MT. ELBERT
14,433 ft.
August 29, 1985
By Tim Briese
(Note: I climbed Mt. Elbert again on September 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks. For a trip report on that climb, and another one in September of 2002, see the More Climbs page.)
During the decade of the 1980’s I often camped in the Colorado mountains and drove through them on windshield tours, but I seldom ventured to set foot on their trails. On several of those trips I drove past Mt. Elbert, the highest mountain in the state, and being one interested in superlatives, I gradually became intrigued with the idea of climbing to its summit.
One day I purchased a topographical map of Lake County at a local bookstore and studied a trail that I could take up the east slopes of the mountain to my goal. It looked quite straightforward, although rather long and grueling to an inexperienced hiker like myself, but I was ready to give it a try.
I left home early one morning near the end of August and drove to the South Mt. Elbert Trailhead on a hill high above Twin Lakes. At about 7:45 I struck off into the woods on the fine Colorado Trail. The trail went generally northward through forests of pine and aspen as it contoured along the lower eastern slopes of Elbert, crossing a briskly flowing creek along the way. After about a mile and a half the trail passed above a little valley that held several small lakes and beaver ponds, and I paused to gaze down at them through the trees. Soon I reached a well marked trail junction and headed steeply uphill to the left on the Mt. Elbert Trail. There were extensive groves of aspen trees in this area, and I was surprised that some of them were already starting to turn yellow, even though it was still August.
I was breathing heavily when I reached timberline at about 11,600 feet, but I made good progress nevertheless. The sky was rather cloudy but threatening weather was not yet imminent. I enjoyed the fine views around me as I hiked up a long, straight stretch of trail through the tundra and gained the crest of Elbert’s broad and gentle east shoulder at about 12,400 feet. The view of Twin Lakes back down in the valley below was particularly impressive. Before I began the hike I wondered if I would see any other hikers on the trail, but it turned out that there were several, for I was not alone in my quest to climb Colorado’s highest mountain.
The trail switchbacked gradually up Elbert’s east ridge and then swung to the south for a ways before switchbacking once again up the final few hundred feet through a rocky area on the mountain’s southeast slope. I was startled by a ptarmigan that took wing and fluttered away when I walked close by its resting place. The altitude began to affect me now, as I noticed the onset of dizziness and a light headache.
It was a great relief to walk up the last few steps and reach the lofty summit at about 11:00 a.m. After a few minutes I caught my breath and began to soak up the grandeur surrounding me. I could see incredible distances, from Longs Peak to the Maroon Bells and beyond. I had never seen such a panoramic view before. It was quite a thrill, too, to be standing on the highest point in this vast landscape. This was one of my first tastes of the exhilaration of a mountaintop experience.
The summit consisted of a broad, flat ridge nearly 200 feet long, and could accommodate a considerable number of climbers if need be. There were only a few others on top while I was there, just enough for pleasant company without the feeling of being crowded. It was a crisp 45 degrees in the bright sunshine, chilly enough to induce me to wear both of the coats I had along. I noted with interest the deep blue color of the sky at this elevation, in the clear patches of sky between the scattered clouds. A couple of jets that flew over on their way to Denver seemed unusually close, too, since I was several thousand feet nearer to them than I would have been down in the valley.
I lounged about on the summit for quite some time, not wishing to rush to the completion of this grand experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the calming and soothing effect that the majesty of Creation can inspire. Eventually, though, the clouds began to thicken and darken as shafts of rain became visible in the distance, so I thought it best to head down.
At about 12:45 I left the summit and began to retrace my steps down the mountain. It was a fast and easy descent down the fine trail. It is nice that such a relatively gentle and easy route exists on Elbert, for it affords multitudes of people the chance to visit Colorado’s highest place. Thunder began to rumble and a light rain started to fall when I reached the lower slopes and neared the trees. It was an enchanting walk through the woods, as the rain pattered down on the leaves of the aspen trees, and wet boulders glistened in the subdued light. I enjoy hiking on a trail in a soft rain as much as I do in bright sunshine, for there is beauty to be found in any of Nature’s various aspects.
A deer silently bounded off through the woods as I hiked past the beaver ponds. I continued on down the trail and returned to the trailhead about 2:45, quite tired from the vigorous climb, but thrilled with the accomplishment of my goal.
