9500'

Mount Elbert - Colorado Highpoint

For me, climbing Mt. Elbert would be the realization of one of my oldest dreams...to climb a Rocky Mountain 14,000'-er. We decided on Elbert not only because it was the highest in the state (and second highest in the lower 48) but because it has a well-travelled non-technical trail to the summit. Neither my wife nor I are rock climbers so this was a necessity. We decided on the popular route up the north-east ridge of Elbert. The 9-mile round trip route climbs from an elevation of about 10,000' to the 14,433' summit. Sounds straightforward enough but for a couple of flatlanders the sheer elevation would be a powerful obstacle to overcome. It promised to be a memorable day on the trail...


Trailhead GPS Coordinates:  39.151644, -106.412308

Route Type: Out-and-back      Difficulty: EXTREME (Petzoldt Rating: 18.00)      Mileage Hiked: 9.0 miles      Trailhead Temp: 40'F      Min. Elevation: 10,050'         Max Elevation: 14,433'      Total Elevation Gain: 4,500'      Avg. Elevation Gain/Mile: 1,000' (approach)

Trails Used (blaze color): Colorado (unblazed), Mount Elbert (unblazed)


6-30-2008