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At this point in the hike is when my troubles started - I began having leg cramps, first in my right leg (I am right-handed, and so tend to "lead" with my right leg when climbing, so I assume it was stressed more), and later, in the left. This slowed my progress considerably, especially since we were not on any established trails at this point, but boulder-hopping. So between having to slow my pace due to pain, I also had to frequently stop and massage a cramp out of one leg or the other, which took time.
It was a major dilemma for me. Do I turn back and let the others go on ahead? We were about 6 miles into an 18 mile hike. There were four miles and over 3000 feet of vertical gain left before the summit of Longs, and then 7.5 miles going down 5000 feet to the end. It was daunting.
But going back meant re-traversing all the difficult terrain we had covered - not a pleasant prospect either.
I elected to go on. Perhaps that was not the right decision, and it certainly would have been more considerate to my companions if I had turned back, as they would have made much better time. Perhaps in the future I will make the better choice.
At any rate, the decision was made, and we continued. In the next four hours or so I would stop over two dozen times to try to reduce the cramping and pain. It was brutal.
Now, I don't want to dwell on that, so I won't mention it again unless it is relevant.
Despite the fact that this was a strenuous approach to Longs Peak, it is stunningly beautiful! The valley has several small ponds, and is criss-crossed with streams. The going is a bit tough, as there are knee-high willows and shrubs (which very effectively hide the small streams!), and everything is green and gorgeous. The rock formations are incredible.
And above you can see the summit of Longs Peak - still looking quite high above!
Here are some photos...
The view from the large pond (on the lower right of the overall photo on the prior page). |
Due to the difficult going through the valley floor, Dave suggested that we "take the water route" via a large number of flat rocks. We did, and were able to cross the lake easily! |
This stunning "knife edge" of rock sits on the west side of the valley. |
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