I went to Colorado to visit John at his new job. We played some Texas Hold ‘Em, hung out with his friends in Rangely, and… oh yeah, we climbed a frickin’ mountain! Mt Elbert, the tallest peak in Colorado, to be specific. I’ve never climbed a mountain before, and at 14,433 feet this was a great place to start. The trailhead is at about 10,000 feet outside Leadville, and the book says the trail has 4,700 feet of elevation gain.
We started out well before sunrise using headlamps until we were above the treeline. Sunrise at 12,000 feet is pretty great. We had perfect weather, no major injuries, and we reached the summit in time for lunch while the wind graciously settled down for an hour or so. A great first experience for me, and more will follow.
O-dark-thirty at the Mt. Elbert trailhead
Above the tree line for sunrise
John and Brandon fighting the wind
The first of several false summits
Brandon surveying the view over Leadville
John representing the Hilltoppers – fitting!
12k feet maybe?
Jim and Jen working their way up in the distance
Brandon and John looking for shelter from the wind
13k feet or so
The trail crests just after the steep rocky bit
Waiting at about 14k feet for the others to catch up
Brandon and John charging ahead
The last of the four false summits
Rock hard snow drifts near the top
If you remember to bring a sharpie (we didn’t) you write your name on the stick
