The story of a 65 year old Flatlander, in moderately good (but certainly not great!) physical condition who decided to attempt Mount Elbert, the highest summit in Colorado and the second highest in the 48 contiguous States:
Came up from the Black Cloud Trailhead to the south. Did South Elbert first then hiked along the ridge to Elbert's summit. This route is best described in Gerry Roach's 14ers guidebook.
One interesting thing: On my way down to the Elbert/S Elbert saddle, two helicopters showed up. One kept continually buzzing by the saddle maybe 100 ft over my head. On two occasions he actually landed for a short time. Closest I've ever came to getting flown off a mountain. I'm guessing they were performing training exercises for the upcoming ski rescue season in nearby Aspen.
Mount Elbert via the North Mt. Elbert Trail (Half Moon Campsite), 8/13/03
September 1 2003, 10:38 PM
Nathan and I climbed Mt. Elbert on August 13, 2003, via the North Mt. Elbert trail (Half Moon Creek Campsite Trailhead). Please see my trip report for details.
I stood atop Elbert yesterday, and my calves may never forgive me. True to form for me, i made this highpoint as difficult as possible. With Rainier looming in 3 weeks, i decided for practice to load up a 50lb. pack and head up the Black Cloud Gulch route of Elbert.
First, if you are approaching the trailhead from the west on route 82, there is no sign! It's the first turnoff on the left after the Mt. Elbert Lodge, and if you pass the red barn on your right you've gone too far. Do a U-turn, and you'll see a small sign as you re-approach from the east.
I started in the mid-afternoon, planning to go halfway up and camp. The trail was steep, the creek was running very well, and the route was obvious. I crossed paths with 3 other people, (and except for the peak itself, saw no one at all on the 2nd day.) I wasted an hour or more trying to find a suitably flat place to camp at 12,000+ feet, and ended up with my tent on an incline. I will never ever do THAT again. What a long night. Anyway, temps stayed in the 40s overnight, there were only a few sprinkles of rain, i saw 3 deer, and the views from this last bit of treeline were stupendous. If you're planning on camping on the route, i now know of a few perfect places where i SHOULD have camped, down around 11,500 ft...if you want to email me, i can try to describe where they are.
A word about route-finding in Black Cloud Gulch. The most useful topo/directional aid turned out to be a tiny trail pamphlet written as a project by a non-native english speaker, that the Leadville Ranger Station sent out to me by mail. If you call them ahead of time, ask for it! The visible "trail" IS the one described in this pamphlet, and is the route described in Colorado Fourteeners. If you are looking for the 2 "alternate routes" in that book, or for the trails mapped on 14ers.com or fourteeners.org, good luck. There aren't any visible junctions with the one real trail, which is actually NOT described and shown on those websites. At least when going UP, stick with the visible trail as it heads due north, and past the cabin ruins (about the size of an outhouse) bending northeast to the ridgeline.
The 2nd day i started before dawn, since i couldn't sleep anyway. The switchbacks north/northeast from 12,200 up to 13,800 were brutal with a full pack and no rest. I thought when i had filled up over a gallon of water at the last crossing of Black Cloud Creek (marked well on the map) i was just adding weight to my pack for training purposes, but i ended up drinking all of it before returning to the creek in the afternoon. I summitted S. Elbert and followed the ridgeline to the main peak, where i found about 10 people who had approached from the main trail from the east. They either must have been faster than me or started even earlier. I had been psyched to be perhaps the highest person in the continental U.S. that morning, but by summitting at 9:30 a.m., i wasn't even close. Oh well. Total hiking time up (remember this was with full pack, so don't laugh at me too hard) was 7 hours.
