Mt. Elbert. Colorado’s Highest point at 14,440 ft (depending on your source) is the highest point in Colorado and of course the highest of all of the states 58 14’ers….mountains 14,000 ft and higher. We made an attempt at Mt. Elbert in December of 2020. You can watch more about that unsuccessful summit here.
Last October, 2023 we were excited to return for a rebate of that trip.
Hiking a 14’er isn’t something to take lightly. And though Mt. Elbert is a day hike, a far cry from summiting Mount Rainier for example (I really should try to write a trip report for that) it is something anyone should take care to prepare for.
Preparation: We did several things to prepare for this trip. For starters we opted to go before the winter season this time, and just hike. While climbing and skiing mountains still appeals to us, the desire to be successful with the summit had us planning our trip during a milder month. We opted for October in hopes of cooler days with less traffic.
There are 3 main routes to the summit. East, North East and South East. When we went during the winter, we opted for the East Ridge, standard for that time of year as the slope angles are lower (it’s also a longer distance) so the risk of avalanche is less. Without snow pack we opted for the North East route. Each resource will tell you something slightly different but on average we excepted about 9.5 miles with most hikers taking an average time of 8 hours.
Coming from near sea level, we planned to be a little slower than a local, but with good training, felt that 8 hours should be a decent mark and it was. We spent about 5 hours for the ascent and 3 hours for the decent (lunch break on the way down).
We spent some time beefing up our leg muscles and spending time on the stair stepper, and focused on loading our legs for the downhill as much as we could before our trip. And while we only spent about 3 weeks preparing specifically for this summit-it made a difference in how we felt day of and our confidence moving through steeper terrain.
We were able to arrive the day before our hike, loosing some acclimatization days because snow moved into the forecast. We made a quick stop through Leadville, knowing the trailhead/campground is about 40 min outside town. Once at camp, we still had enough light to hike the portion of the trail we knew would be in the dark the next morning, and took the chance to stretch our road-trip legs.
Packing: We are experienced hikers, climbers and backcountry travelers with the necessary level of fitness for our activity but acclimatization and time spent in mountainous terrain can not be substituted. With that said, we likely packed a few more items (knowing we might be slower) than if we were locals.
Knowledge of the route condition, snow pack and being acclimatized are all ways to move quicker and pack less on a 14er during the shoulder season. Overall, online reports are too unreliable to determine details from 5 states away.
The forecast however, did tell us we would hike from chilly fall conditions at the base to winter conditions at the summit and we packed accordingly. And I wore nearly all of it. The only layers still left in my pack at the summit were my parka (like actual parka that I hoped to only have to use in case of emergency-glad it stayed put) and my heavy duty mittens (also an emergency item). We also packed a first-aid kit*, emergency kit (think 10 essentials*), lots of snacks, 2 liters of water each, traction devices and trekking poles. Other standard goodies like sunglasses, beanies, rain-gear (doubles as wind-gear and I’m so glad I had it), InReach, headlamp, guidebook/map (big fan of the Colorado Mountain Club Pack Guide for the 14er’s) made it in the mix too.
Day Of: Given the length of days in October, we opted to leave at 6am. We started out under headlamp at the North Mount Elbert Trail head, with the first 2 miles (40 mins) on the Colorado Trail before branching onto the proper North Mount Elbert Trail. You hike through beautiful open forest before exiting the tree-line (just after sunrise for us) and enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.
The trailhead sits a little below 10,000 ft. The miles around 11-13,000 ft are mostly switch back trails through scree fields that are easy to follow, though ice was a factor in shaded areas and we were happy to have YakTrax. The last 1,000 to 1,500 ft are a little less defined, fairly steep and slower going. For us they were also very windy and cold. Once you reach the ridge, travel is smoother, but keep in mind there are several false summits before the true summit.
From the summit, the views are amazing! October delighted us with a light dusting across all the mountains, defining their beauty with dimensions you don’t get in the summer months. Temps on summit day for us were single digits at the summit, and too windy to speak so we didn’t stay long, opting to rest and snack 500 ft lower behind some rocks. Closer to tree-line, the sun warmed us enough to drop layers and finally enjoy a longer rest and more calories to avoid bonking the last few miles in the trees.
PRO TIP-with the summit behind you and the best views gone, the end is often the hardest part of a 14er. Don’t let it ruin your trip, putting a sour taste in your mouth as you head for the car. Keep snacking-save some good ones for the last hour…A Game snacks…Twinkies not Cliff Bars. I’m telling you….Hostess snacks taste amazing even when smashed, frozen or melted. The perfect pack snack.
Once back to the base, we had a little sunshine to rest and enjoy our glory. We watched snow blow in on the summit and opted to travel a little bit that night to avoid getting stuck higher in the mountains.
Frisco, never a disappointment, has a selection of options to refill the tank. Ollie’s Pub and Grub is known for their burgers and nothing hits like that post summit burger…except maybe a selection of post summit beers!
Silverthorne is a short drive away with a larger selection of more affordable lodging that we took advantage of as we watched winter arrive in Colorado. We enjoyed an outdoor hot tub in the snow that night knowing our plans to hike another 14er were thwarted for that trip at least.
Even though weather cut our trip short, we were so happy to have had a safe and successful summit. Hopefully the first of many in Colorado.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! As always get out there and enjoy some Days Off!
daysoffadventureblog 