neared the ridge, it started to look less and less appealing; ie, a nasty bushwhack. After bushwhacking a ways down, I decided to give up on the ridge. It looked ugly to drop to the right toward the main trail, so I opted to drop down to the left and drop down to the Estes Cone trail. The bushwhacking wasn't too bad doing this, and I eventually picked up a faint trail which I followed to the Cone trail (Eugenia Mine trail). Jogged this a bit further than expected back to the main trail and back to the trailhead.

0:00 - Longs Peak TH
12:01 - junction of the first shortcut trail with the main trail
23:42 - leaving the main trail on a shortcut before crossing the creek
1:06:15 - junction of the Jims Grove trail with the main trail
1:34:57 - Boulderfield privy sign
1:48:11 - Keyhole
2:26:50 - top of the Trough (start of the Narrows)
2:38:45 - summit
2:47:44 - started down
2:57:15 - top of the Trough
3:22:59 - Keyhole
dup - Granite Pass
5:12:58 - Longs Peak TH

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