On the way down, i decided to try to go "alternate route 1." There was no trail going this way, but heading down and knowing where i was aiming to come out, it worked. At the saddle below the peak, i headed due south downslope. If you've been on the rockslide going from King's Peak down to Dollar Lake and Henry's Fork in Utah, you have an almost exact idea what this route down Elbert was like. Fun. Or not, depending on if you like picking and shooshing your way down steep loose rock. I aimed for the lake from which Black Cloud Creek begins, and then headed along the north/east bank of the creek for about the 2 miles until i intersected the main trail from the previous day. The terrain was mostly too good to call bushwacking...mostly open meadow, with a few rockfields to cross, and some overgrown bushes which mostly had deer trails through them to follow. It was isolated and classically alpine. I felt like i was the only person to try this route in a long time, but while walking on a deer trail through bushes up to my neck, i actually stepped on someone's watch! Since it was in decent shape and still showing the correct time, i guess this route must see more use than it appears. I was glad to eventually intersect the trail again, just to know i wasn't lost or anything, but after a few steps was wishing i was back off-trail again. Hiking time down was about 4 1/2 hours.
I know this is a mundane and picure-less trip report, but hopefully it helps if you're planning on this route. I really liked it, and i can't imagine i would have liked the main approaches to Elbert as much. HP #10...next up, Rainier.
p.s. i have a couple trail and food recommendations now for Aspen too if anyone is interested...
Last week, it bothered me that James and I were so close to attempting Mt. Elbert during my actual vacation week. Only the weather prevented an attempt on this mountain. This weekend, I would “extend” my vacation and try to go back to the mountain. This time, instead of driving all of the way, there would be a late flight to Denver. From there, a rental car would get me up I-70 to the turnoff for Leadville. From Leadville, I would go back to the trailhead near Twin Lakes. The plane arrived in Denver after 10PM. It was a little after 2AM when I arrived at the trailhead. There would be a couple of hours of rest in the car, and then the big attempt would at last begin.
July 11, 2004
The Climb
Today, I climbed Mt. Elbert, the highest mountain in Colorado and the American Rockies. It would ultimately be about an 11 hour adventure from the time of the beginning of the hike to its end. This hike started at 4AM at the beginning of a four wheel drive road. Since I did not have 4WD, that would mean 1.8 miles of hiking each way to reach the Colorado Trail. It was dark, but not too bad with the headlight. A quarter moon and Venus could be seen in the predawn eastern sky. The road led through a grove of aspens and at one point, a stream had to be crossed by using slippery logs. Fortunately, one log served as a handhold. At the road’s end, a few vehicles were parked with tents set up next to them. A bridge crossed a stream here, which signaled the beginning of the Colorado Trail portion of the hike. This would last a quarter mile before reaching the registry and the turnoff for the South Mt. Elbert trail. Now, the climb would really begin. The trail ascended somewhat steep in some places through the tall aspens. Twilight was beginning as the aspens were gradually getting smaller. Along the left side of the trail was a view of one of the mountain’s many ridges. Likely, this was part of the south peak of Mt. Elbert. As the sun began to come up, the red alpenglow appeared on the face of the mountain. Eventually, the forest thinned into meadows and then disappeared. Above timberline was the trail through the alpine tundra. It was moderate in some areas and a little steeper in others as it followed a ridgeline up the mountain. A few other people were on this trail at times. Most people would move slower and slower as the elevation increased. Having just flown from Ft. Worth, the high altitude was having a definite effect. The heart rate went up with the trail. I would walk so many paces and then stop for a breather. It took some time, but it was the only real way to get up this mountain. Higher up, some cliffs and snowfields appeared. Along another ridge, I could see people climbing along it. This was the North Mt. Elbert trail which originated from the Halfmoon area. The views continued to get better and better. The trail continued up to a point where it was hard to tell where the top of the mountain was. Above a snow patch, I saw two people who had passed earlier waving at me. A guy coming down told me that it was the summit. A few final pushes led to an intersection with the North Mt. Elbert trail near some type of rock shelters. These shelters looked like they were designed to help shield tents from the wind. Just beyond this was the top of Colorado. At 10AM, I arrived on the summit after a good workout. There were about a dozen people up there with more on the way. There was a lot of room on the summit, so it gave everyone some space. I could now rest and look at the views. There were mountains in all directions. Many of them were 14,000+ peaks. This was truly the rooftop of Colorado. Very likely, few views could compare to this one. Just to the north was the second highest mountain in the state, the appropriately named Mt. Massive. To the east was a range that included the Continental Divide. The South had several peaks in the Collegiate Range and the impressive La Plata Peak. Many of these mountains were “fourteeners”. The West had a jumble of peaks including Snowmass and the Maroon Bells towards Aspen. Far down in the valley below was Leadville and the Twin Lakes area. Truly, this was a panorama. I signed the summit register with a comment about how an elliptical machine in Texas cannot truly prepare on for a climb such as this. After a long break on top of the American Rockies, it was time for the second half of the trip—the descent.
