Mt. Elbert

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!

view West from the summit
view of Mt. Massive from the summit of Mt. Elbert
Mt. Elbert viewed from Twin Lakes

This hike followed the BLUE line:

View Colorado Chris Hikes in a larger map

4 thoughts on “Mt. Elbert

  1. Crying at the beauty of your surroundings, Chris. Pure heaven.
    Congrats on that very successful & safe jaunt. Know you love it

  2. Hey, We were so excited to see the post! I’ve watched the video 3 times, including this morning at breakfast with the kids. They loved seeing views from the summit the most. Also, they wonder if any wildlife was observed on the hike? I appreciated the HYOH acronym and perspective on life. We can’t wait to visit CO soon, hopefully 2022, and meander the trails with you! Well, keep wandering and enjoy.

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