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25-517: Longs Peak can be seen behind Mt. Meeker from Longmont, Colorado and more directly from Loveland, Colorado , as well as from most of the northern Front Range Urban Corridor . It is one of the most prominent mountains in Colorado, rising 9,000 feet (2,700 m) above the western edge of the Great Plains . The peak is named for Major Stephen Harriman Long , who is said to have been the first to spot

50-692: A beaver . Lumena Wortman Buhl was the first woman to summit the east face of the mountain.( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Blaurock ) In 1954 the first proposal made to the National Park Service to climb The Diamond was met with an official closure, a stance not changed until 1960. The Diamond was first ascended by Dave Rearick and Bob Kamps that year, by a route that would come to be known simply as D1 . This route would later be listed in Allen Steck and Steve Roper's influential book Fifty Classic Climbs of North America . The easiest route on

75-526: A cam-action lever attaches the crampon to the heel. The last type (strap bindings) is more versatile and can adapt to virtually any boot or shoe, but often does not fit as precisely as the other two types. Oscar Eckenstein designed the first 10-point crampon in 1908, dramatically reducing the need for step cutting. This design was then made commercially available by the Italian Henry Grivel. Crampons are made of steel alloy, lightweight aluminum, or

100-433: A combination of the two. Lighter weight crampons are popular for alpine ski touring where demands are generally lower and lightweight a premium. Early 10-point crampons lacked forward-angled spikes and thus required step cutting on steep terrain. In the 1930s two additional forward-slanting points were added, making them exceptional for mountaineering and glacier travel and beginning a revolution in front pointing . There

125-726: A full "strap-in" system and a "hybrid" binding that features a toe strap at the front and a heel lever at the back. To prevent snow from balling up under crampons, especially in temperatures around freezing, most models can be fitted with plastic or rubber "anti-balling" systems to reduce build-up. Rubber models use flexion to repel snow while plastic anti-balling plates employ a hydrophobic surface to prevent adhesion. Crampons are graded C1, C2 and C3 relative to their flexibility and general compatibility with different styles of boots. No crampons are suitable for B0 boots (flexible walking boots). Specialized "ski crampons" are employed in ski mountaineering on hard snow and ice. Far more common in

150-519: A risk of lightning strikes. The most difficult portion of the hike begins at the Boulder Field, 6.4 miles (10 km) into the hike. After scrambling over the boulders, hikers reach the Keyhole at 6.7 miles (10.5 km). The following quarter of a mile involves a scramble along narrow ledges, many of which may have nearly sheer cliffs of 1,000 feet (305 m) or more just off the edge. The next portion of

175-410: A summit. For hikers who do not wish to climb to the summit, there are less-involved hikes on the peak as well. Peacock Pool and Chasm Lake are popular hiking destinations and follow well-maintained trails. It is also rewarding to hike just to the Boulder Field, the Keyhole, or the seldom-visited Chasm View—the ridge between Mount Lady Washington and the east face of Longs Peak. Camping is available at

200-579: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Crampons A crampon is a traction device attached to footwear to improve mobility on snow and ice during ice climbing . Besides ice climbing, crampons are also used for secure travel on snow and ice, such as crossing glaciers , snowfields and icefields , ascending snow slopes, and scaling ice-covered rock. There are three main attachment systems: step-in, hybrid, and strap bindings. The first two require boots with welts , or specialized mountaineering boots with dedicated front and rear lugs, as

225-423: Is currently a range of models, including specialized crampons with as many as 14 points and models with single points for ice climbing. Crampons are fastened to footwear by means of a binding system. Improved attachment systems – such as a cam action "step-in" system similar to a ski binding and particularly well adapted to plastic technical mountaineering boots - have widely increased crampon use. Crampons also use

250-467: Is fairly exposed to the elements and requires an ascent of 3300ft over 6.4 miles with an overnight pack. Fifty-nine people have died climbing or hiking Longs Peak. According to the National Park Service, two people, on average, die every year attempting to climb the mountain. Less experienced mountaineers are encouraged to use a guide for this summit to mitigate risk and increase the probability of

275-417: Is not "technical" during the summer season. It was probably first used by pre-Columbian indigenous people collecting eagle feathers. The first recorded ascent was on August 23, 1868 by the surveying party of John Wesley Powell via the south side. Addie Alexander was the first woman to summit Longs Peak in 1871. Isabella L Bird also recounts an ascent in the 1870s in one of her letters (A Lady’s Life in

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300-505: Is the second highest summit in Rocky Mountain National Park after its neighbor Longs Peak , 0.7 miles (1.1 km) to the northwest. Due to its location southeast of Longs Peak, Mount Meeker is more visually prominent along much of the northern Front Range Urban Corridor . The peak is considered more difficult to climb, technically, than Longs Peak on certain routes. Neniis-otoyou’u , or nesótaieux , ("two guides")

325-566: Is what the Arapaho people called both Longs Peak and Mount Meeker. Les Deux Oreilles ("two ears") is what a couple of French trappers called Longs Peak and Mount Meeker in 1799. The name "Mount Meeker" was first suggested in 1873 when the Hayden Survey was performed. Present were William Byers , Anna Dickinson , and Ralph Meeker, the son of Nathan Meeker . It was officially named this in 1911. This Colorado state location article