In Search of Rest
The descent was far easier. In some spots, I had to go slow to watch the footing. Fortunately, this was not so heart pounding as the climb. Frequently, I took photos and looked around for wildlife. A few marmots and pikas were around. The weather stayed good all day. Some people got a late start, so this would be very fortunate for them. Gradually, treeline appeared, and then the large mountain meadows. It was fairly warm at the lower elevations. Even the summit was not really that cold. With only a little wind and frequent sun, the mountain was very agreeable today. During the descent, I would stop at places to take some pictures of the sweeping landscape. Finally, I reached the register at the South Mt. Elbert trailhead. After 1/4 mile, I was across the footbridge and at the four wheel drive road again. Mentally, that road was the hardest part of the descent. At long last, the parking lot finally appeared after walking the “endless” 4WD road. I looked back up at Mt. Elbert and then drove to the campground to change and get some water refills. Driving back to Leadville, there was one last look at Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. Leadville itself is the highest incorporated city in the US. On the way back towards I-70, I saw the only ugly sight for the day. This was the Climax molybdenum mine. Literally, a huge chunk of a mountain was destroyed leaving a large scar on the land. It was not a pretty sight. On I-70, I went back through the Eisenhower tunnel under the Continental Divide and eventually reached Denver after some heavy traffic in the mountains. I ate at Burger King and then went back to the hotel to rest before flying back early the next morning. It had been a long day, but thankfully the hike was a success. The vacation finally had closure, even if it took another weekend to finish the job! Truly, this was the most challenging high point yet for the year. No doubt, I would miss Colorado before too long.
My brother and I tackled our first 14,000 peak today and the seventh high point in seven days. The day before we had climbed Wheeler Peak in New Mexico and our bodies were a little stiff. We spent the night before at the Sugar Loafin campground and were at the trail head by 6:30 in the morning. We did some stretching, readied our packs, and were on the way up at 6:50. There were lots of cars in the parking area, but we didn't come across anyone until after at least 45 minutes. We kept a steady pace up through the trees As we approached the tree line, we began to catch up with hikers who had left earlier in the morning. There was even a large group of older teens who had camped out at tree line the night before, had already summited and were on their way down.
After 90 minutes on the trail, we broke out of the trees. and saw a dozen or so people in front of us. The first false summit loomed in front of us and seemed a long ways away. The trail began to climb at a steeper grade now and we geared down and got into a nice slow steay pace stopping every once in awhile to catch our breath and take a drink of water. Slowly but surely we gained ground and after several more false summits gained the summit at 10:30.
We shared the top with ten people and were pleased with the way our bodies had handled the high elevation. Neither of us experienced any smptoms of altitdue sickness. There were 20-30 people behind us and we knew it would soon get crowded on top so after 20 minutes we headed back down. The weather had been perfect, but there more and more cumulus clouds popping up and a few starting to build up. The trail down was tough on the knees and feet, but having been up and down Borah Peak in Idaho four times, I couldn't complain too much as this was much less intense on the body.
We met a bunch of people on the way down and were quite sure that some of them were not going to make the summit. The weather while not bad, was getting more "iffy" all the time. We were back in the parking lot at 12:50 for a total round trip of six hours. There was a dark cloud over Mt. Massive to the north that was dropping some rain, but Elbert still was holding out. We were just glad that we were down off the mountain as you never know how fast the weather can change.
Feeling good chalking up our 8th highpoint and, we went into Leadville to have a beer at the Silver Dollar Saloon before heading out of town back towards Idaho.
