Mt. Elbert Trip Report 07/20/2011

Peak(s):	Mt. Elbert - 14,438 feet
Date Posted:	07/20/2011
Date Climbed:	07/17/2011
Author:	heatherfrazier7

Mt. Elbert - Northeast Ridge
We successfully made it to the top of Mt. Elbert this past Sunday. We got to the trailhead around 5:30 am (left Denver area around 3am) and then headed up by 6:00am. The weather started out pretty nice. The bridge across the creek was in shambles on our way up, but someone fixed it by the time we made it back down. Note, I would recommend bug spray. The mosquitos loved to feast on us in the woods. They even bothered us a little above treeline. Overall, the trail was in great shape. There were quite a few people on the trail that day. Once we reached the summit, we couldn't find the marker/plate like some of the other 14ers have. Is there one and we just couldn't find it? There was a box that had papers/pens to sign your name, so we did that. The clouds started to get a little dark, so we booked it back down to treeline right before we heard thunder. When we got back down to the clearing we saw Mt. Massive had the dark clouds over it; hope nobody was stuck up there. This was a great hike; no snow on the trail at all for the Northeast Ridge. There was some loose rock during the hardest/steepest part of the hike, when you are climbing the false summit towards the end of the route description. Although it was a little loose in places, it didn't pose any danger of seriously injuring yourself. Amazing views from the top! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt. Elbert - Northeast Ridge

We successfully made it to the top of Mt. Elbert this past Sunday. We got to the trailhead around 5:30 am (left Denver area around 3am) and then headed up by 6:00am. The weather started out pretty nice. The bridge across the creek was in shambles on our way up, but someone fixed it by the time we made it back down.

Note, I would recommend bug spray. The mosquitos loved to feast on us in the woods. They even bothered us a little above treeline.

Overall, the trail was in great shape. There were quite a few people on the trail that day. Once we reached the summit, we couldn't find the marker/plate like some of the other 14ers have. Is there one and we just couldn't find it? There was a box that had papers/pens to sign your name, so we did that.

The clouds started to get a little dark, so we booked it back down to treeline right before we heard thunder. When we got back down to the clearing we saw Mt. Massive had the dark clouds over it; hope nobody was stuck up there.

This was a great hike; no snow on the trail at all for the Northeast Ridge. There was some loose rock during the hardest/steepest part of the hike, when you are climbing the false summit towards the end of the route description. Although it was a little loose in places, it didn't pose any danger of seriously injuring yourself. Amazing views from the top!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

canuckcowboy	Geo Marker 7/20/2011 2:16pm There is a geo marker, its tucked behind a rock up there. If you keep walking in the direction away from where the trail leads you up to the summit, its about 10 feet further to where you would expect it to be, on your left. Guess you will have to climb it again
heatherfrazier7	Geo Marker 7/22/2011 12:25pm So as your walking up to the summit from the northeast ridge, it would be on the left side just below the summit? Would it be to the left of that seemingly man-made rock wall near the summit? There was a huge snow field there; maybe it was covered by the snow. If someone who has seen it goes up there again, perhaps a rock cairn could help identify the location. Heck, maybe we will go up again with some people who haven't done Mt. Elbert before. It was a beautiful hike.
mkdenver1	Geo Marker 7/25/2011 3:59am The geo marker is actually very easy to find. It is on the far end of the summit on the left side facing S/SE and not buried. And yes we noticed that too about the strange ”guest book” at the top. It really is in a tupperware container and there are also pieces of paper with ”Mount Elbert” on them for picture purposes.

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