It is our last weekend in Colorado and we are ending with a bang, we will be attempting to summit Mount Elbert. This is not only one of Colorado’s 14ers, but it is the TALLEST mountain in Colorado!!
Colorado has 58 mountain peaks exceeding 14,000 feet. Mount Elbert is said to be one of the easier ones… but easy in the sense that it is not technical. There are a few different routes up to the summit and we are doing the Southeast Ridge via the Black Cloud Trail. It is around 10 miles there and back.
The more popular route is the Northeast trail which is apparently a little easier. The Southeast Ridge is steeper than the standard route, climbing nearly 4,000 feet in the first 3 miles and then the trail follows an additional 2+ miles along the ridge to the summit. From what we have read though, the Southeast Ridge Trail should have less people and is apparently more scenic.
We have a super early morning… our alarm goes off around 2AM and we have a 2.5 hour drive to the trailhead. We start on the trail around 5AM and for the first mile hike through the thick forest in the dark.
We walk through a grove of small aspen trees before reaching more open terrain. The sun has begun to rise at this point and we are able to get a clear view back over the mountains behind us. It is a beautiful view with the sun lighting up the mountains. We continue along the hillside through the trees and finally, leave the treeline behind near 12,200 feet.
The trail becomes steeper and there are some loose sections that make traction more difficult. While we only have 3 miles up to the ridge, it is VERY steep and really slow going.
We finally reach the ridge just shy of 13,600 feet. We are greeted not only with amazing 360 degree views but also the daunting task of what is ahead. We take a quick break to enjoy the view before continuing on with our final 2 miles along the ridge.
Even putting the physical aspect aside, it is very mentally challenging because once on the ridge, you can see the summit nearly the entire way. At times it feels we will never reach the end. On top of that, there are several "false summits" along the way.
We have nearly a mile of ridge hiking to reach the top of South Elbert which sits at 14,134 feet. We have a little over a mile left from here.
We finally make it to the summit and we stand at 14,433 feet in elevation! This is not only the tallest mountain in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains but it is also the 2nd tallest mountain in the contiguous US!!
There are mountains as far as the eye can see in every direction. The views are amazing and it really does feel like we are on top of the world.
It has taken us around 7 hours to reach the top which is honestly much longer than we were expecting. Unfortunately we do not have long because it is already around 12:30 and there are clouds building all around us. We definitely want to avoid any potential afternoon storms and we have a long way back to get below the trees.
We enjoy the views for around 15 minutes or so and then start the very long trek back along the ridge before making our way down the mountain and finally back to the car.
In total it takes us around 11 hours of nearly non stop hiking (just a few short breaks along the way). It is a long and tiring day but the views are amazing and make it worth all the effort! We feel very proud and accomplished for having reached the top of the tallest mountain in Colorado!
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