Subject: TR: Mount Elbert, CO aka A Good Time Was Had By All Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 20:10:02 GMT From: Tom Stybr Organization: I speak for noone else Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
East Ridge Grade II, Class 1 8.0 miles; 3,900 ft. elevation gain August 2, 1998
Driving the jeep trail to the trailhead, I enjoyed more of the beauty of rain in the mountains. My tires slipped and slid on the smooth and muddy trail and I watched the rain fall for the second time, this time from the dense stands of aspens which bracketed my view. I believed it was still coming from the sky until I stopped and listened. A hint of breeze jostled the canopy, glowing in the late day alpenglow, releasing the load of water from leaf and limb. All around me sparkled.
My original plans included Elbert from Black Cloud Gulch but I deferred to the easy trail hike since sleeping at the trailhead would be a bit more secluded than the roadside trailhead at the gulch. I hadn't done a class 1 hike since the Barr Trail up Pikes Peak four years ago. I reconciled the "it goes but I go not" conflict of not doing a more ambitious route and went to bed a hundred yards before road's end. An empty Jeep Cherokee was the only other vehicle in the vicinity. My luck was holding out and I fell right to sleep at dusk and didn't wake up until early morning.
I was hungry again, too. Let's see if I get this straight: 10,000 feet, slept well, appetite, no headache? Strange. At 0618, I'm on the Colorado Trail, cross a small creek and soon keep a sharp eye for the Mount Elbert Trail. I spot a tent off to the left, then there it is - a well worn dirt track shooting west straight up the hillside. I pause to catch a glimpse of small lakes through the aspen then turn my attention to the climb. The tentmates were just emerging as I passed their camp that was a scant twenty feet from the trail. "Morning, it's all uphill from here, isn't it?" I joked. "Yep. You ever climbed Elbert before?" "No." "You'll do fine. We'll see you at the top." Great, just what I neededÖencouragement.
I recommenced my snail pace, huffing and puffing until I settled into a sustainable rhythm. Before long, I had gained 1200 feet, reaching a sunny clearing, and stopped for a bite and a drink. A group of four guys in there early twenties appeared behind me and we nodded to each other as they passed. My first impression was that they were a small Outward Bound group. They stopped after another hundred yards or so and by that time I was on my way again. They didn't stop for long and passed me again though this time I learned that they were doing just fine this morning.
The trail breaks from the trees once and for all affording a great view of South Elbert and Elbert, upper Bartlett Gulch and nearly the entire east ridge trail. The four were stopped for a food break and I stopped for a wind jacket beside them. The more talkative, and that didn't take much, of the group quickly gave lend to the name I've given them: the Right On Brothers. Nearly everything I said was greeted with a "Right On!" or a "Right On, Bro!" On this sunshiny, windy morning, they fit perfectly with all around.
They took off and I strapped my lumbar pack on before starting after them, their speed being a little more than mine. I could then see a trio just beginning to get into the talus cone above and the Right On Brothers quickly overtook them. I could also see climbers on the northeast ridge. The wind robbed nearly all the warmth of a very bright sun. I caught the trio as well and found that they were really a pair, a mother and daughter from the Front Range who could pass for sisters, and a soloist from Helena. They were in very high spirits, joking and laughing. I couldn't help but be caught up a little in it.
I stopped for a food break and the daughter (I could tell them apart, now) commented as to my condition: Man Eating PowerBar. I wondered, "Man-Eating PowerBar? How about PowerBar-Eating Man?" The altitude must be affecting me now. I was ahead of them again soon and switched back to the summit at 0930 where the powerful wind and the communal experience that is Mount Elbert on a Sunday hit full force. It's not a huge summit but big enough for the twenty or so that were on top already with more arriving from the south, east and northeast making it quite the crowd. I migrated over to the Right On Brothers and hunkered down behind the windbreak. Wind-chill was easily in the twenties and maybe lower.
Talk turned to the wind, cameras, lenses and purple jackets, one of them complimenting my choice of color as he was a Kansas State student. The ladies arrived to fanfare and the soloist topped-out shortly after. Item of interest: He claimed to have dealt with the Capitol gunman who had tried to pawn off old mining equipment at his salvage yard in Helena. The high winds resulted in crystal clear skies with prominent summits from every major range clearly visible. We took turns taking each others' photos against our favorite backdrops, Snowmass winning top honors.
Some were surprised that it was indeed Pikes Peak that dominated the eastern horizon. Uncompahgre to the southwest, the entire Elk Range to the west (Snowmass was still full white even after the recent hot weather), the Sawatch and northern Sangre de Cristo to the south could be seen unfettered by any haze. Even Holy Cross was seen poking over the shoulder of Massive, the cross itself just barely there. Most impressive to me was the view of the Ellingwood Ridge on La Plata. It seemed so close and the detail was vivid. Before long, the wind was getting the best of me and I began to shiver. I received my last "right on, bro!" and bid all of my new friends farewell.
Dipping onto the east side provided a respite from the wind and I imagined that the northeast ridge was getting raked by it. I encountered the usual high number of trekkers on a route such as this and nearly all were ready to chat as I yielded to their ascents. The two campers from earlier seemed the least spirited of all I encountered as one of them didn't seem to be doing too well. I noticed more of the wildflowers than on the way up and took many photos trying to capture the greatness of the scene. Once I dropped off the ridge and was back in Bartlett Gulch, Twin Lakes dominated the view. I mentioned while passing a couple of guys that the view really sucked, didn't it. Once back in the trees I wasted no time descending and by 1145 was back on the Colorado Trail.
-- Thanx for your interest. Tom To use Reply-To E-mail address remove "ZAP".