Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado

Climbing Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado was an experience we won't soon forget. We will relate the experience through our own, attempting to give you a first hand account of what it is like to climb this highest peak in Colorado.

My wife and I arrived at the campgrounds next to Emerald Lake, outside Mt. Elbert in the evening on a Monday in July 2005. It took us a while to find the road to Mt. Elbert because all the directions we found online were incredibly difficult to understand. For this reason, we are going to refrain from trying to give you the same directions and instead point you towards a better alternative. When you get to Leadville, Colorado, stop at a local gas station preferably the Diamond Shamrock on Hwy 24 just past the town. This is a local shopping outlet for climbers and hikers and they will give you the best directions to the road. The long and short of it is that you will drive down a gravel road for about 8 miles and it will be very uncomfortable because the road is all washboards and full of potholes. Be patient, however, because when you get to the campground at Emerald Lake, you will be glad you came. If your Colorado family vacation getaway only involved camping and enjoying the serenity of the outdoors, you could rest assured that you came to a great spot, even if you don't plan to climb Mt. Elbert.

Back to our story. We had heard that you should start climbing around 6 a.m. because you must be off the peak by 2 p.m. to avoid the afternoon storms that usually enshroud Mt. Elbert. We also heard that since the trip is a 12 mile round trip with a 5,000 ft. gain, you should estimate about 8 hours for an average climber and less for in shape, more for those who have less experience. We were in great shape, so we figured we could fly up the mountain. We met up with a father and son and ended up climbing most of the way with them, but after the 2nd false peak, we left them behind. Yeah, you heard me right. There are 4 false peaks on this mountain. If you aren't used to climbing mountains, this can be severely disheartening. We had read there were 2, but whoever wrote that was a liar, so we are forewarning you that there are really 4, so be prepared! (At this point in time, I should let you know there are actually 3 routes up this mountain, but the best and most recommended is the one I will describe. It is the traditional route all the locals recommend and it originates at the Emerald Lake campground or otherwise known as the south/Twin Lakes route.)

As I was saying, at the 2nd false peak the father and son (the son was about 12) were pretty pooped out and so we decided to move forward and offered to wait for them at the top with some food (a little incentive, you know!). This climb is definately not a climb recommended for the day hikers, since it does take aclimatization and a certain amount of cardio fitness to conquer. The peak offers some amazing views and you will find that quite a few people like to climb this disrespected mountain. We spent about 40 minutes atop the peak enjoying the sights and waiting for the father/son team to make it up. When they arrived, we offered them some gorp and jerky, which they readily accepted and then we all took pictures and went our separate ways.

On the way back down, I experienced something that has never happened to me on a mountain. As we walked through a small meadow at about 11,000 feet, I felt a stinging sensation in my pant leg. The pain built quickly and then faded to a dull itching/burning sensation. I lifted up my pant leg and a bee fell out! The point of this recounting is that when you go through meadows that have flowers in it, you would do well to look out for the bees, since I guess they don't like to be disturbed. If you aren't alergic to bee stings, the pain is brief and then leaves you will a bump that itches worse than a mosquito.

Back in our campsite, we took advantage of the blue/green lake and took a swim to cool off and clean off the sweat caked to our bodies. There were a lot of families that were around this lake and this is one of the main reasons we recommend Mt. Elbert as a destination for your Colorado family vacation. You will have some great alone time with your family and get to do it in a setting of extra ordinary beauty!