Hiking Colorado’s Tallest 14’er: Mount Elbert in the Snow

Colorado. It’s quiet, it’s serene, it’s beautiful and it has endless adventure in every season. From hiking the Maroon Bells to skiing the dozens of mountains, to hot spring hopping, mountain biking, ghost town wandering, bird watching, skinny dipping, sand dune rolling, craft beer tasting, boutique shopping and nature sipping. What’s not to love about Colorado.

Colorado is also home to fifty-eight 14,000-foot mountains making it the premier state in the US for avid hikers, climbers and mountaineers to test their limits, endurance, and backcountry skills.  Surprisingly more than 300,000 people attempt to hike 14’ers every year,  a popular challenge for many locals and visitors to the Golden State. The tallest of these 14’ers is Mt Elbert at 14,440 feet tall. Mt Elbert is not only the tallest mountain in Colorado but the second tallest in the lower 48 states, with only Mt. Whitney in California being higher.

For those looking to check off hiking a 14’er, Mt Elbert is a great option. As one of the most accessible 14’ers Elbert also often takes the prize for being the easiest of the 14’ers. Now, climbing any 14’er is not easy! Don’t get confused about the difficulty of this climb as it is not easy by any means, with 4,700′ feet of elevation gain this mountain has some serious gains and can be treacherous at best in most seasons.

If Mt. Elbert is on your hiking bucket list here are a few tips for making a successful climb. Including when to hike, what to bring and what to expect on Colorado’s highest peak.

Getting there

To start this hike you will want to head to Leadville. Whether or not you decide to drive in during the morning or spend the night is up to you. There are places to camp, stay and eat in and around the Leadville area.

Copy and paste this address into your GPS to get to the North Trailhead (Only in Summer): North Mount Elbert Trail, Leadville, CO 80461, United States

Copy and paste this address into your GPS to get to the South and East trailheads: (Winter and snow ascents)  South Mount Elbert Trail, Twin Lakes, CO 81251, United States

North Mt. Elbert Trail- https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/north-mount-elbert-trail–3

Mt. Elbert East Ridge  Trail – https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/mount-elbert-east-ridge-trail – Winter Trail

Mt. Elbert SouthEast Ridge Trail- https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/colorado/mount-elbert-southeast-ridge-trail Alternate route

Trail and Hike Information 

• 2nd tallest mountain in lower 48 states at 14,440 feet
• Average trail length 12 miles 
• 3 Main routes to choose from
• Elevation gain 4100 – 4700 feet 
• Time for Roundtrip: 8-10 hours 

There are three main routes to summit Mt. Elbert, all of which gain over 4,100 feet of elevation.  The standard route ascends the peak from the east, starting from the Colorado Trail just north of Twin Lakes at the dirt parking lot. The 4.6 miles long North (Main) Elbert Trail begins close to the Elbert Creek Campground and gains about 4,500 feet (1,400 m). The trail is open to equestrians, mountain bikers and hunters during the season. An easier but longer route, the South Elbert Trail, is 5.5 miles long, climbing 4,600 feet at a less-punishing gradient than the North Elbert Trail. This trail approaches from the south and then climbs the eastern ridge. This is the only trail you should hike in the winter months or when snow is present.  The South and East Mt Elbert trails both start at the dirt parking lot at this address. Most will want to park here and either hike through the forest on the Continental Divide trail or walk up the dirt road which takes you to the main trailhead. For those with 4WD and high clearance, you can skip the first 2 miles or so of the trail by driving down the dirt road. 

The most difficult of the main routes is the Black Cloud Trail, a Class 2 climb that takes ten to fourteen hours depending on your pace. This route gains a punishing 5,300 feet in elevation and also involves an ascent of the sub-peak, South Elbert, at 14,134 feet. Even healthy and experienced climbers report great difficulty on this route, and despite the fact that there is a trail, the route is extremely steep, unstable, and rocky in places. 

While strenuous and requiring great physical fitness, none of the routes up Elbert require technical skills. However, those attempting winter ascents will want to think about bringing skis or snowshoes for deep-packed snow. Many hikers will get altitude sickness as is a common side effect of hiking at elevation.  

What to Bring: 

• 2-3 liters of water 
• Layers! Even in the summer you will want a rain or wind breaker and be prepared for temperature differences of 20-30 degrees. 
• Snacks
• Trekking poles 
• First aid kit and your ten essentials 
• Hat and sun protection 
• Sunglasses – I love Knockaround custom designed glasses. 
• Map and/or GPS device 
• Download an offline map before your climb 
• Camera

Preparing for Elbert:

Even the fittest people should prepare for Elbert by hiking a few mountains at lower elevations in Colorado first. The Rockies are packed with peaks to choose from and depending on how long you spend in Colorado you could check off quite a few. Two of my favorites are Teocalli Mountain and Gothic Mountain near Crested Butte, Colorado. Check out my videos and articles on what to expect from these climbs.  If you can’t commit to hiking any other mountains in Colorado beforehand, you will want to spend at least one night at an elevation of 10,000 feet or more before you start your climb. Leadville is a great place to camp or stay in a hotel and is close to the trailhead. You could also stay in Breckenridge, Frisco or Copper. It is very important to acclimate before attempting any hiking in Colorado especially if you are a flatlander. Everyone is different but in general, for those living closer to sea level, it will take you 2-3 nights and sometimes up to a week to properly adjust to the altitude. Some people get altitude sickness at as low as 6,000 feet. Drink lots of water, eat well and get lots of sleep to help with the process. For more tips on getting in shape for the trail, you can check out my Hikers Training Guide and my 10 Hiking Essentials posts.

Always remember to check the weather before and during your hike as weather conditions often change rapidly. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summertime and hailstorms and snow are possible year-round. Thunder and lightning on the mountain can be extremely dangerous when on the exposed ridgelines. 

Mt. Elbert Mountain Facts:

Mt. Elbert was named for Samuel Elbert who served as the territorial governor of Colorado from 1873 – 1874 and as a Colorado Supreme Court justice for many years. He was also well known for brokering a treaty in September 1873 with the Ute tribe that opened up more than 3,000,000 acres of reservation land to mining and the railroad. This treaty is what lead to the great mining and railroad developments that ushered in a new age for Colorado. Please respect the history of the original protectors of Colorado and remember to keep this land pristine.

Mt. Elbert is located next to another well hiked Colorado mountain, Mt. Massive. In the 1970s there was a movement to make Mt. Massive, the northern neighbor of Mt. Elbert, the tallest mountain in the state. I know what you’re thinking – how could you make another mountain taller and why would you want to? Well, a group of hikers and Colorado mountain lovers apparently embarked on a campaign to tack rocks on the top of Mt Massive in hopes of making it another 13 feet taller. The group eventually gave up and the record still stands with Elbert, that is until another group of weirdos decides to try again.

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