Longs peak
Longs peakLONGS PEAK
Deep in the heart of the Rockies lies the small
mountain village of Estes Park, Colorado. Estes Park
borders Rocky Mountain National Park and it was my summer
retreat. Never in my life had I seen someplace taken
directly out of a fairy tale. The mountains swallowed the
town. One particular mountain immediately caught my eye.
I knew that it had to be the tallest, for it was the only
mountain that was still covered in May snow.
I later learned that the enormous mountain was
Longs Peak. Longs Peak happened to be a “fourteener", a
Colorado mountain over fourteen thousand feet. The mountain
could be seen from every corner of the park as well as from
distant cities such as Denver or Boulder, which were well
over fifty miles away. The mountain held an intense
mystification for me. It reminded me of a Cardinals game,
which I saw prior to my visit to Estes Park. Mark McGuire
was coming up to bat, and shocks rippled down my spine
when I saw him. An atomic power radiated from him. Even
though there were several other players on the field I
simply could not keep my eyes off him. Longs Peak also
stood head and shoulders over the other players.
I had to climb Longs Peak before I left Estes Park.
I felt a call that told me if I failed to climb the
mountain I would be missing out on a life changing
opportunity. Perhaps I wanted to climb it because everyday
when I went outside, it was the first thing I saw. Maybe I
wanted simply to prove to myself that I could do anything
that I set my mind and body to. I am not sure what it was;
all I know is that it was constantly in the back of my head
pushing me.
Longs Peak is an extremely difficult and technical climb.
It offers challenges to every level of climbers, especially
to a slacker like myself. The trail is only a little over
eight miles long. It has a very steep elevation gain of
over four thousand feet. The climb takes over two days of
intensely strenuous hiking. Water is the most important
thing in climbing; the body must remain fully hydrated at
all times in order to maximize best performance.
It is extremely unsafe to climb alone; therefore, my
friend Bobby accompanied me on the expedition. We started
our journey at midnight; the night air was cold, causing
goose bumps to stream through my body. The first part of
our pilgrimage up Longs Peak would take place in the dense
woods. It was pitch dark and for hours the only things I
could see were my...
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