Pikes Peak Mountaineers

🏔️ Longs Peak via Boulder Brook & North Longs Peak Trail
RMNP Class 3 Adventure — Keyhole Route Finish

🔭 Overview:
Join us for a big alpine day on Longs Peak, one of Colorado’s most iconic 14ers. This route starts from the Bear Lake Road corridor in Rocky Mountain National Park and approaches Longs via Boulder Brook Trail and North Longs Peak Trail, before joining the traditional Keyhole Route for the final summit climb.

This is a different approach than the standard Longs Peak Trailhead start. It is slightly longer and about 200ft more elevation gain, it still includes a long day, high altitude, exposed terrain, and Class 3 scrambling beyond the Keyhole.

This is intended as a serious group mountain objective — not a casual hike or summit-at-all-costs event.

🎯 What to Expect

• Approx. 16.4 miles round trip
• Approx. 5,534 ft elevation gain
• Full-day alpine outing
• Early start from inside RMNP
• Class 3 scrambling beyond the Keyhole
• Exposure, loose rock, route-finding, and weather-dependent decisions
• Safety-first planning and honest communication about skills
• Supportive, no-ego mountain crew

After reaching the Keyhole, the route continues through the classic Longs Peak terrain: Ledges, Trough, Narrows, and Homestretch. This section requires calm movement, good judgment, and comfort with exposure.

🏕️ Friday Night / RMNP Logistics
I have a campsite reservation at Glacier Basin Campground for Friday night.

I’m planning to take Friday off, drive up to Rocky Mountain National Park, and camp at Glacier Basin so we can start early, early Saturday morning.

Because this is inside RMNP and along the Bear Lake Road corridor, access requires planning around timed entry / park logistics.

Possible options include:

• Carpooling from Colorado Springs
• Coordinating pickup at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center
• Using the park shuttle from the Visitor Center area to the Park & Ride near Glacier Basin
• Meeting at or near the campground if you already have RMNP access arranged
• We’ll coordinate final logistics in the event comments/messages as the date gets closer.

⏰ Saturday Start Plan
My plan is to leave Glacier Basin Campground at 4:00 AM Saturday and drive to the trailhead/parking area off Bear Lake Road, near the Bierstadt Lake area.

Final timing may adjust slightly based on weather, parking, and group logistics.

Longs Peak requires an early start. Afternoon storms are common, and the terrain beyond the Keyhole is not a place to be caught in poor weather.

🎒 Bring / Gear
Required or strongly expected:

• Helmet for the Keyhole section
• Headlamp + backup batteries
• 3L water minimum
• High-calorie snacks / lunch
• Rain shell / wind shell
• Warm layers, hat, and gloves
• Sturdy hiking or approach shoes with good traction
• Navigation app / GPX downloaded offline
• Personal first aid / emergency basics
• $$ for gas or campsite 🏕 fees

Recommended:

• Trekking poles for the approach
• Gloves for scrambling
• Sunglasses / sunscreen
• Small emergency layer or bivy
• Personal wag bag / waste bag

🧭 Who This Is Good For
This hike is a good fit for people who:

• Have prior 14er experience
• Are comfortable with long, high-elevation days
• Have experience on Class 2+ or Class 3 terrain
• Are comfortable with exposure and scrambling
• Can manage themselves physically and mentally for a 10–14+ hour day
• Understand that turning around is part of good mountain judgment
• Note: This is not recommended as a first 14er or as a first exposure/scrambling route.

⚠️ Weather / Go-No-Go
Final decisions will depend on:

• Weather forecast
• Wind
• Thunderstorm timing
• Route conditions
• Group pace and readiness
• This is not a summit-at-all-costs event. If weather, pace, group condition, or route conditions are not favorable, we turn around.

🗺 AT Route Beta:
Longs Peak via Boulder Brook and North Longs Peak Trail.

🏔️ Missouri, Belford & Oxford — Collegiate Peaks Trifecta
ig Mileage • Big Gain • Three 14er Summits

verview:
oin us for a committing alpine linkup in the Collegiate Peaks: Missouri Mountain, Mount Belford, and Mount Oxford from the Missouri Gulch Trailhead.

his route visits three high summits in one long day and rewards strong pacing, solid fitness, and good group decision-making. Expect a full alpine outing with long stretches above treeline, repeated elevation loss and gain, steep switchbacks, loose sections, and exposed weather.

his is intended as a serious endurance-focused mountain objective — not a casual hike or summit-at-all-costs event.

? What to Expect

• pprox. 15.1 miles
• pprox. 7,217 ft elevation gain
• oop route from Missouri Gulch Trailhead
• ostly Class 2 terrain
• ong stretches above treeline
• teep climbs, loose sections, and repeated re-ascents between summits
• arly start and full-day effort
• eather-dependent decision-making
• upportive, no-ego mountain crew

his route requires patience, pacing, and good fitness. Even though the terrain is mostly Class 2, the mileage and elevation gain make this a big day.

?️ Route Overview
e’ll start from the Missouri Gulch Trailhead and climb quickly through forest into the open basin. From there, the goal is to link up:

issouri Mountain → Mount Belford → Mount Oxford

he route includes sustained travel above treeline and multiple climbs between peaks. In clear weather, navigation is generally straightforward, but the terrain is exposed and travel can be slow on the descents and re-ascents between summits.

inal route direction and summit order may be adjusted based on conditions, weather, pace, and group readiness.

Timing / Start Plan
e will plan for an early alpine start to maximize daylight and reduce exposure to afternoon weather.
xact meetup time, carpool options, and trailhead logistics will be confirmed closer to the event based on weather and group interest.

xpect this to be a long day. Please plan accordingly.

? Bring / Gear
equired or strongly expected:

• eadlamp + backup batteries
• L water minimum
• igh-calorie snacks / lunch
• ain shell / wind shell
• arm layers, hat, and gloves
• turdy hiking shoes or boots with good traction
• avigation app / GPX downloaded offline
• ersonal first aid / emergency basics
• $ for drivers and campsite 🏕 fees

ecommended:

• rekking poles
• unglasses / sunscreen
• ater filter or treatment option
• xtra socks
• mall emergency layer or bivy
• ersonal wag bag / waste bag

? Who This Is Good For
his hike is a good fit for people who:

• ave prior 14er experience
• re comfortable with long, high-elevation days
• an manage repeated elevation gain and loss
• ave solid fitness for a 10–14+ hour outing
• re comfortable hiking above treeline for extended periods
• nderstand that turning around is part of good mountain judgment
• his is not recommended as a first 14er or as a first big alpine day.

️ Weather / Go-No-Go
he Collegiate Peaks can see fast-changing weather, strong wind, and afternoon storms. Because this route spends long stretches above treeline, we will make conservative decisions.

inal decisions will depend on:

• eather forecast
• ind
• hunderstorm timing
• rail/route conditions
• roup size, pace and readiness
• his is not a summit-at-all-costs event. If weather, pace, group condition, or route conditions are not favorable, we turn around or shorten the objective.

ilderness Notes
his route enters the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, so we’ll follow wilderness rules and Leave No Trace principles.

? AT Route Bet

• pprox. 15.1 miles / 7,217 ft gai
• ostly Class 2 terrain with a few trickier moves