Date: 6/3/2021
Who: myself
Length: about 10.8 miles (5.4 up + 5.4 down)
Time: 9.5 hours
Weather: mild, clear sky, calm

It has been awhile, and I’m not in the best shape. Surprisingly, I was able to summit Mt. Elbert, my 11th fourteener! I camped at Lakeview Campground, just above Twin Lakes. Then, drove early in the morning a short distance to the upper trailhead of South Elbert Trail (about 10,500 ft. elevation). I started at 2 AM with a headlamp. I encountered snow at about 12,000 feet, but was prepared with microspikes. I lost the trail at about 13,000 feet due to more snow, but followed the tracks that had been made by others. I reached the summit (14,433 ft.) at about 7 AM. Mt. Elbert is the highest point in Colorado.

On the way down, I felt a little altitude sickness. I just took it slow and kept hydrated to overcome the queasy stomach. Otherwise, I felt ok physically. It was really nice to get back out in the mountains!

This hike followed the BLUE line:

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