After years of peakbagging, I finally got around to Mt. Elbert. I went with my wife, Suzanne, also a veteran hiker and climber, daughter Trish, and granddaughter Amber (15). It was Amber's first fourteener. Date: 15 July, 2004. Weather: Sunny morning, cloudy afternoon, with high temp ony in the fifties and a sprinkle of afternoon rain. Five and one-half hours up, three and one-half down. An unbeatable view from the top.
This was our first point. We spent a couple weeks out in CO after school got out. Have a friend in the USAF Academy so we chilled in The Springs for a few days and got acclimated a little. We woke up at 4am that morning and made the drive to Leadville which is absolutely gorgeous. Unable to find suitable breakfast the four of us in our party settled for 3 Krispy Cremes each. We arrived the trailhead after a massive fart-off competition in the car. We actually had to stop the car because we were all laughing so hysterically. We started the trail at 8am to make sure we'd be below the tree line by lightning time. We pushed hard (even for being low-elevation people) and made the summit in 3.5 hours. We stayed up there for a while and made our descent. Sliding down the remaining snow patches totally rocked. The summit was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, but I'm sure that will change as we progress the next 49.
Hey! Some friends and I were looking to hit Elbert in the summer of 2007...
Could I get some advice from some people who've hiked it, please?
We are flatlanders from Ohio, however, three of the four of us planning on the trip hiked Mt. Whitney in 2004 (acclimation was difficult at first, but we made it successfully).
My big questions are:
In MANY pictures, people appear to have VERY small packs (almost like JanSport bookbags) and that's it...obviously on Whitney we spent the night and needed much more gear, but for a day trip, I assume the usual food and water and perhaps a trekking pole or two is all that is needed?
What is the camping situation in the area like?
What would be an approximate timeframe for a hike for people in pretty good shape? It seems like 6 to 8 hours is the norm?
What is the snow condition in July or August? Would an ice axe be needed?
Obviously, the big danger appears to be from thunderstorms, and hiking early as possible seems to be the best advice…right?
What about lodging around the area? Any good local eateries / watering holes that are recommended?
The bagging of my 20th highpoint proved to be a much tougher task than I had ever anticipated. Little did I know that by taking the Black Cloud Trail approach, I was not as I had thought taking the path of least resistance but, instead, choosing the toughest trail I have ever encountered.
I spent the week of September 10-16 on vacation in Colorado (my first trip ever to the Centennial State). Unlike my other trips my itinerary wasn’t filled with a lot of things to see or much to do save for two things: climb Mount Elbert and interview former Chicago Black Hawks hockey player Eric Nesterenko (a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup champions) for a future book project I am presently working on. Luckily for me, I accomplished both goals and got to enjoy the thin, mountain air of Leadville, Colorado.
I arrived in Leadville on September 11 and didn’t waste time scouting out the trailhead at Black Cloud and doing a one hour round trip reconnaissance of the beginnings of the Black Cloud trail. (Little did I know that my reconnaissance wouldn’t even begin to show me what was in store for me when I really would hike the trail)?
The drive to the Black Cloud trailhead is stunning. Once you leave Leadville you are swallowed up in the vast openness that forms the base of the East Faces of Mounts Elbert and Massive. Route 24 meanders through high pastures and you cross over the Arkansas River (just a little stream) until you reach Route 82 and you make the right turn onto Route 82 and stay on that road until you find the trailhead. Driving West on Route 82, you pass by Twin Lakes and you confront the mighty citadels that are the Sawatch Mountain Range. Some mountains had snow and some did not. I kept wondering whether Elbert would have snow and would that snow interfere with my hiking? I had concerns and real doubts as to whether I would be able to successfully summit Mount Elbert. (The only other time I’ve ever been in a huge mountain range like what I saw in Colorado was in 1986 when I spent three days in the Austrian Alps with a former pen-pal of mine. The Sangre de Christo Mountains in New Mexico don’t even compare to what I saw in Colorado).
