Mt. Elbert, Colorado

View at the Top

Mt. Elbert is the highest peak in Colorado at 14,400’ feet and the second highest peak after Mt. Whitney in California in the lower 48 contiguous states of the US. It is located in the Sawatch Range and the nearest town is Leadville, CO.

On September 25, 2017, I left my friend’s apartment in Denver, CO at 4:00 AM and drove a little over 2 hours to the North Mount Elbert Trailhead. This was my first Fourteener.

North Mount Elbert Trailhead

I planned to tackle the Class 1 Northeast Ridge for a total distance of 9 miles roundtrip and about 4,393 elevation gain. According to my research, this was supposed to be one of the easiest and most pleasant 14er hikes but was I in for big surprise. This hike was unlike any of the hikes I usually did in the Bay Area at that time. I prepared for this hike by hiking 12+ miles once or twice a week but I did not have any experience hiking above 10,000’ feet. I decided to take Diamox a few days before the hike to help my body deal with any possible effects from the high altitude and I also brought extra tablets of Ibuprofen just in case. I brought 3 liters of water and a couple of Gatorade bottles as I knew staying hydrated was going to be key. I was also glad to bring two jackets and gloves as the temperature was 19 °F when I started my hike at around 6:30 AM.

A few hundred yards from the parking lot, I saw this trail junction, I turned left.

After a little over a mile, I reached this junction, I turned right.

It starts going uphill from here on through a beautiful and easy to follow trail until you reach a clearing before hitting the tree line.

Approximately 11,900’ feet. I took a break here and reapplied some sunscreen as it was going to be exposed after this point.

After the tree line, it became very slow moving for me as it was very difficult to breathe. I was pausing every 10 steps to catch my breath and to take little sips of water.

Seeing that the summit is within reach gives you that extra jolt of energy, unfortunately, this is one of at least 3 false summits on the trail that I remember. I want to say it was quite deflating once you get over this and you realize you’re still hours away from the top.

Another false summit! I may or may not have lost the trail going up this part of the hike due to the snow on the ground.

I finally see the true summit in the distance.

I finally made it to the summit after about 5 hours of hiking. It was very cold and windy at the top but I had it all to myself. Highest point in Colorado!

View from the summit.

View of Twin Lakes towards the east.

After all is said and done, this is the mountain that lit a fire and started my dream of maybe one day completing all Colorado 14ers.

Respect the mountain, what is considered easy for other people does not mean the same for everyone. It was a humbling experience for me to say the least and I will always proudly maintain that there are no easy fourteeners, only less difficult ones.