Meeker Ridge (13,860 ft) by Brian Schultz Monday July 17, 2006
After climbing Drift Peak yesterday, Mark and I drove to Estes Park. Regrettably, we got caught in the Sunday afternoon traffic heading to Denver but arrived with enough time to shower, load our packs, and dine at a nearby steakhouse before turning in early. Our wake up time was for 3:00 AM.
Parking at the Longs Peak ranger station turned out to be no problem at all. The front two spots closest to the station were open and we began at 3:45 AM without jackets, the temperature a surprising 60 degrees. We set a slow but steady pace in the dark and were soon passed by several groups, one whose carabiners were clanging away as they headed up the trail to an obvious technical route. Mark was having some trouble breathing, a concern after handling yesterday's hike with no altitude problems, and we stopped for several breaks so he could catch his breath.
Even with the slow pace we arrived at the Chasm Lake junction at 5:50, where sunrise greeted us and first light cast a beautiful hue on Longs Peak. At the ranger hut we stopped for a long break to eat and give Mark a chance to rest up, not realizing that a ranger and his girlfriend were sleeping in the building while we talked loudly in front with another twosome. We could also hear a boisterous group up at the lake who seemingly were celebrating the sunrise, but could just as well been having a wine and cheese party.
Once we started again, the trail faded and then disappeared in the talus. Mark was fading also and at 7:15 announced he couldn't go any further, flat out of energy. I encouraged him to continue but he insisted I go on and said he'd wait for me. I told him it'd be at least three hours or more but he didn't mind.
At the top of the talus I turned left and headed up the slopes to Meeker's northeast ridge, occasionally glancing behind me to watch two fellows climbing up the Loft route. It's a route I'd like to come back in the future and climb as well, for this whole area is a scenic wonderland of high walls and towering peaks.
I slogged up the relentless talus slope and reached the northeast ridge (12,930 ft) at 8:15, turned right and was discouraged to see large talus blocks remaining with no easy way around them to the summit. And it wasn't even the summit ahead as it turned out, just a demoralizing false summit. I finally arrived on top at 9:28 and immediately dropped my pack. I had high hopes of climbing Mt Meeker also and started across the ridge but quickly gave up. I wasn't comfortable tackling the severely exposed ridge alone and returned to Meeker Ridge's summit, quite exposed in its own right. I ate lunch and rested for a half hour while enjoying the impressive views of Longs Peak.
It was a slow two hours of talus hopping to get back to the Chasm ranger station and I felt bad for Mark when I pulled in at 11:55. He waited much longer than expected but said he enjoyed Chasm Lake and watching the technical climbers on Longs, as well as talking to the ranger and others. Before I approached him, a well-meaning but annoying woman lectured me about hiking off trail, obviously having paid attention to the many signs about staying on the trail but apparently ignoring the fact that I walked right by the ranger without him saying a word. I dismissed her initially but later asked why she thought the ranger didn't reprimand me. She admitted being surprised at that so I pointed out there isn't a nice wide trail to the peaks, that climbers hike off trail when established trails cease, and the ranger plainly noticed I was a climber. No response from the trail captain.
We hiked out in two hours, with thunder rumbling as we neared the trailhead, and arrived at our vehicles at 2:00. Many people we talked to along the trail were climbing Longs as their first fourteener. A fun day for me, not so great for Mark but he didn't complain. We parted company and I drove in to Denver, where power outages in Thornton sent me searching elsewhere for a motel with electricity.
Trailhead to summit- 5 hours 43 minutes
Summit to trailhead- 4 hours
Start to finish- 10 hours 15 minutes (including all breaks)