Finding the Black Cloud trailhead, though, can be tricky. I overshot it myself and was forced to backtrack and ask for directions. I stopped at the Mount Elbert lodge and asked someone if the trailhead was near. A guy told me it was one hundred yards down the road from the lodge. (Rule of thumb for Highpointers: if you reach the lodge, you’ve gone too far. Please turn around and go back one hundred yards and it’s the first left turn you see).
I did what the guy told me and there it was. The sign identifying the trailhead is not very visible from the roadway and the road itself is an earthen road more suitable for high clearance vehicles like trucks and jeeps (which is what I had, a Jeep Wrangler).
My reconnaissance didn’t amount to much. I only had one bottle of water so I couldn’t go too far. I walked for thirty minutes, contemplated my position, and returned uneventfully.
The only question that remained was to choose the best day for going for the summit. I had a narrow window of opportunity for climb Mount Elbert: the 12th, 13th, and the 14th. After checking the Weather Channel, I ruled out the 14th because the report called for stormy weather that day. I also had to factor in which day I was going to interview former NHL player Eric Nesterenko. When I got back to the hotel, I called Nesterenko and made arrangements for the interview. I asked to do it on Thursday the 14th but Nesterenko preferred to do it on Wednesday the 13th. Having no choice but to comply I agreed therefore my summit attempt would have to be the next day, the 12th. That wouldn’t give me much chance to enhance my acclimatization but I had no choice. The Weather Channel called for perfect weather that day. (Wednesday’s forecast called for more clouds).
I had a restless night’s sleep that night and by 6:30AM, I left the hotel to have breakfast at the Columbine Café in downtown Leadville. (Note to Highpointers: The Columbine Café doesn’t open for breakfast until 7:00AM after September. During the summer months it opens at 6:00AM). After a delicious breakfast (I ate all my breakfasts there), I went back the motel to load up for the hike. I left the Super 8 motel at 7:39AM. The weather (as promised) was glorious. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Visibility was limitless. The early morning sun gave the pockets of snow of the mountains a heavenly radiance. The drive to the trailhead was uneventful. I arrived there at 8:05AM. If it hadn’t been for the autumnal hours of the Columbine Café I would have been there an hour sooner). It took me fifteen minutes to gear up for the hike. I was wearing my usual hiking regalia: t-shirt, long johns, blue jeans, and my L.L. Bean gear: wool socks, liners, day hiking boots, trail jacket, gloves and backpack. To top it off I made the daring decision to wear my medicine hat (if you’ve read my previous reports it’s my tan hat with bird feathers obtained from my previous travels stuck in the headband. I felt I needed the talismanic magic that my medicine hat would give me (but if the weather had turned bad, I had a wool cap in my backpack). I was carrying five liters of water and six Hershey bars.
It was 8:20AM when I began the hike. The Black Cloud trail is steep to begin with. You start climbing immediately. It wasn’t like last year’s hike at Guadalupe Peak in Texas where there are level stretches that relax the legs. At Black Cloud you start working immediately. The beginning of the trail is canopied with stands of aspen and red pine trees. In places the red pine needles carpet the black earth of the forest. The switchbacks begin at once and you fall into the rhythm of the trail. As you ascend there are certain areas where you find exposed ledges. One needs to be careful and deliberate when you walk these sections. There is no cover for leverage if you lose your footing. Obviously these are places where there have been washouts after heavy rain falls (hence the exposed nature). Vegetation is sparse and the soil can be soft and slippery during rainy days. I had no trouble in these sections but they shouldn’t be dismissed if you’re walking them.
I was using my usual routine of hiking for fifty minutes and resting for ten. Rest break number one (at 9:10AM) was at the first crossing of Black Cloud creek. Until I reached the summit, I was almost alone throughout the entire journey (I did meet one woman from North Jersey when I began the hike. I passed her at the first switchback and never saw her again).
