Mt. Elbert Trip Report 08/11/2007

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	Mt. Elbert - 14,438 feet
Date Posted	08/11/2007
Date Climbed	08/11/2007
Author	JJJR

Mt. Elbert - Northeast Ridge
This is my first time to drop a report but thought I would add some comments and one important fact for anyone doing Elbert in the next few days. So if this is bad, forgive the inexperienced. Most important: The Mt. Elbert sign at the junction with the Colorado Trail is broken. I took a picture in the am and when I returned the arrow was laying on the ground. Read and follow the instructions. No matter which way the arrow is pointing it is the trail to the right as the instructions say. Also, I just wanted to add my thanks for the excellent info. on 14ers.com. I have done Holy Cross and Elbert in recent weeks and the info is invaluable. As for the trip I started from Boulder leaving the house at 3:00 a.m. (not crazy, family commitments). I arrived at the trailhead at 5:15 a.m. (No officer, I was going the speed limit the entire way). I have read a couple of other reports about the number of people on the trail. My best advice from the experience I had is: buy a headlamp and start before the sun comes up. There were only 5-6 cars in the lot as I started and it was full when I came back. There were 4-6 other people encountered along the way going up and it was a really nice way to experience one of the most popular routes. The traffic was all meeting us coming down and we took turns in the front answering the question: "How much farther?" The whole day amounted to: Trailhead 5:30 a.m. Summit 8:30 a.m. Left Summit 8:50 a.m. (after excellent snacks and pics) Back at Car 11:10 a.m. I did not really rush it (I am too old). Kept up a steady pace. Never got really gassed (left the marathon runner/climbing partner at home and did this one at my pace) which helped. I broke out of treeline as the sun came up. Most of the pictures are normal standard stuff. Flowers (although there weren't very many left) and marmots. One really nice picture of LaPlata from the summit. As you can see, it was a cloudless day. The weather was great. Cool at the top with a slight breeze. Enclosed is one last look back at Mt. Elbert. Thanks to all I encountered. I have lived in Colorado 3 different times and returned last year after 10 years away. This is the stuff that makes it special here. If anyone on the trail reads this thanks for adding to the special day. The nicest people! Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Mt. Elbert - Northeast Ridge

This is my first time to drop a report but thought I would add some comments and one important fact for anyone doing Elbert in the next few days. So if this is bad, forgive the inexperienced.

Most important: The Mt. Elbert sign at the junction with the Colorado Trail is broken. I took a picture in the am and when I returned the arrow was laying on the ground. Read and follow the instructions. No matter which way the arrow is pointing it is the trail to the right as the instructions say.

Also, I just wanted to add my thanks for the excellent info. on 14ers.com. I have done Holy Cross and Elbert in recent weeks and the info is invaluable.

As for the trip I started from Boulder leaving the house at 3:00 a.m. (not crazy, family commitments). I arrived at the trailhead at 5:15 a.m. (No officer, I was going the speed limit the entire way). I have read a couple of other reports about the number of people on the trail. My best advice from the experience I had is: buy a headlamp and start before the sun comes up. There were only 5-6 cars in the lot as I started and it was full when I came back.

There were 4-6 other people encountered along the way going up and it was a really nice way to experience one of the most popular routes. The traffic was all meeting us coming down and we took turns in the front answering the question: "How much farther?"

The whole day amounted to:

Trailhead 5:30 a.m.
Summit 8:30 a.m.
Left Summit 8:50 a.m. (after excellent snacks and pics)
Back at Car 11:10 a.m.

I did not really rush it (I am too old). Kept up a steady pace. Never got really gassed (left the marathon runner/climbing partner at home and did this one at my pace) which helped.

I broke out of treeline as the sun came up.

Most of the pictures are normal standard stuff. Flowers (although there weren't very many left) and marmots.

One really nice picture of LaPlata from the summit. As you can see, it was a cloudless day. The weather was great. Cool at the top with a slight breeze.

Enclosed is one last look back at Mt. Elbert.

Thanks to all I encountered. I have lived in Colorado 3 different times and returned last year after 10 years away. This is the stuff that makes it special here. If anyone on the trail reads this thanks for adding to the special day. The nicest people!

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

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