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"...
After Matt, and I abandoned our Nolan's 14 attempt early on Tuesday due to storms , we hoped to at least get in a few more hikes before we had to return to the flatlands. The weather was not cooperating for summit hikes, but after checking the NWS we decided we had a small window on Thursday morning, so we decided to head up Elbert. Joining Matt and I would by my wife, Erica, and their brother Jon. Matt, Erica, and I have been adventure racing together for almost 10 years and know each other's abilities pretty well, but Jon is not as active and we weren't sure how he would handle the hike since he had some issues with altitude earlier in the week. It happened to be his birthday, so we wanted to do all we could to make this a successful hike for everyone.
We got up at 4:00 a.m., and after chugging a little coffee and getting our packs ready, we left the RV Park in BV by 4:30. The drive to the South Elbert trailhead was pretty uneventful. We headed up the 4x4 road about 1.5 miles to the first creek crossing. I'm sure we had the clearance to get over the crossing and boulders that immediately preceded it, but I didn't want to have an issue in the dark with a muddy road so we parked here and began our hike at 5:30 a.m.
Within 15 minutes we had reached the end of the road and were on the trail. As we made the left turn at the Elbert/CT split we were able to ditch the headlamps, and the climb really began.
Erica was leading the charge up the first steep section with her trekking poles, as we all kept watching to the east for a sunrise over the Mosquitos. It took longer than I expected, but we finally got a great view of the sunrise as we reached a clearing at around 11,000'.
Once we reached tree line we could see a couple of groups up the trail ahead of us. There were some scattered clouds at this point, but we could see more clouds creeping in from the west.
We moved pretty well up the gradual slopes of the southeast ridge to about 13,000, passing one of the other groups along the way.
At this point, Jon started to need more frequent breaks, but we continued to make steady progress - all the while we started to see some of the lower clouds moving west toward the mountain and seemingly rising up the mountain behind us.
By 13,500', we were beginning to get a little concerned about the clouds preventing a summit and Matt & Erica continued hiking ahead while I continued to break with Jon as needed.
As we reached the final switchbacks from about 13,800' we passed some huge groups that were coming down from the summit. One church group of 20+ teenagers said they had come from the lower trailhead at 1:00 a.m. What a long day they must have had! Erica & Matt waited for us at the top of the switchbacks and we all summited together at 9:00 a.m. (3:30). Although there were still scattered clouds in all directions and clouds obscuring the lower part of the mountain, we had a ring of blue sky directly overhead.
After several photos and a snack we started back down at 9:15 a.m. The trip down was uneventful and went pretty quickly. We alternated running and walking, passing the larger groups we had seen on our way up. By the time we were halfway down, the mountain above us appeared to be completely locked in clouds. We felt fortunate to have reached the summit just in time.
We arrived back at the truck at 11:00 a.m. after a 2 hour descent (5:30 round trip). Erica, who has struggled with AMS at much lower elevations in the past, had put in a great hike and accomplished something she wasn't sure her body would ever allow. Jon had pushed himself to the limit and had a great birthday story. Matt and I picked up at least one more 14er after being beaten by the weather earlier in the week. Now we were ready for lunch!
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
I was on the mountain at the same time via the North Trailhead. I got caught in ice pellets/rain on the summit, but it cleared out quickly. It was cool seeing the mist/clouds rise on the sides of the mountain while climbing. Enjoyed the cooler temps too. Here's my trip report:
...for ”Honorary Coloradoans 2010.” Driving all the way out here from St. Louis to go after Nolan's 14, and weathering the storms to get back out there two days later for the state's highest peak? You guys did good :-) Congrats to Erica on her improved acclimatization - maybe she really is turning into ”one of us!”
We did see you turbocat - I remember your daughter - she looked really strong. Great Job.
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.