The lower part of the Black Cloud trail skirts and then crisscrosses the creek until you leave the timberline. I crossed the creek at least three times during the hike. The crossings are via felled logs across the water. After the first creek crossing I entered the most pleasant part of the hike. You enter a tree-filled meadow and for a brief time you have a level playing field to ease the strain on your legs. You make your way toward a ridge and once in a while you will find clearings. As you keep going the timberline starts to shrink and you begin to enter exposed ground.
(Note to Highpointers: the Black Cloud Trail isn’t marked at all in the lower portions. You follow the obvious trail but there are times when the trail has off-shoots and tangents—where they lead to? I don’t know but they do exist. One must use one’s instincts in following the trail).
My second rest break took place (at 10:15AM) further up the valley, above the timberline, but still way below the top of the ridge. I know the hike was an eleven mile round trip but I was amazed at the length of the hike. I wasn’t in any particular hurry and I was also conscious of not over-exerting myself. I need to make sure to conserve my leg strength for the hike back if I were successful in reaching the summit.
Whereas with the South and North Elbert trails you are ascending the front of the mountain, with the Black Cloud trail you are taking the mountain from the rear.
I was hoping to reach the top of the ridge by my next rest break but it was not to be. An hour later I was resting again along the trail just shy of the top of the ridge. It was 11:15AM and part of me was wondering if I was on the right trail. Looking around, I couldn’t get a sense of the landmarks and that was contributing to my confusion. Where I was, I was in a very exposed position on the slope leading to the top of the ridge. Scanning around, I saw the moon rising from the East and my instincts told me I was in the right position but I told myself to reach the top of the ridge before deciding whether to press on or not. I figure that if I could reach the top of the ridge then I could orient myself better.
At this stage of this hike, the trail is marked by rock cairns molded into unique shapes. Shortly after rest break number three I reached the top of the ridge. Where the Black Cloud trail meets the ridge, there is a flat platform like area. It was perfect for me. Once I was on top, I looked to my left and saw the summit of Mount Elbert beckoning to me. A quick look at the skies showed that my luck was holding up. The weather remained gloriously perfect. That factor alone decided the issue: I was going for the summit no matter what.
I still had a lot of work to do. There were three to four false summits to tackle before reaching the summit. I was feeling the stress and strain of the journey but I knew there was no turning back. My feelings and emotions at the time were that this was a God-given opportunity. If I turned back now I would never get a chance like this again. I pressed on.
I went for a little bit and then took my fourth rest break in a cluster of rocks just before the second false summit before you reach Mount Elbert. My water and supplies were pretty good. It was a question of time and calculating the limits of my physical strength.
At 12:25PM I set off for the summit. Considering the lateness, I made a decision not to stop until I reached the summit. I kept moving over or around the false summits. There were so many that I lost track of them. At times I thought I was close to the summit and then another false summit would loom ahead of me. There were moments when I thought the summit was a mirage but I kept going. I could see other hikers on the summit and their presence spurred me on.
I was huffing and puffing (not from the altitude but from my exertions. This was the toughest hike I had ever performed).
At this point my memories are fragmented. I moved mechanically, giving myself pep talks, refusing to surrender. I do remember the final approach, picking my way up the tan rocks, spying the flag pole. There were eight people there, waving me onward and upward. I would step, gasp for breath, step, gasp for breath again; the mind saying “move, move, move” and then, finally, at 1:57PM, I touched the wooden pole that marks the summit and sank down onto the rocks, feeling physically spent.
There were no words. I couldn’t speak. The others clustered around me and congratulated me. (There were two groups of four: four male Boulder Police officers and a group of two men and two women: educators from some Colorado town). One of the police officers made an interesting observation to me. He and his partners had been observing me as I made my way along the ridge towards the summit. I thought I had been moving with deliberation but they told me that they were amazed at how fast I was making my way towards them.
I sat there, catching my breath, trying to rest my legs. After a few minutes I had the strength to do the now familiar summit rituals: the Trinity of prayers, the pictures of me holding the U.S. and Colorado state flag, and the taking of the panoramic photos from the summit. The view from the roof of the Rockies was stunning and infinite. I could see the Twin Lakes glistening and gleaming in their subtle blues. Mount Massive lived up to its image: it looked to me as if it were the mummified back of some dead behemoth slain eons ago; westward the other mountains of the Sawatch lay below me in mute supplication.
