Home Summits MOUNT ELBERT – Colorado (July 23, 2023) – 14,438′

MOUNT ELBERT – Colorado (July 23, 2023) – 14,438′

Summits

Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/9519440700

I left Old Tale Inn in Leadville at about 4am and downed a can of cold brew coffee on the relatively short drive to the Mt Elbert trailhead (I took the standard route: Northeast Ridge). I was excited and a little nervous about climbing a fourteener on my own, but as fourteeners go Elbert is a relatively easy “Class 1” one despite being the highest mountain in Colorado (and in the Rocky Mountain Range, actually). Due to being an easier climb and the tallest of the Colorado 14ers, it’s usually a pretty well-traveled trail so a solo climb didn’t necessarily mean I’d have the mountain to myself. While it felt that way as I set off into the dark and somewhat eerie forest by headlamp, I ended up seeing dozens of other hikers throughout the morning. I did this as an out-and-back, hiking up and then running most of the descent back to my rental car.

The shadows of the burnt pine trunks by headlamp were a bit unnerving. This is black bear and mountain lion turf, but I the darkness only lasted the first couple miles before the sun rose and I could turn off my light. I encountered a few other hiking parties on the way up. The trail was super obvious, so it was a matter of grinding forward, slow and steady.

I emerged in a clearing near tree line as the sun was breaking the horizon behind me. This was my first view of Mount Elbert from the Northwest Ridge trail (false summit, as I would discover up ahead!). The sunrise was really pretty.

I kept an eye on the sky after leaving the shelter of the pines. Getting caught in a thunderstorm above tree line is not something I ever want to experience, and definitely not on a solo hike. The sky ahead was blue but I was a little apprehensive about the dark clouds to the north, just beyond Mount Massive. As I climbed higher, though, those dark clouds moved further away. A couple that must have caught a summit sunrise were already coming back down the trail and reported that the skies were clear and blue to the west and that I should be fine, weather-wise.

View looking to the southeast. The climb up Mount Elbert was relatively gradual, but no fourteener is easy and I was feeling the high altitude… enough to leave me short of breath but not woozy with mountain sickness, fortunately!

Looking north at Mount Massive and some darker clouds. The storms were moving away and fortunately blue skies followed. Mount Massive was my very first fourteener! It was neat seeing it from the slopes of Mount Elbert.

Almost to the summit of Mount Elbert, right? Well, not quite. This is a false summit.

Looking back on the route.

This was probably the steepest part of the route. Still not bad as fourteeners go!

Upon reaching the top of what you can see in the previous photo, I was treated to this view of the actual summit of Mount Elbert. Still not there, but the remaining trail was pretty easy and I covered it quickly.

Looking southwest over Mount Elbert Forebay (reservoir) and Twin Lakes.

Another view of Mount Massive from very near the summit of Mount Elbert. The darkest clouds had moved off to the northeast.

Reaching the summit of Mount Elbert marked my 11th Colorado fourteener summit, and my first solo 14er! It was also, perhaps surprisingly, only my second U.S. state high-point (Mount Katahdin/Baxter Peak in Maine in 2020 being the first).

Another hiker took this photo, looking west over the Sawatch Range and the Elks off in the distance.

Looking northwest from the summit of Mount Elbert. The white mountain on the horizon is Snowmass, with Capitol Peak just to the north (right).

180 degree panoramic shot looking south/west/north from the summit of Mount Elbert.

I ran parts of the descent above tree line, though I stopped many times to take pictures and to allow the up-hiking traffic to pass. There were a lot of people on the mountain by mid-morning! Once I got to tree line I picked up the pace and ran the rest of the way to the trailhead. I was thankful for the shade.

I reached my car by 9:30am. I was surprised so many hikers were just starting their ascent (and the hikers climbing looked increasingly less prepared the later in the day they were starting). Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised…

My Michigan friends Matt and Tanya, and their son, were in Colorado and we planned to meet up for lunch in Leadville after their train tour. So I had some time to kill. I pulled over on this dirt road to admire the view of Mount Elbert (left) and Mount Massive (right) while I posted photos to Strava and Instagram.

Click here to read the recap of the rest of my 2023 trip to Colorado.