Loading…
1
Shoutout to the ranger in Rocky Mountain who talked me out of the Keyhole Route on a bluebird day
I had permits for Longs Peak last July and the weather looked perfect, so I figured the guy warning people at the trailhead was just doing his job. He pointed at clouds building west of Grand Lake and told me afternoon storms roll in fast up there, and honestly the summit was still packed with people so I almost ignored him. I turned around at the Keyhole when I heard thunder at 11am, and two days later I read about a guy getting caught in hail above the trough. Now I check the hourly forecast for the summit, not the trailhead, before committing to any alpine route. Do you all bail on a climb for clouds that look far off, or is that just me being soft?
1 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In1 Comment
vera_palmer9d ago
Ever been up high when the clouds start building but the sky right above you still looks fine? That was me on Quandary a couple summers back. Blue sky at the trailhead, but by the time I hit the ridge the whole west side was dark and rumbling. I booked it down and felt dumb for even trying. Now I look at the summit forecast, and if it says anything about afternoon storms, I'm starting at 4am or not at all. You're not soft, you're smart. The mountain will still be there next year.
1