I was in no hurry to leave. I needed all the rest I could get because it was going to be a very long walk back to the trailhead. I was planning on leaving the summit at 2:47PM. Calculating the time needed to get back I realized that I could conceivably be forced to navigate the final portion on the trail in darkness (sunset that day was 7:17PM) something I had never done before. I wasn’t overly worried. I had a Petzl headlamp in my backpack but the proposition was sobering to contemplate. Still, there was no alternative. The only issue was in summoning up the will to keep moving.
I ate some of my chocolate bars and finished off a bottle of water. By this time, the other eight climbers who had shared the summit with me were gone. I was alone (save for a small marmot that kept flitting around, hoping for a morsel of food from me). The weather remained glorious (which gave me hope for the long journey back).
When my watch said 2:47PM I took the first step on the lack journey back. Descending was never the problem. The real problem was in having to re-ascend those false summits along the way; also, my main fear was in trying to remember where exactly did the Black Cloud trail intersect with the ridge to the summit? I was trying to remind myself of what that intersection looked like. My memory (fogged by fatigue) was hazy on that question. I moved mechanically, retracing my steps. (One nice thing about the pockets of snow, I could see my footprints and made my way back whence I came).
I trudged back in silence, trying to keep my focus on where I was placing my feet. I was trying to avoid accidents or falls. Rest break number five took place between false summits two and three at 3:37PM. I was hoping to be off the ridge before rest break number six but that was not to be. I took rest break number six at a spot that I thought was close to where I would turn off onto the Black Cloud trail for the descent. When I finished the break it was at this moment that I would experience the lone moment of comedy during the hike. I thought I had reached the spot where the Black Cloud trail descends down the mountain. I began to descend but after a couple of minutes I realized that this was not the trail. Off to my left I thought I could see where the real Black Cloud trail was winding down. I realized that I had made an error but I had gone down a little too far and I lacked the strength and the inclination to re-ascend the ridge and make my way over to the right spot. What to do? I wasn’t lost. I could tell by the landmarks that I was going in the right direction. I was just in the wrong spot. My solution was simple. I would glissade slowly down the rocky slope while feeling my way to the left. My reasoning was that the real trail switch-backed on this slope and that by making my way down and to the left I would eventually intersect with the real trail.
It worked out exactly as I figured. I felt my way down and made great progress. Midway through the glissade, I spied a pair of rock cairns and knew they were trail markers for the Black Cloud trail. I made my way towards those cairns and in no time flat had recovered the trail. I could laugh off the minor mistake. Now I was off the ridge, I felt better now. Even though the sun was setting behind the Sawatch mountains, I could begin to make good time down the trail.
Now it was a question of putting one foot in front of the other (all the while giving myself pep talks to keep moving. My pep talks alternated between Vince Lombardi’s classic phrase, “the harder you work, the harder it is to surrender” to the late actor Raymond Chandler’s exhortations to his men in the movie Merrill’s Marauders, “all it takes is just another step” to my own exhortation, “every step I take brings me closer to safety.”
Rest break number seven took place at 5:37PM midway down the ridge. I was still in the Alpine zone above the timberline. The last rest break was at 6:37PM at the meadow above the multiple Black Cloud creek crossings. I rested in the lengthening shadow of the trees as the setting sun cast a golden glow on the hills. I knew this would be the last rest break. Sunset would come in forty minutes and I needed all the twilight I could get.
For the next eighty minutes I kept moving, down the trail, over the creek crossing, through the woods. With every step I could see familiar markings. The shadows of the forest enveloped me with every fleeting second. The encroaching darkness did not scare me in itself. My main worry was whether the National Forest people closed off access to the road after a certain hour or not. I had not recalled seeing any such sign but then I wasn’t looking for such a sign nor did I anticipate such a late return on my part. I also wondered whether my jeep would be ticketed or towed away. Those were my concerns.