350-893: The Alps than in the United States, these ski crampons are known by their European names: Harscheisen (German), couteaux (French) and coltelli (Italian) , literally French and Italian for " knives " in those languages. While crampons generally have a solid frame, and large spikes, and may only be attached to a mountaineering boot , microspikes typically are flexible rubber or metal chains with more, smaller spikes. Since crampons are tighter and have larger spikes, they are typically used for mountaineering on steep and dense snow or glacial ice in order to maintain strong traction and avoid falls, whereas microspikes may be attached to multiple types of shoes and are generally used for hiking on flatter surfaces such as snow or even gravel or dirt. Heel spurs are

375-583: The Boulder Field and also on the lower portions of the mountain, such as Goblin's Forest next to the stream at the bottom. Technical climbers, with the correct permit, are allowed to use sites at the base of the East Face and at Chasm View. It is also possible to camp to the south of the mountain at Sand Beach Lake. In addition to the standard "Keyhole" route, there are more serious and more technical climbs on Longs Peak. Climbers should seek qualified instruction; deaths on Longs Peak are an annual occurrence. Some of

400-671: The East Longs Peak Trail, the Longs Peak Trail, the Keyhole Route, Clark's Arrow and the Shelf Trail . Only some technical climbing is required to reach the summit of Longs Peak during the summer season, which typically runs from mid July through early September. Outside of this window the popular "Keyhole" route is still open; however, its rating is upgraded to all "technical" as treacherous ice formation and snow fall necessitates

425-657: The Front Range on June 30, 1820, during an expedition on behalf of the U.S. government . Together with nearby Mount Meeker , with an elevation of 13,911 feet, the two mountains are sometimes referred to as the Twin Peaks (not to be confused with a nearby lower mountain called Twin Sisters ). As the only fourteener in Rocky Mountain National Park , the peak has long been of interest to climbers . The easiest route

450-851: The Rockies in "A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains". Mount Meeker Mount Meeker is a high mountain summit of the Twin Peaks Massif in the northern Front Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America . The 13,916-foot (4,242 m) thirteener is located in the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness , 4.8 miles (7.7 km) west by north ( bearing 285°) of the community of Allenspark in Boulder County , Colorado , United States . Mount Meeker

475-472: The Rocky Mountains) The East Face of the mountain is 1,675 feet, steep, and surmounted by a 1,000 feet steep sheer cliff known as " The Diamond " (so-named because of its shape, approximately that of a cut diamond seen from the side and inverted). Another famous profile belongs to Longs Peak: to the southeast of the summit is a series of rises which, when viewed from the northeast, resembles

500-563: The face is the Casual Route (5.10a), first climbed in 1977. It has since become the most popular route up the wall. Clark's Arrow (4th-class) is a climb to the summit of Longs named after John Michael Clark, who was a park ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park in the 1950s. The oldest person to summit Longs Peak was Rev. William "Col. Billy" Butler, who climbed it on September 2, 1926, his 85th birthday. In 1932, Clerin "Zumie" Zumwalt summited Longs Peak 53 times. The record number of ascents to

525-609: The hike includes climbing over 600 vertical feet (183 m) up the Trough before reaching the most exposed section of the hike, the Narrows. Just beyond the Narrows, the Notch signifies the beginning of the Homestretch, a steep climb to the football field-sized, flat summit. It is possible to camp out overnight in the Boulder Field (permit required) which makes for a less arduous two-day hike. However, this

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550-736: The more common routes are, in approximate order of popularity, Longs Peak is described in Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon as the location of a 16 feet (192-inch) reflecting telescope called "the Telescope of the Rocky Mountains", built for the purpose of tracking the Columbiad projectile on her flight to the Moon. Englishwoman Isabella Bird extensively describes her joy of visiting Estes Park and climbing Longs Peak during her 1872 solo trip from San Francisco to

575-491: The summit of Longs Peak is 428, by Jim Detterline . Jim was a rescue Ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park. On October 23, 2016, he died in an accident while solo climbing. Jim rescued over 1,000 people in the mountains of Rocky Mountain National Park and he received the U.S. Interior Department's Valor Award. He also earned the title "Mr. Longs Peak". On June 6, 2016, a group of US Special Forces were rescued after members of

600-458: The team suffered from altitude sickness. Longs Peak has one remaining glacier named Mills Glacier . The glacier is located around 12,800 feet (3,900 m) at the base of the Eastern Face, just above Chasm Lake. A permanent snowfield, called The Dove , is located north of Longs Peak. Longs Peak is one of fewer than 50 mountains in Colorado that have a glacier. Trails that ascend Longs Peak include

625-436: The use of specialized climbing equipment including, at a minimum, crampons and an ice axe . It is one of the most difficult Class 3 fourteener scrambles in Colorado. The hike from the trailhead to the summit is 8.4 miles (13.5 km) each way, with a total elevation gain of 4,875 feet. Most hikers begin before dawn in order to reach the summit and return below the tree line before frequent afternoon thunderstorms bring

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