If you have been following my travels, the name “Elbert” may sound familiar. That’s because I was here just about 5 months ago on a failed attempt of Elbert. It was for the good though, as that trip kick-started my high-pointing journey.
Save the drama. This time, I made it!
On my last trip, I took the 4WD road to the South Mt. Elbert Trailhead. On this trip, I decided to avoid the (often treacherous) road and potential bottom-outs and hiked in on the Colorado Trail. It was a nice hike, but it added 3 miles. Each way. And roughly 800 additional feet of elevation gain.
The lower parts of the trail were snow-free. About one mile in, as the elevation increased, snow appeared. It would be my constant companion through the remainder of the hike. The views of the mountains were fantastic. It truly was a perfect day.
I was fresh. The trail was easily navigable in microspikes, so I made great time. The 3 miles and 800 feet up took only one hour, and I was at the trailhead.
The weather was pretty good – cold enough to leave a crusty snow but not cold enough to need more than a base layer (smart wool) and middle layer (merino wool); no jacket necessary. The trail meanders through the woods for a short time, and then climb begins. Once it begins, there are really no breaks.
Within a short time, I was back above tree line and beginning to carry the ridge towards the summit. This section of trail was quite familiar from my previous trip. It was overall uneventful – I passed a few other hikers from South Dakota and South Carolina – but otherwise just trudged forward. As I mentioned, the snow conditions were great. I had to put on my snowshoes right as I exited tree line, but they were only necessary for about 100 yards. I ended up ditching them in the snow to lighten my pack and picked them up on the return trip.
Unlike my last trip, I benefited heavily from the presence of tracks leading me in general direction of the trail. I was able to follow these towards the top for around 60% of the way. The other 40% resulted in route finding – looking in the general direction of the summit and plotting a course. I, of course, lost the trail several times and probably added an extra half mile to my trip…but I was never in danger of losing sight of the summit. Never take your eyes off the summit!
I stopped along the way for a quick snack. I also decided to lose the heavier (but waterproof) mountaineering boots in favor of my approach shoes + microspikes. There are a few places where you think you’ve reached the top, only to see another large slope looming ahead. These are called “false summits”. And they suck.
Mt. Elbert towers to 14,439 feet. As such, it is the second highest mountain in the contiguous United States. While the trail is not particularly difficult technically, the continual grind upward in the increasingly thin air was a challenge. Especially since I spend most of my time roughly 9000 feet lower than the trailhead and 13,000 feet lower than the summit. Add to that warm temperatures and the climb was a struggle. I set out on the Colorado Trail at 7:45 AM and reached the top of Colorado at 12:30. It took nearly 4 hours to hike the 4 miles on the South Mt. Elbert trail. 1 mile per hour, compared to my 3 miles per hour on the Colorado Trail. It was a lot of work, but the views from the summit were worth it.
The top is great! Its only half way.
After snapping some pictures, I drank some water (which was the last I had) and started back down on the trail. And that was about all I saw of the trail. Within 100 yards, I lost it. This wasn’t too concerning. There were some large frozen lakes below that I could aim at and go in the generally right direction. As it turns out, the trail cut hard to my left early on, and I went hard right. I went down as quickly. This wasn’t a problem except for some additional route finding.
Until I came to a very steep slope. I mentioned the warm weather? Well, it tends to melt snow. Instead of a crunchy surface that provides good traction, you get a mushy, slippery mess. That slippery part. I started to experience some of that, even with my microspikes. While trying to cut across the slope to correct my … completely incorrect direction… I started to slide. I slipped an uncomfortable amount a few times and decided it was best to sit down and break out the ice axe(s).
Ice axes are good for going up, but they are critical for something called a “self-arrest”. That means using the axe to stop yourself from plummeting down a slippery slope by digging the sharp edge into the snow, rolling to your stomach, and putting your weight into the axe. My max slide was only about 3 feet, but I did get to test my self-arrest technique. Worst case I would have hit some rocks on a major slide, but there may have been a steeper drop off that wasn’t visible to me. This is yet another reason why you should always make sure you have the proper gear with you in the mountains, and make sure you know how to use it.
I probably should have used my crampons here, but did I mention I had only eaten protein bars, was out of water, and was tired? The obstacle was soon abated and I trudged on. Soon I was in the territory I was very familiar with (I hiked it twice last time, and once on the way up already). I expected my return to the Colorado Trail to go very quickly. The end was in sight! Wrong!
That warm weather? Melting snow? Yes, not good for hikers. For about 50 percent of the way back, the snow I had walked on without obstacle on the way up became my enemy. I post-holed waist deep 50+ times, sometimes tipping over entirely. A few times it took all the strength I had to free a leg that was buried. After a few minutes of this, I unpacked my bag and pulled out my snowshoes. They were worthless. I continued to post-hole all the way down the mountain until I made it to tree line. And then some. The post-holing, combined with the lack of water (for 3.5 hours now) was pretty much the most frustrating part of any hike I have ever been on. I also decided (a ways back) that I didn’t need gaiters anymore, so the post-holing filled my shoes with snow. They were soaked. The last 4 miles back the car were pretty miserable with wet shoes, headache, hunger and thirst, and – of course – missing the trail that took the most direct route back.
But. I. Finished. I drove to Leadville and picked up 2 gatorades, a water, and a coke… and drank them all. Life is good. A few hours later I picked up my celebratory beer in Colorado Springs. Cheers!
Chambers Adventures 