Mount Elbert is the highest peak in all of the Rocky Mountains and the highest point in the U.S. state of Colorado and the entire Mississippi River drainage basin at 14,439 feet. The peak is named for Samuel Elbert who served as a governor of Colorado and as Colorado State Supreme Court Justice for 12 years. There are three trails to reach the summit of Colorado’s highest mountain:
The standard route along the Northeast Ridge, starts at the North Mt. Elbert Trailhead just west of the city of Leadville. This North Mountain Trail is a 9.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail with 4,471 ft in gain that can take between 7 and 10 hours.
The Mount Elbert East Ridge Trail starts just west of Lakeview Campground off State Highway 82. This trail clocks in at 12.3 miles and 4,888 ft in elevation gain. This trail is often considered the easiest of the trail despite being 3 miles longer than the standard route.
The Southeast Ridge Trail or Black Cloud Trail is an alternative route to the more heavily used North and South Mount Elbert Trails for climbing Colorado’s highest peak. It is 11.3 miles with 5,134 ft in elevation gain. The trail starts off passing through a number of spruce-fir and aspen stands, then across some rock beds, before crossing over South Elbert Peak and on to the summit.
We took the third option up the “back” side of the trail in hopes of a more peaceful hike and was it ever. The plan was to stay in Leadville to get an early start, unfortunately we unknowingly arrived on the weekend of the Leadville 100 and there was nowhere to stay in the area. Instead we found the only motel room even remotely close to the peak and slept (not well) for a few hours. We arrived at the trailhead, made some sandwiches, packed up and hit the trail just before 5 am. Immediately the trail begins upward out of the Lake Creek Valley and the only thing that’s gradual about this route is that it gradually gets steeper. It starts out following along the Black Cloud Creek before veering east up what seems like a million switchbacks. After which it pops out above the tree-line and takes the southeast ridge. We took our time up the trail, stopping often to snack and take in the amazing views and arrived at South Elbert Peak around 10 am.
We took another snack break on the summit of South Elbert, we got back on the trail. Soon after the Black Cloud Trail earned its name as threatening clouds rolled in over La Plata and Twin Peaks. The hail chased us as we hurried along the end of the ridge. As we reached the summit, we saw the first people we had seen all day. We took a couple of obligatory summit photos, a quick video and then a discussion on what to do next. The storm was coming straight up the trail we were on, so going back that way was out of the question. The East Ridge trail would bring us down to Lakeview Campground just 8 miles from where our rental car was parked. Heading down the North Mt. Elbert trail would take us in the opposite direction landing us on the opposite side of the mountain over 30 miles away. East Ridge would’ve been the better option, but the storm coming up from the south would reach that trail quickly and it runs for miles exposed (above tree-line), so the North Mt. Elbert Trail it was. We had to literally run down the trail, dashing for the trees as lightening got closer and closer.
Luckily on the way down we were with a local couple who graciously offered to drive us nearly an hour around the base of the mountain back to our parking spot.
And that was how we got chased off the second highest state highpoint in the lower 48 by a lightning storm!
Fun Fact: In the 1970s there was a group of people who felt that Mt Massive (14,428 ft elevation) deserved to be the highest point and embarked on a campaign to stack rocks at the summit in order to raise the height of the mountain. Those that wanted to keep Elbert as the highest point would visit Mt. Massive and dismantle the giant cairn.