Might be more appropriate to characterize this as a "hike/run" given the gnarly terrain and of course the sheer wackiness of the Keyhole route, but undeniably a decent workout as well as a massively entertaining and scenic day. Originally this was going to happen tomorrow, but schedule got changed around a bit when I realized the run I had planned for today was much too far away from where I was staying. Bagging two fourteeners in three days within the first five days of the trip is certainly not the way to do things, and I have lingering concern that I may have incurred a mild case of altitude sickness from the hike up Pikes and this only exacerbated it. However, it was either today or never given the schedule for the rest of the trip. Hit the trail much later in the morning than my previous visits here, just before 6 in fact. Once again the running lasted around 90 minutes before turning into a mix of running and hiking, then hiking across the Boulderfield, then scrambling beyond the Keyhole to the summit. On the way back down, took the side trail to Chasm Lake and while I wish the trail itself was flatter instead of going up and then back down as it heads toward the lake, it was definitely worthwhile to lay eyes on the lakes, falls, and marshy meadow between them. Legs tired of course, some unique demands being placed on them by all the scrambling, but overall not as sore as they felt after the Pikes Peak hike. Less overall distance certainly a factor in this. Without further ado, the pictures:
trail to Chasm Lake just after sunrise
first view of the Keyhole, very far away
closer
Boulderfield seen from Keyhole
bullseyes mark the "trail"
very crowded in the Trough
up the Trough
snacks are puffy at these heights
summit is a big area
this is part of the trail too
Peacock Lake
Chasm Lake
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