Mt. Elbert Trip Report 10/22/2010

Peak(s):	Mt. Elbert - 14,438 feet
Date Posted:	10/22/2010
Date Climbed:	10/09/2010
Author:	Harvdogg87

Mt Elbert in the Snow; the Standard Route
Hey all, So this was my first trip attempt at Mt Elbert and 2 of our 4 climbers had never even attempted a 14'er before. So it was a very amateur group heading towards the top. The crew at just above 10,000 Feet The trail quickly crossed a small stream before it started up about 1000 ft of ascent. At this point, the weather was beautiful, the sun was out, and the trail was easy. The Stream After the initial ascent, the trail descends about 300 or so feet before it starts to get really steep. This is where our out of towners began to feel the pain of being 2 miles above sea level. At about the 11,500 mark, our two girls decided to call it a day and stop for some lunch. Matt (who is from the DC area) and I continued towards the top and quickly increased our pace. By 12,000 feet, we had cleared the tree line and there was a good 6 inches of snow at our feet. The wind really began to pick up as the day got later and by 12,500 Matt called decided he had reached his peak. (He was running the Rock and Roll Denver marathon a week later) Matt's peak at 12,500 Continuing on I decided to continue on a bit further and see how quickly I could move up the mountain. It took about 45 mins or so after that point to get the next 1000ft completed. I reached the 13,500 ft mark and had some killer views. But looking up, I could see the hardest was yet to come. And with the day getting late, being alone, and my group waiting for me, I decided I had had enough. I quickly snapped a few pictures, took in the amazing views and started for the bottom. By that point, it was almost 2pm, the wind was howling at 40+mph and I was now standing in snow drifts that were nearing 8-10 inches. Me at 13,500 The View from 13,500 The false summit 700 feet above The trip down was easy and I jogged most of the way to try and get back quickly. Only problem came when I was about .3 of a mile from the parking lot. I missed the turn (The sign is broken off and there is only a post standing there) and ended up walking an extra mile down to the Mt Massive Trail head. But a quick section of back tracking got me on the path and we were rolling out of the lot by 3pm. A blast of a hike, even if we didn't reach the summit! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt Elbert in the Snow; the Standard Route

Hey all,

So this was my first trip attempt at Mt Elbert and 2 of our 4 climbers had never even attempted a 14'er before. So it was a very amateur group heading towards the top.

The trail quickly crossed a small stream before it started up about 1000 ft of ascent. At this point, the weather was beautiful, the sun was out, and the trail was easy.

After the initial ascent, the trail descends about 300 or so feet before it starts to get really steep. This is where our out of towners began to feel the pain of being 2 miles above sea level.

At about the 11,500 mark, our two girls decided to call it a day and stop for some lunch. Matt (who is from the DC area) and I continued towards the top and quickly increased our pace. By 12,000 feet, we had cleared the tree line and there was a good 6 inches of snow at our feet. The wind really began to pick up as the day got later and by 12,500 Matt called decided he had reached his peak. (He was running the Rock and Roll Denver marathon a week later)

I decided to continue on a bit further and see how quickly I could move up the mountain. It took about 45 mins or so after that point to get the next 1000ft completed. I reached the 13,500 ft mark and had some killer views. But looking up, I could see the hardest was yet to come. And with the day getting late, being alone, and my group waiting for me, I decided I had had enough. I quickly snapped a few pictures, took in the amazing views and started for the bottom. By that point, it was almost 2pm, the wind was howling at 40+mph and I was now standing in snow drifts that were nearing 8-10 inches.

The trip down was easy and I jogged most of the way to try and get back quickly. Only problem came when I was about .3 of a mile from the parking lot. I missed the turn (The sign is broken off and there is only a post standing there) and ended up walking an extra mile down to the Mt Massive Trail head. But a quick section of back tracking got me on the path and we were rolling out of the lot by 3pm. A blast of a hike, even if we didn't reach the summit!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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