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The Summit (pg. 2) |
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by Jerry Cates |
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The flat summit on top of Longs Peak has an area of more than four acres, and is shaped like a trapezoid with four well-defined sides. The west and east sides are roughly parallel. The north edge is nearly 350 ft. long, and overlooks Chasm View, Mount Lady Washington (13,281 ft., seen in the photo on the left, below, just beyond the north edge of Longs), Battle Mountain (12,044 ft., center of the photo on the left, below, just beyond MLW), the Boulderfield, and Storm Peak; its horizon extends well into Nebraska.
The southern edge- which I have my back to in the photo on the right, above- is a little over 300 ft long, and overlooks the eastern flank of Pagoda Mountain (13,497 ft.), North Ridge- which extends from my left hand slightly upward toward the horizon, and Mt. Orton (11,724 ft.); the southern horizon extends beyond Denver, a bit less than halfway to New Mexico. Longs Peak is the highest mountain peak in the Rocky Mountain National Park. When you are standing on top of it, YOU are the highest point in the Rocky Mountain National Park. But Longs isn't the highest peak in the Rockies or in the U.S. It ranks only 35th among the peaks found on the North American continent. Ten of the higher peaks, all in Alaska, are higher than 15,000 ft., but most are no more than a couple hundred feet higher than Longs. Next: The Summit, pg. 3... Longs Peak Menu ... Bugsinthenews ... Books About Longs Peak |
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