In 1820, Major Stephen Long’s expedition on the plains, and was the first non-Indians to see Longs Peak. In 1865, Jules Verne published From the Earth to the Moon using Longs Peak as an astronomical observatory. The adventurous editor of the Rocky Mountain News, William N. Byers attempted to climb Longs Peak in 1864, but failed. In 1868, John Wesley Powell, William Byers (Rocky Mountain News) and others made the first ascent of Longs Peak. Detachments from two major government surveys entered the mountains. Clarence King arrived in 1871, and Ferdinand Vandiveer Hayden followed in 1873. In 1871, Addie Alexander was the first woman to climb Longs Peak, followed by Isabella Bird, Miss Jane Bartlett, and then by well-known lecturer and author Anna E. Dickinson in 1873. After entering the region, Bird wrote September 28th, 1873: "I have just dropped into the very place I have been seeking, but in everything it exceeds all my dreams." In 1929, more than 1600 people signed the register at the summit of Long’s Peak.

In 1960, new climbing policies went into effect.  These allowed peaks such as The Diamond on Longs Peak to be climbed for the first time.  Much to the dismay of several Colorado climbers, two Californians, David Rearick and Robert Kamps, both experts on the big walls of Yosemite, were first to apply for permission and meet all the necessary requirements. Their previous technical climbs, attention to safety, and agreement to help provide for a possible rescue all combined to give them first chance at the Diamond. Their climb began on August 1, 1960. In 1993, the Alpine group of Hotshots was reassigned to its current location in Rocky Mountain National Park. The crew moved into a new work center and dormitory facility in view of Longs Peak.

Credits and Sources:

“Alpine History.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Alpine Hotshots. Accessed May 31, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/management/why_alpine.htm

“Brief Park History.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Stories. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/historyculture/brief.htm

“People.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. History & Culture. Accessed May 31, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/historyculture/people.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 2: Into the Domains of Silence and Loneliness.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap2.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 3: Searching for the Song of the Winds.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed June 11, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap3.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 6: Paradise Founded.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap6.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 8: The Price of Popularity.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap8.htm

“Timeline of Historic Events.” National Park Service: Rocky Mountain, Colorado. Stories. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/historyculture/time_line_of_historic_events.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 2: Into the Domains of Silence and Loneliness.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap2.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 2: Into the Domains of Silence and Loneliness.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap2.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 3: Searching for the Song of the Winds.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed June 11, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap3.htm

“Rocky Mountain National Park: A History. Chapter 5: For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” National Park Service. Park History Program. Accessed May 31, 2015. http://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/romo/buchholtz/chap5.htm