Taken from the northeast,
1 provides an overview of the route. From the parking area, begin hiking south into the forest
2. Turn left onto the Colorado Trail
3, cross a footbridge
4, and ascend a slope with switchbacks
5 for approximately 1 mile. At the top of the slope, near 10,600', turn right
6 and descend slightly for 0.3 mile to reach a trail junction
. Here, turn right and follow the North Mt. Elbert Trail
7.
Continue hiking through the forest
8 for 1.3 miles to reach a small clearing
at 11,600'
9. From there, proceed another 0.5 miles to finally reach tree line around 11,900'. Leave the forest behind and follow the well-defined trail as it switchbacks toward the crest of the northeast ridge
10. Near 12,700', you'll reach the ridge
, where you'll have a great view of the large cirque at the head of Box Creek
11. Follow the ridge southwest
12. At approximately 13,400', the route becomes steeper as you continue up the ridge
13. Stay on the trail as it veers right
14 and then left to return to the ridge crest. This is the steepest section of the route and can be challenging to navigate due to the rocky terrain, so do your best to stay on the most-defined trail
15. Above 13,800', the terrain begins to ease, and you'll reach a flat area
on the ridge crest near 13,900'
16 17.
From this point, the remaining hike is easier, but the summit is still out of sight. Continue climbing to 14,300', where the summit ridge finally comes into view
18. Walk southwest to the top
19 20 21. On the descent, you'll pass the start of the trail used for Elbert's East Ridge route shortly after leaving the summit, so be sure to stay on the correct trail and return via the northeast ridge
22.
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