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The Home-Stretch, Going Down (pg. 1)... |
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by Jerry Cates |
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It was possible to walk over a good part of the summit's four acres in the space of an hour. That time interval was my limit. In the process I found several excellent anchor points for rappelling down the sheer 1,000 ft. east face. One day, perhaps, I will do that; it's a worthy item on a future to-do list... So long as it can be done safely. It will take at least 20 separate rappels, using double rope techniques so the rope can be retrieved at the bottom of each rappel and used again on the next one. And it will take lots of practice, over much less daunting drops than this, first. Weather conditions had been excellent on this trip. So far I had seen nothing but clear skies and a practically bone-dry trail. But such conditions cannot last long. It was already noon, and ominous clouds were beginning to gather on the horizon. The photo shown on the left, below, was taken at 12:06 p.m., and shows what the Home-Stretch looks like from the south edge of the summit. The photo on the right was taken four minutes later, after the descent was underway.
At the far end of the Home-Stretch, the south slope suddenly evaporates. That's the edge I mentioned on the way up. The backdrop, a darker whorl of rock, with a white glacial center, is the north slope Pagoda Mountain- which is about a half-mile beyond where the slope disappears. As the photo on the right, above, shows, there are plenty of hand- and toe-holds in the Home-Stretch "slide". I decided to take the slide down, because conditions were still dry and there was little or no risk of slipping. I did not slide on my butt, as some recommended, because that's a terrific way to tear the seat out of your chinos... But the soft rubber soles of my running shoes provided excellent traction, and negotiating the slide on all fours was a piece of cake. One writer says hikers ascend up Longs Peak on all fours, and descend on all fives. Despite such hoary traditions, I still tried to keep the number to four... Next: The Home-Stretch, Going Down, pg. 2 ... Longs Peak Menu ... Bugsinthenews ... Books About Longs Peak |
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