Fleetmack.com - Mt. Antero

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"They say the recipe for Sprite is lemon and lime. But I tried to make it at home; there's more to it than that." --Mitch Hedberg

Mt. Elbert
07-15-2007
Summit Elevation - 14,433
Elevation Gain: 4700ft
Trip Distance: 9 miles
Total Round-Trip Climb Time (including 15 minutes on summit): good question
4WD Required: no problem for the Accord
Exhaustion Factor (on scale of 1-10): 6
Scenery Factor (on scale of 1-10): 4

Well, here I sit a good month after climbing this mountain, and everything I've ever said about a good trip report has escaped me. I always said a trip report is nothing without exact times, and I don't remember ours, so I will estimate them to the best of my ability. Fabi and I picked up B.J. and Brooke around 4:45am and headed out of Denver via I70 west. We went through Leadville, found County Road 300, went across some train tracks, found County Road 11, and followed this for about 1.2 miles to a dirt road... hung a right, and drove for 5 miles. After my odometer read 5 miles and we didn't see the trailhead, I rolled down my window to ask some hikers if we passed the trailhead yet, one guy said "We thought it was that way (pointing behind him) but we didn't see it either so we're going back this way." We decided to keep going and about, literally, 20 yards further was the TH. How the fuck did that guy miss it? There was 20 cars there in the lot and a big sign that said "Mt. Elbert Trailhead." We were confused. Regardless ...

Around 7:30 we began hiking. The hike is fairly uneventful. There is a stream near the start, and the climb starts steep. Now let me tell you this -- the hike stays that way! It is very steep the whole way to the top, but you won't need to use your hands at all. I guess when you're gaining 4700 feet in 4.5 miles (up), that's a pretty steep grade. The trail goes through the trees and then you arrive at a false tree line. After a short stint of no trees, we were back in them again. Around 2 hours into the hike we got above tree line and almost blew off the mountain. Wow, the wind was powerful and it was cold. This is as cold as I've been on a 14er hike, that wind was just vicious! We stopped several times whenever we found shelter from the wind. The route now wraps around the back of the mountain and through the rocks. It is a very uneventful hike, but eventually you get to the top (no shit, huh?). There were several people on the summit and we rested for a good half-hour while trying to warm up. I don't understand how, but on top of the mountain -- with no shelter, there was no wind. The second we started going down again, the wind returned.

We took about 2.5 - 3 hours to get down the mountain and couldn't have been happier. We were cold and our knees were hurting badly from the steep down grade! This was 14er #23 for me, and it was the first time my knees have ever been sore, I thought they were done! Good climb, back to Leadville for lunch. And I have to say this -- BOYCOTT THE LEADVILLE SUBWAY!! I've probably eaten at Subway 400 times, and this was by far the worst bread I've ever had. Crusty, cutting your mouth open, and not at all hunger-quenching. Avoid it -- but continue to climb mountains! It was great getting Fabienne, B.J., and Brooke atop their first 14er and to the highest mountain in Colorado!

Check out my pictures of this climb here.