Hard Corps

Hard Corps
Originally uploaded by thewbert.

Last week Andrew and I made an attempt on Longs peak. Longs Peak is the only 14'er in Rocky Mountain National Park, and is the peak featured on the Colorado quarter. It is both challenging and accessible. The standard route is about 15 miles round trip and and about 4000 feet of elevation gain. In order to make a serious attempt, one has to get started on the trailhead by about 3 or 4 in the morning. We started just minutes after 4:00 after a good breakfast of bacon, eggs, and cinnamon rolls. We almost made it to the top before some weather moved in and forced us down so we wouldn't die on the class 3 part (slightly dangerous, especially when wet). We did, however, get this photo of us with the NOAA Corps flag at the keyhole.