Mt. Elbert

Route: Black Cloud Trail
Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: Chicago Transplant
Info: Black Cloud Trail is basically dry all the way to the ridge crest, the two very small patches on trail pose no problems. Some patchy snow from there to South Elbert and then drier again to the saddle below the final ridge up Elbert. Cross a snowfield in the saddle, then a dry start before consistently snowy on the ridge to the summit. Snow was generally supportive but had a few landmines. Sorry no route pics, I only took summit views. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 6/8/2025, By: pthomps17
Info: Close to full summer conditions! Ran into a few small and easily navigable snow patches right around 12,000 feet, then a large snowfield on the upper ridge, somewhere over 13,000. We stayed right of the large snowfield on the ascent, but we traversed it on the way down because going around it didn’t really save much time or effort, and we weren’t sure where the trail went under the snow anyways. Snow was getting very soft on our way down (around 10am), but I didn’t bring snowshoes or spikes and I wouldn’t have used them if I did. Trail runners were just fine. This is a much better way to do Elbert than the standard route! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/11/2025, By: swarrier
Info: Summited Mt. Elbert as out first 14er! Picture perfect day, we started at 3:30am at 30 degrees from the trailhead. We were a slow moving group and summited at around 10:10am. Very windy and cold conditions along the way, but not at the top. We did not need micro spikes or snowshoes. Thank you so much to everyone on this forum for all the priceless info and advice! You're ana amazing group! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 6/7/2025, By: Rampaging Baloths
Info: Brought snowshoes and spikes and didn’t use them. Some snow banks between between 11400-800 that are likely to be slow. Also some up high that obscure the trail. The new snow has mixed and drifted to not be supportive. Otherwise did in trail runners. Budding green aspens down low. Go get it!! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/6/2025, By: lowland_missourian
Info: Summited 1st 14er today 6/5/25! We took the Northeast Ridge. My 17 year old daughter and I, 45 year old average fitness level reached the summit in 4 hours 53 minutes including snack, bathroom break, and rest stops. Those false summits are ball busters so just don't ever think you are close. We started at 6 am, should've started earlier but I was being a baby about driving the Forrest Rd. to the trailhead in the dark. With the slightly later start the 4-5 snowfields above the tree line were slightly slushy and post holed a little. We were just in our hiking boots, but had poles and micro spikes but ended up not using. The last stretch to the summit was really the only spot wear spike would have been usable. Weather/Clouds were moving in quickly so we didn't get to stay at the summit too long. This was my first 14er and I was proud of both of us for gutting it out! Thanks to all previous reports that got me ready for this hike! 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 6/14/2025, By: CalebJeu
Info: Conditions are great. Theres a little snow at the top, but I hiked in with hiking boots and no polls and was fine 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/31/2025, By: Pwrfghtr08
Info: Mostly dry, but some small snowfields from 11.5K to treeline, then from 13K to the summit. Most had packed down steps from others through them, but we were postholing through the ones that didn't when we went through them at ~8 AM. Ok glissading conditions in the Box Creek Couloirs, but returning back to the ridge we were postholing up to our waists. 

Route: Northeast Ridge
Posted On: 5/30/2025, By: Heathertutor
Info: Left Elbert creek campground around 5:15. Easy trip to top of tree line. Some snow on trail but easy to get through. Had poles and microspikes…Some deeper snow up the mountain, but it was fresh powder. Super windy!! Got to the summit around 10:30. Trip down was a little slushy and muddy but no big problems. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/28/2025, By: katberberian
Info: Started around 5:20ish am from the lower trailhead with three other hikers. We summitted around 1 pm. If you are an experienced hiker/have experience hiking in snow before, you will most likely summit earlier. Two of us had snowshoes, and the other two had microspikes. All of us had trekking poles. The snowshoes were helpful for a section of the ascent, but I believe it would be doable without them— just prepare to posthole. It was hailing a bit on our ascent and descent, and it started raining intermittently. There was a decent amount of postholing on the way down due to timing/rain. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/25/2025, By: MaddieGeurts
Info: Started at 6:00 am. Snow very slushy on way down, Post-holed eveen with snow shoes over the last snow field. Trail is dry below tree line. Snow was frozen on the way up. 

Route: Northwestern Gullies
Posted On: 5/24/2025, By: jtfoss1
Info: Leave your skins at home! Road clear of snow to the trailhead. Only the far southern side of the southern of the two gullies had snow mostly to the top. Short hike to the summit ridge. We waited for a few hours and dropped around 130 - hard pack up top and corn everywhere else. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/25/2025, By: zackj99
Info: From the South Elbert TH. Started at 6:30AM and that was too late to get going. Didn't bring flotation and certainly should have. Light post holing on the way up and some of the worst ever on the way down. Ended up sliding down to tree-line to then improv back to the trail at around 11k. Back to the car at 4PM. Recommend an early start and snow shoes for a bit. Summer is coming! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/18/2025, By: Kirbyrichard
Info: Road to upper trailhead was completely clear. Trail mostly snow free and dry to treeline. Mixed trail conditions near/above treeline, some patches of snow, would bring spikes. Brought the skins but didn’t really find consistent snow til maybe 13,000 ft or so. Saw several hikers with no floatation make summit. Skied surprisingly good snow off the summit and in the box creek couloirs after a couple days of storms and cold weather. Some postholing on the hike down as the snow softened but it was quite manageable. Great day on the mountain! 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/13/2025, By: Ptglhs
Info: I went up via 125c and joined the black cloud trail. That trail from cosgriff is still mostly snow covered with a few bare patches. East Ridge route is intermittent snow above treeline. Especially above 135 there are sections of the trail that are clear followed by deep snow and post-holing. I left the summit by 8:15 and by the time I was below 13,000 ft, even on a cloudy and cold morning, I was still punching through. Area immediately below tree line was sloppy and I was punching through even with snowshoes on it. Not enough snow to ski, though I did glissade about 400 ft. Wait 3 weeks or bring flotation. 

Route: East Ridge
Posted On: 5/10/2025, By: notidealbutfine
Info: Started 1.2 miles below the 4wd trailhead. The road up to the 4wd trail is definitely subaruable, but it rained a lot the night I arrived and I wasn't able to get up the difficult section about .6 miles up the road in my stock CRV with 8" clearance. Definitely doable in a similar vehicle when dry if you pick a good line. Road is dry as a bone today. Wore trail runners all day, added spikes right around treeline. Didn't use skins all day. Was able to ski directly off the summit, following my up track for the most part. Skied continuously to just below treeline, then back to running shoes on mostly dry trail. Fantastic quiet day on Elbert. 13.41 miles / 4,678' gain / 7 hours, 10 minutes