June 16th, 2018, is a day I may never forget. And just like most days we never forget, it started out like any other day. We woke up in our idyllic camp spot later than we had planned. But no worries because we had a “plan” for our hike that day. We wanted to go to the base of Longs Peak, the highest elevation mountain in the Rockies. We knew we couldn’t summit the peak because it required skills and gear that we did not have, but it was the grandest hike, and we wanted to accomplish it within our limits.
We set off for Glacier Gorge Junction Trail Head (first mistake) around 9 or 10 in the morning. We underestimated how long it would take us to arrive, so we didn’t start our hike until almost 11 o’clock. The trailhead was buzzing with other families outfitted with their day packs and children running around. I was happy to see so many 60+ adults with their walking poles enjoying the great outdoors with the best of us. I was ready for the day and looking forward to quieter trails.
From the trailhead, we made our way to Alberta Falls; a rushing river over massive boulders with large drops. We could walk out on rocks and see a clear and beautiful view of the gorge with only a few other hikers. But our journey continued. The trail signage listed Longs Peak and Granite Pass, and we were called to forge ahead, ignoring the time of day. From this point, the trail winded through the picturesque alpine forest. It was long and tiring, but the expansive views encouraged us to keep going. We came to another trail sign telling us that our destination was only a few miles ahead. “Ahh yes, a few miles are nothing,” we said, again ignoring the time.
Once the trees became sparse, so did my energy. The openness was deceiving in how far away “the end” was. I knew from experience that just because you could see where you wanted to be, did not mean you were close by any means. But my lovely friend came up with saying, “only 10 more minutes and we’ll be there,” to motivate my sluggish feet to keep walking. I cannot tell you how many “10 minutes” went by, but we finally arrived. We arrived at a rock graveyard with an unobscured view to soak in the majestic mountains surrounding us. It was a sight to behold, and I could not believe that we had made it. Several times I wanted to quit and turn back thinking “it won’t be worth it.” But it was worth it. It was amazing that we were so high up already, and yet we had to break out necks to admire Longs Peak. The trail slowly disappeared in the rocks leading up the massive mountain, and I suddenly could not believe we even considered climbing it in one day. It was a force to be reckoned with. In the other direction, we were graced with a view of the lovely Twin Sisters Peak. We had a 365-degree view of the best the Rockies had to offer, and we were overjoyed to be standing in its presence.
We were also completely alone in this situation. It felt like the park was ours, and we were jumping from boulder to boulder like little children. My friend tumbled off one laughing from what I think was exhaustion. I was also exhausted when I suddenly realized that we had hiked almost 7 miles to get to this view ONE WAY. I had no energy to go back. I thought I might die and contemplated the options. Daylight was quickly fading, and with the darkness was coming rain. Here we were in this amazing place, but we had to get out of there quick. We saw a sign in the opposite direction that listed Longs Peak Trail Head as only 3 miles away. My friend looked at me and asked, “What should we do?”. My mind knew fully well the consequences of going down that side. But my body told me that there was no way in hell we would make it down the other side, 7 more miles, to the parking lot with our car. So, against my better judgment, I suggested we go down the opposite side. And we went.
The second we started down, my system went into overdrive. I was like a deer racing time and weather to get to safety. Soon after it started raining and we still hadn’t reached the tree line. We made it to Chasm Junction and took a moment to put on our rain gear and admire the Chasm Lake in the distance. As much as we wanted to see it close up, we couldn’t afford two poor choices in such a short time.
Once we finally made it to the tree line, it felt like we were in another world. I would later learn the name of the forest was Goblin Forest, which was entirely appropriate. As we hiked the rain and dark, it was otherworldly to race over the rocks and streams, like we were running from a mythical creature such as a goblin. Getting to the end started to suddenly feel like getting to the top. After every turn, I expected to see some sign of life, but I was disappointed every time.
We finally found ourselves standing in an almost empty parking lot, in the rain and dark. I think the weight of the situation sunk in when we realized that the car was on the other side of the park. Maybe we hoped the car would manifest itself where we wanted it. After some contemplation, I did what was needed. Asking someone for a ride was not a foreign concept since my car had put me in many a situation over the previous three years. We noticed there was a real person in one car, a man. Now, here we are, two girls in the middle of the mountains, about to ask a strange man to drive us to our car.
I walked over to the car and realized that the man was not of a substantial size, in fact, he was smaller in height than me. With that knowledge, I felt confident and tapped on his window. I asked him the dreaded question after explaining that we were a couple of dumbasses. He agreed and, we got in and drove off. If you are wondering, “Why was this man in his car so late at night?” the answer is he was going to complete Longs Peak in one day, starting at 4 in the morning. Logically, he was sleeping in his car to make sure he had enough time. I was so thankful that he was crazy enough to attempt such a hike because it meant he was there, and without him, we would have had to sleep in the bathroom until the shuttle bus came in the morning.
I can’t say he was a very talkative man, but he was an avid mountaineer who started climbing around Asia and the Himalayas. He was using Longs Peak as conditioning for his goal: summiting Denali in Alaska. I think that is the closest I have ever come to feeling starstruck. It was like meeting an Asian Jon Krakauer.
We were so thankful for his help and for sacrificing his valuable sleep time. We got back to the car and, after some crying, we left to devour some Big Macs nearby. I have to say that driving back through the park so late at night was more terrifying than asking a strange man for a ride. We had to drive the entire way in absolute darkness, rain, heavy fog, and exhaustion. I do not recommend anyone to do this. In hindsight, we should have slept in the car.
Somehow, we made it all the way back to our modest camp sight late that night. We were both beyond tired from our day’s adventure that we slept immediately. The rest of our days in the park were spent doing shorter hikes and enjoying scenic spots. We even had the privilege of seeing a moose with her fresh calf and walking among beautiful trees.
I left the park feeling dumb for making such a poor decision, but I also felt accomplished for what we did. We hiked over 10 miles in a day hike that started at 11 o’clock, and ended in the dark and rain. I think that is an accomplishment worth celebrating! I would love to go back and spend more time in the park because it is so expansive, and there are so many other mountains to climb. I look forward to going back one day and drinking up magical views and having another wild adventure: without the hitchhiking and better planning, of course.
If you made it to the end of the post, thank you! We are nearing the end of the journey. In Part 5, I depart from my dear friend to head into the desert, where I face more challenges. Stay tuned and follow along.
Last, if you haven’t already, read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for more inspiration on what not to do on a road trip 😊
Adra Writes 
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