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.:Getting to the trailhead:. There are many trails that take you to the summit of Mt. Elbert, which is one of the draws of climbing the peak. To get to the Mount Elbert trailhead from Denver, take I-70 west to the Copper Mountain exit (exit 191), then CO 91 over Freemont Pass into Leadville. As you enter Leadville, CO 91 becomes US 24 / Harrison Ave. Measuring from Third St, head out of town on US 24 for about 3.5 miles to CO 300 (also the turnoff to the Fish Hatchery). Turn right (west) on CO 300 and after 0.7 miles, turn left (south) onto Lake County 11. After another 1.1 miles, turn right (west) at the signs for Halfmoon Creek. From here, continue on the well-maintained dirt road for approximately another 5 miles to the well-signed Mount Elbert trailhead, on the left side of the road. If you pass the Mount Massive trailhead, on the right side of the road, you just missed it! .:The trail:. The Northest Ridge route is an excellent trail-hiking experience. It is well marked and easy for just about anyone to navigate. From the trailhead, strike out on the trail at the SW corner of the parking lot. At 0.3 miles, the trail merges with a section of the Colorado trail. The next mile is a moderate climb and gradual descent to a marked fork at 10,560. Bear right for Mount Elbert. For another mile, the trail climbs moderately to treeline, and then switchbacks up to the crest of the ridge. The prominent point dominating the view west is not the summit of Elbert, so don't let it fool you. The trail goes around this false summit to the right and finishes at the summit after a mild ridge-hike. .:Trip Report:. Ah, my semi-annual chance to be a mountain guide! Having planned this trip for the last couple months, I was looking forward to having the chance to climb with a few friends whom I've climbed with before, and introduce a few new friends to the unique experience that is climbing a fourteneer. I was pleasantly suprised to find myself with a total of 14 climbers (and 4 exuberant dogs) at the Mount Elbert trailhead at 6:30 on this cool, crisp midsummer morning. Heading off on the trail, I did my best to keep a moderate pace and stopping every hour or so for a food & water break. Turned out that nearly half these folks had never climbed a 14er before, so my goal was to make sure that everyone was comfortable and hydrated, and no one was getting headaches or anything else indicative of altitude sickness. The first couple miles of the hike were a breeze as we kept a good pace below treeline, angling off the Colorado trail after about a mile and a half and beginning the first steep part of the trail up to treeline. The well-defined trail winds up through treeline and switchbacks up the northeast shoulder of Elbert and winds around a prominent false summit that is easy to mistake for the actual summit of Elbert. My crew was moving exceptionally well up the trail, moving stongly. Winding around the false summit, the true summit lies about 1/3 mile beyond, along the wide north ridge of Elbert. The group spread out over that last 1/3 mile, but when the last person reached the actual summit, I was amazed that it was only 10:30...only four hours for the 14 of us to make it to the highest point in Colorado. After a few celebratory hugs, high-fives and group picture, we remained on the summit for about 30~40 minutes, eating, drinking and resting. I made the rounds among the group and everyone said they were feeling great, maybe a little tired but otherwise OK. As we headed down the trail, the weather moved in for a few chilly minutes and dropped a few fat flakes of snow on us all, but that quickly gave way to sunshine again. Down at the trailhead, someone's cooler was full of beer and Mountain Dew, enough to tide everyone over long enough to drive down to Dillon and a celebratory meal at the Dam Brewrey. So, here's to my co-workers -- cheers and congradualtions, everyone! |
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