The quest for our first 14'er. Longs Peak rises from it's trail head at 9400' to 14,259'. The trail is 14-16 mi long and took us 14.5 hrs to complete. Ken and I began at 2 am, head-lamps blazing, and we arrived at the boulder field by 5 am to rest and watch the sunrise. I set out for the summit through the Key Hole around 6 am; what should've only taken a little over 4 hrs at that point, took me 6 due to altitude sickness. Luckily, I was back through the Key Hole just as the afternoon thunder storms began pounding the peak. Ken and I were off the mountain and signing out of the trail register by 4:30. This wasn't a hike, it was a climb - my first peak above 14K'. Words can't explain this trip, it's experience I'll never forget. Humbled, exhilarated, defeated, celebration, and respect are just some of the words that come to mind.