It was 7:07PM when I made the final Black Cloud Creek crossing. It would be fifty minutes to my jeep. Amazingly, despite the darkness, I never used my Petzl headlamp. I had just turned 43 the month before but I realized that I still had very good night vision. The trail was always clear to me and I made my way in my elephantine fashion. (I say elephantine because a camper resting in his tent at the trailhead told me minutes later that he heard me coming down the mountain). I knew that there would be some welcoming committee at the trailhead because as I was making my way down I saw a flashlight beam playing around down below. Again I was afraid of encountering a forest ranger and being accused of trespassing or else some sort of night prowler. (Don’t laugh. The thought of meeting Sasquatch entered my mind too, even though I don’t believe in Sasquatch. Actually my thrashing about in the woods helped me understand what it might feel like to be a Sasquatch if such a thing did exist?)
It was 7:57PM and pitch-black when I reached the jeep. I didn’t linger long. I wanted to leave quickly. As expected I was accosted by the camper mentioned above. He was the guy with the flashlight. I explained who I was and both of us relaxed. (I can’t blame him for his concern. I would have been scared myself if I were in his shoes). I quickly doffed my hiking boots, threw my gear in the jeep, and roared off into the night. Access to the road wasn’t blocked off and in no time I was back on Route 82, heading for Leadville.
I come from the South Jersey suburbs where there are street lights everywhere. I am always struck by the blackness of the wilderness at night. As I was driving I felt like I was in a starship traveling through the icy cold of space. I rode in silence (my radio was no good in the mountains), trying to comprehend what I had done. It was roughly 8:30PM when I returned to the hotel. There was so much to do. I needed to get my dirty clothes off, get washed, and try to find a place that served late meals in Leadville. (Not a simple task). In time all this was done and when I went to bed at midnight, I was one tired man.
There are some points I’d like to make. If I had known that the Black Cloud trail was going to be this hard, I would never have tried it. In retrospect, I should have tried the South Elbert trail (that does seem to be the ruta normal for most Elbert climbers). I blame myself for not examining the differences between the trails better. I also blame myself for not remembering where the Black Cloud trail intersects the summit ridge better. If you’re climbing via Black Cloud please be aware of that. Also I don’t believe that the Black Cloud trail is an eleven mile roundtrip. It must be longer. It certainly felt longer. Mount Elbert is a new personal best for me in terms of altitude. It was my first time above 14,000 feet. It also marks the highest highpoint I will ever attempt. Before the Elbert climb, I had fanciful notions of trying to solo Mount Whitney but while I was trying to reach the summit of Mount Elbert, I realized just how fanciful the idea was and have decided to abandon it. Mount Elbert is my summit of summits and Mount Whitney has been added to the other seven highpoints I’ve deemed to be too difficult to climb. My next high-pointing adventure will be in October 2007 when I will try to climb Mount Marcy in New York.
And now for the obligatory thanks for making this climb possible: first and foremost to God: in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen; to Eric Nesterenko for granting me the interview about his NHL career. It was an eye-opening experience; to Rosie’s Brewpub for being open for dinner late at night after I came down from the mountain. Thanks for the hamburger and the Guinness Stout beer! Great way to celebrate! A big ‘thank you’ to Zichittella’s Italian restaurant in Leadville for the great final dinner I had there. If you’re staying in Leadville and are looking for a place to eat then Zichitella’s is an absolute must. The Italian bake dish is to die for! To the lady working behind the counter at Bill’s Sport Shop in Leadville for giving me the beautiful red bird feather when she saw me wearing my medicine hat. That bird feather is now featured prominently in my medicine hat’s plumage. (I returned the favor by buying a t-shirt from the store); to the Columbine Café for their delicious breakfasts. My thanks to the Leadville public library, for letting me use their computers; to everyone in Leadville for their lovely hospitality; to Advantage Rental Car for the Jeep Wrangler that got me there and back; to the Best Western Gateway Inn in Aurora, Colorado for letting me stay there. Nice place to spend the night in the greater Denver region. I will stay there the next time I return.
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