Mt. Elbert Community Hike
Organized by Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC)
– (MDT)
Mt. Elbert (North) Trailhead
Description
Join a Continental Divide Trail Coalition Community Ambassador and hike the tallest 14er in Colorado, Mt. Elbert!
Mt. Elbert stands tall at 14,440 feet in elevation and is located just north of Twin Lakes and south of Leadville in Colorado in the San Isabel National Forest of the Sawatch Range. The trail for this hike will go up the Northeast Ridge which is about 10 miles long and gains 4,500 feet across the ascent of the trail. The start of the trail sits at 10,040 feet and the top of the peak is 14,440 feet. 14ers are rated on difficulty ratings and Mt. Elbert is a Class 1, which means that exposure, rockfall, route-finding, and commitment are all rated as Low. For more information please visit the following link below on https://www.14ers.com/ to see photos of the trail, the map of the route, and recent conditions updates from people who have recently hiked this peak: https://www.14ers.com/peaks/10001/mount-elbert
Event Information
The group will meet at 4:00am on Sunday, August 25th at the Mt. Elbert (North) Trailhead. The plan is to get started by 4:30am as the ascent can take some time. Due to monsoonal weather in the summer, we need to reach the top of the peak by noon at the latest and be heading back down into below treeline ideally before noon. Weather will be monitored throughout the hike and if conditions change at any point and appear unsafe then the group will turn around for the safety of everyone. Throughout the hike please communicate how you are feeling throughout so that the leader is best able to support you and assist you as this is quite an extensive hike with a significant amount of elevation gain.
Please do not hesitate to reach out and ask questions prior to or after registering for the hike and even during the hike! If you plan to camp the night before please reach out to Justice or contact the ranger station in Leadville prior to the hike to learn where dispersed campsites and campgrounds are as camping at the trailhead is not allowed.
Advance registration is required. We encourage participants to sign up with a hiking buddy.