Download Agreement, Release, and Acknowledgement of Risk:
You (the person requesting this file download) fully understand mountain climbing ("Activity") involves risks and dangers of serious bodily injury, including permanent disability, paralysis, and death ("Risks") and you fully accept and assume all such risks and all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages you incur as a result of your participation in this Activity.
You acknowledge that information in the file you have chosen to download may not be accurate and may contain errors. You agree to assume all risks when using this information and agree to release and discharge 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and the author(s) of such information (collectively, the "Released Parties").
You hereby discharge the Released Parties from all damages, actions, claims and liabilities of any nature, specifically including, but not limited to, damages, actions, claims and liabilities arising from or related to the negligence of the Released Parties. You further agree to indemnify, hold harmless and defend 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. and each of the other Released Parties from and against any loss, damage, liability and expense, including costs and attorney fees, incurred by 14ers.com, 14ers Inc. or any of the other Released Parties as a result of you using information provided on the 14ers.com or 14ers Inc. websites.
You have read this agreement, fully understand its terms and intend it to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law and agree that if any portion of this agreement is held to be invalid the balance, notwithstanding, shall continue in full force and effect.
By clicking "OK" you agree to these terms. If you DO NOT agree, click "Cancel"...
I'm not quite sure how Electric Pass Peak got on my radar, it's no 14er or Centennial, but just seemed like an good peak to do in the spring with a nice view. Cathedral basin is incredible and I wanted a look at the Cathedral's couloirs to see if it was something I could get up. I'm not great on steep snow, but enjoy a moderate climb. The forecast looked great so we headed out Friday after work and slept at the Cathedral Lake trailhead. There were a couple of other vehicles parked and sleeping when I arrived around 10pm and settled in under a clear sky before a 3:30am wake up call.
The Cathedral Lake trail was easy to follow and was a mix of trail and hard packed snow. You start out through a grove of Aspen trees, newly budding and bright green at this time of year. There were several sections of trail in old avalanche paths with whole sections of downed trees, requiring some bushwhacking and hurdling. A steep set of switchbacks arrived after a talus field, leveling out a bit about 1/2 mile (or so) to the lake turnoff. The steep section was mostly dry and not a problem ascending early in the morning. On the return it was muddy and sloppy and turned most parties around (who were traveling to the lake in tennis shoes).
Fairly soon after re-entering the forest you come upon the turnoff for Cathedral Lake and Electric Pass. Turn right for Electric Pass and head up a hill into a clearing. Soon after, the spires of Cathedral peak come into view just as the sun starts to rise. There was quite a bit of snow in the basin, Malemute peak looking majestic. We headed north in the basin and up toward the slopes of Electric Pass Peak. The actual trail up Electric Pass traverses the slope west and turns around east to gain the summit. We heading straight up the snow slope to the summit, topping out on the ridge just east of the summit. We soon get stopped by a cornice that I'm not willing to cross so we head back down the ridge, traverse west across the slope and gain the summit from the west. A lot of loose scree to reach the ridge, on the western side, but parts of the trail were visible.
The views from the summit were incredible, Cathedral Peak and Castle Peak to the south. Hayden to the north. Leahy to the east. The Bells, Snowmass, and Capitol in the far north distance. The basin and lake were snow covered and gorgeous. We took in the views and headed back down the scree slope to traverse over back to the EPP and Leahy saddle. It was a quick jaunt over to Leahy with patches of snow and trail. Another amazing view of the Cathedral spires. We sat in the sun for a long while on Leahy before heading back tot he saddle and getting as much glissading as we could.
At 9:30am the snow was already getting pretty soft and we post-holed quite a bit. We met a nice pair in the basin who had just skied the Pearl couloir with excellent conditions. These were the only other people we encountered in the basin all day. We took a detour back to the lake which was just starting to melt. I took another couple hundred photos before packing up and heading back down.
The snow was softening and the trail was muddy on the return. We passed several parties headed up towards the lake and the parking lot was nearly full on our arrival. What a fabulous day in the Elk range and some wonderful views.
My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):
Thanks for posting this beta. Extremely well done. Good recap of a real nice Elks outing in all regards. Way to make mountaineering look nearly effortless too.
Electric was my first ever summit as a teenager, will always love those views! You should go back in August for the wildflowers! Also, on a clear day you can make out Holy Cross to the north
Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.
Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.