Halloween on Mt. Elbert

After a busy and productive week on the road that included three ranch tours and 750+ miles of driving, I decided to wrap up the trip with some much needed exercise and adventure.

After finishing my last appointment in Eagle County late afternoon on Thursday, I pointed the truck south, headed up and over Tennessee pass, then down into the Upper Arkansas River Valley, home of the Sawatch Range and fourteen 14,000-foot mountains. After stopping in Leadville to grab some dinner and a few snacks for the hike (i.e. Skittles), I made it to a nice camping spot on the bank of Halfmoon Creek just as the sun was setting behind Colorado’s highest peak, Mt Elbert. I crawled into my bag, enjoyed some pages of the very entertaining and informative Salt: A World History, then crashed hard for 10+ hours.

The next morning was cold and clear, making for perfect conditions for a quick jaunt up Mount Elbert’s northeast ridge. While there did appear to be some snow up high above timberline, the first half of the hike promised to be snow-free and fast. This particular route is straightforward and well marked, but very steep – 4,700 feet of vertical gain in the 4.5 miles from the trailhead to the summit. Other than a few short runs and one hike in Indian Peaks, this would be the first real test I’ve given my legs since my 100-miler back in mid-September.

Conditions were ideal for most of the hike, especially compared to the last time I slogged up this route in early May when I was postholing most of way to timberline. Other than a few patches here and there, the entire trail to timberline was snow-free, and I was able to cruise.  Above the trees there was snow along the trail, mostly of the windblown, hardpacked, icy variety.  About halfway up the ridge, the wind started picking up, and by the time I closed in on the summit it was ripping.  Surprisingly, the air temperature didn’t feel all that cold, so with protection provided by my new favorite piece of gear – Patagonia Houdini Jacket – I was able to comfortably enjoy the last few hundred yards to the 14,433-foot summit.

As usual this time of year, I had the entire place to myself, not another soul to be seen anywhere on the mountain. As would be expected at the highest point in the state, the view were spectacular – snowcapped peaks of the entire Sawatch Range to south, the Gore Range to the north, the Arkansas River valley directly below to the east, and the rust colored Elk Mountains far off on the western horizon.  Near the summit I also saw a short-tailed weasel, completely decked out in his winter coat – all white except for a small black tip at the end of his tail.  Despite all my days high in the mountains, this was the first time I’d seen one of these guys.

Unfortunately, there was not enough snow cover to allow for glissading down, so I picked my way down through the scree and hardpacked snow, donning my Kahtoola Microspikes (highly recommended for winter hiking and running) for about a quarter mile through one of the steep icier sections. Once back below timberline, I was able to hike and run down the relatively smooth trail all the way back to my truck.  After a quick bite to eat, a change of clothes, and a few phone calls and emails, I hit the road to make it home in time to greet the neighborhood trick-or-treaters.

This particular route has found its way into my regular rotation of quick and easy 14er adventures that I can easily tack on to the end of a work trip. Due to it’s steepness, the route does require a little more of a time commitment than some other easy-access 14ers (Quandary, Grays, Torreys, Sherman, etc), but there’s something satisfying about being able to knock off the highest peak in Colorado before lunch.

For more information on this route and well as other routes up Mt. Elbert, check out the 14ers.com, the most thorough resource for all things Colorado 14ers.  If you’d like to donate to an organization that supports the protection and preservation of 14ers, consider a donation to the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative.