Keyhole Route ·
Longs Peak ·
Rocky Mountain National Park
2 comments
Summiting Longs Peak via the Keyhole Route
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Below is a pretty good video of what it's like to climb Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. The video takes viewers through the Boulder Field, the Keyhole, the Ledges, the Trough, the Narrows and the Homestretch. Although many hikers and backpackers reach the summit each year, this really isn't a hike:
As you can see, to reach the summit of Longs Peak is more than just a tough day hike. It's considered to be a Class 3 climb, and requires some basic mountaineering skills, especially if the weather goes south on you while on or near the summit. If you think this is something you would like to do someday, I highly recommend learning more about this climb on the 14ers.com website.
If you're like me and think that the summit is beyond your comfort level, you can still hike up to the Keyhole. Although it's an extremely tough hike, there's relatively little exposure to steep drop-offs. In fact, for experienced hikers, it's one of the most popular hikes in the park. The views along much of the hike, especially from the Keyhole itself are quite spectacular. For more information on this hike, please click here.
If you do plan to visit Rocky Mountain National Park this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings for both Estes Park and Grand Lake.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
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As you can see, to reach the summit of Longs Peak is more than just a tough day hike. It's considered to be a Class 3 climb, and requires some basic mountaineering skills, especially if the weather goes south on you while on or near the summit. If you think this is something you would like to do someday, I highly recommend learning more about this climb on the 14ers.com website.
If you're like me and think that the summit is beyond your comfort level, you can still hike up to the Keyhole. Although it's an extremely tough hike, there's relatively little exposure to steep drop-offs. In fact, for experienced hikers, it's one of the most popular hikes in the park. The views along much of the hike, especially from the Keyhole itself are quite spectacular. For more information on this hike, please click here.
If you do plan to visit Rocky Mountain National Park this year, please note that our website offers a wide variety of accommodation listings for both Estes Park and Grand Lake.
Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies
Magpie: 
From the beginning, this hike is a steady climb for most of the way as it takes you through deep pine forest. During the first two miles or so you’ll catch sporadic views of Longs Peak and the mountains surrounding the Horseshoe Park area.
At just over 3.5 miles, the trail finally flattens out, peaking at roughly 10,760 feet. After descending a short distance you’ll reach a very beautiful pond known as Chipmunk Lake, which I found to be far more scenic than Ypsilon Lake. From the pond’s shore you’ll have outstanding views of Ypsilon Mountain, including the snow-filled Y-looking couloirs, from which the mountain derives its name.
After passing the pond, the trail begins to drop again, including a fairly steep decline just before reaching the lake. At 4.5 miles you’ll reach the western shore of Ypsilon Lake. To get the best views of the surrounding mountains, take the social trail to the opposite side of the lake.
The lake sits at the base of Ypsilon and Chiquita Mountains in the heart of the Mummy Range, and is fed by a waterfall close to where the trail intersects with the lake. It’s a nice waterfall; however, the park service is trying to rest the area and apparently doesn’t want you to visit it at this point in time. Unfortunately I didn’t notice the sign until after we left. A couple had stopped to chat with us as we were arriving, which is probably why I missed it. 
At roughly 3.5 miles you’ll begin to see the scars and awesome devastation from the Ouzel Fire in 1978. The lightning-induced fire burned more than a thousand acres, making it the largest fire in Rocky Mountain National Park history.
At 4.6 miles you’ll reach a spur trail to Ouzel Lake. Up to this point the trail has been a very pleasant hike through mostly pine forest. Above this point the trail becomes fairly rugged and steeper, with the last quarter of a mile becoming very steep (although nothing technical). At least you’ll have a lot of wildflowers to look at as you struggle up the climb.
At just over 6.5 miles and an elevation of 11,020 feet, you’ll reach Bluebird Lake. This is yet another incredibly beautiful alpine lake:
The Keyhole is the famous notch on the northwestern flank of Longs Peak. Hikers summiting the mountain pass through the Keyhole to reach the west side of the ridge and the final approach to the summit.
Beyond the Keyhole the trail becomes a bit more technical with moderate (frightening from my standpoint) exposure. You can see pictures of the path beyond the Keyhole by 
It took us about an hour and 45 minutes to do the 1.3 mile roundtrip up and down the Boulder Field (including about 5 minutes of picture taking). It was roughly half-way down that Kathy blurted-out her completely apropos comment. We were both pretty tired of negotiating the rocks at this point.
This is a relatively flat trail, with two short climbs that take you across Tombstone Ridge; the first at the very beginning of the hike, with the second beginning roughly at the one mile mark.
We passed a herd of elk near the beginning of the hike, and then another at about the half way point. Both herds, numbering maybe 20 in size, were a good quarter of a mile off the trail.
Once reaching the top, the trail begins drifting downhill. Eventually you’ll see a large rock just off to the side of the trail. This is your destination. From here you’ll have outstanding views of Longs Peak all the way down to Moraine Park and Estes Park.
This was a much needed short and easy hike for us so that we would have fresh legs for our 13-mile hike up to the summit of Mt. Lady Washington the next day.
Our next destination was the Lake of Glass. Just below a section of trail that makes the final climb to the Lake of Glass we were taking a break when we heard what sounded like a whistle in the distance. Not hearing anything else we proceeded on. As we got to within the half-way point of the climb, we rounded a corner and came face to face with a large male elk. We literally came within 30 feet of each other. I’m not sure who was startled more, but the elk moved off the trail – before I had a chance to snap a picture.
Once you get to the top, you’re just a short distance from the Lake of Glass, roughly 4.2 miles from the trailhead.
This hike became an instant classic for me, and is definitely one of the best in the park.