14ers.com • Trip Report - Mt. Massive, up the Southwest slopes, down the east slopes

Peak(s):	Mt. Massive - 14,421 feet
Date Posted:	09/23/2019
Date Climbed:	09/20/2019
Author:	cfoster

Mt. Massive, up the Southwest slopes, down the east slopes
Started my hike at about 6:30 from the Elbert Creek campground and walked up the road to the start of the southwest slopes route. (It is worth mentioning that if you plan to drive to north half moon creek trailhead, a 4WD with high clearance is required as there are some rock steps as you get closer to the trail head and the road is also one lane.) The weather was great and started about 35 degrees. Hiking through the trees i scared an elk up at one point but he was too quick to get a picture of. The trail is very easy to follow up until a section around 13,250 where i got a little off trail and scrambled up some rocks until a hit the trail again. Around 13,500 the wind started to gain speed and by the time i got to the ridge it was moving me around when it would gust. After reaching the summit i went down the east slopes route back to the Elbert creek campground, this route is far easier and not near as steep of a climb to the summit. I personally liked the views from the southwest slopes route better though. I was not in a hurry and completed the hike in 8 hours and 40 minutes with 4,581 feet of elevation gain over 13.81 miles. Facing west on Halfmoon rd. Waterfall along Halfmoon Rd. Facing east on Halfmoon Rd. Leaving the dense trees facing the rest of the route Starting to get steep and rocky Facing back down the route looking at Mt. Elbert Looking at Mt. Oklahoma Caption Here At the summit facing Mt. Elbert Summit Facing West Caption Here From the summit Facing East/ Leadville. From the summit facing north west My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload): Login required to view this map... Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt. Massive, up the Southwest slopes, down the east slopes Google Map Included

Started my hike at about 6:30 from the Elbert Creek campground and walked up the road to the start of the southwest slopes route. (It is worth mentioning that if you plan to drive to north half moon creek trailhead, a 4WD with high clearance is required as there are some rock steps as you get closer to the trail head and the road is also one lane.) The weather was great and started about 35 degrees. Hiking through the trees i scared an elk up at one point but he was too quick to get a picture of. The trail is very easy to follow up until a section around 13,250 where i got a little off trail and scrambled up some rocks until a hit the trail again. Around 13,500 the wind started to gain speed and by the time i got to the ridge it was moving me around when it would gust. After reaching the summit i went down the east slopes route back to the Elbert creek campground, this route is far easier and not near as steep of a climb to the summit. I personally liked the views from the southwest slopes route better though. I was not in a hurry and completed the hike in 8 hours and 40 minutes with 4,581 feet of elevation gain over 13.81 miles.

19862_04 — Leaving the dense trees facing the rest of the route

19862_05 — Starting to get steep and rocky

19862_06 — Facing back down the route looking at Mt. Elbert

19862_09 — At the summit facing Mt. Elbert

19862_13 — From the summit Facing East/ Leadville.

19862_14 — From the summit facing north west

My GPS Tracks on Google Maps (made from a .GPX file upload):

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

Dolt

Nice pics
09/23/2019 15:59

Great photography

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