Our plans kept changing.⸻Originally we were to drive to the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and hike Red Cloud and Sunshine Peaks. It would be the first fourteener for both Jenna and Jordan.
But as the day approached, the forecast for that area became more and more stormy. I quickly came up with a Plan B, just in case. We would drive to Leadville instead, camp nearby, and hike Mount Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado.
As we left for our excursion and watched the forecast, we decided Plan B was the wiser option.
Onward to Leadville!
But as we approached the trailhead the day before, with the intention of finding a camp, I pulled out Google Maps to find the road . . . . . and learned it was closed! And there was no alternate!
Now we scrambled to find a Plan C.
I had briefly studied another trailhead on the south side of Mount Elbert. It was steeper and a bit longer. It was next to the highway to Aspen.⸻This is what we chose.
The drive was 28 miles outside of Leadville and luckily for us there was a campground nearby. Jenna pitched a tent, Jordan set up a hammock, and I inflated a mattress inside the Bronco. After a hearty dinner of chili and cheese, we retired to bed expecting an early start.
We set foot on the Black Cloud Trail at 5 am. From the beginning it was brutal. With either flashlights in hand or headlamps, we pushed along a dark, steep trail.
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| Dinner the evening before our hike. |
We set foot on the Black Cloud Trail at 5 am. From the beginning it was brutal. With either flashlights in hand or headlamps, we pushed along a dark, steep trail.
Below us to the left we could hear the rushing of a creek, and about half an hour into the hike we crossed the creek on a sketchy bridge made by stretching logs across the water.
After one hour we took a short break with the first morning twilight. We still couldn't see much except the dark face of the mountain.
Half an hour later the beautiful landscape now appeared out of the darkness. In front of us lofty mountains rose to the sky. Verdant coniferous trees now transformed into silhouetted stick figures on the horizon. We spotted a near-full waxing moon, now disappearing below their tops.
The humungous slopes up which we still had to ascend loomed behind us. My legs already felt the burn from our constant climb. There would be no relenting.
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| Moon over the treetops. |
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| Breakfast with a view. |
The humungous slopes up which we still had to ascend loomed behind us. My legs already felt the burn from our constant climb. There would be no relenting.
As we hiked we were on the watch for any big game. We knew there would be a possibility of moose, deer, elk, bears, bighorned sheep and possibly mountain goats.
We came across old scraps of metal from the days of mining. It seems like every slope and gulch in Colorado was mined at one time. Near this same area we came across yellowish-orange piles of tailings.
Near one of these tailings I looked down in a gulley and saw a mule deer feeding on grass. He looked up and I saw it was a little two-point.
As we painstakingly continued our trudge upward, we left the lodgepole pines, spruce and fir below us and now traveled above treeline.
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| Small buck feeding in a gulley. |
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| Tailings from an old mine. |
As we painstakingly continued our trudge upward, we left the lodgepole pines, spruce and fir below us and now traveled above treeline.
The trail ascended the steep mountain using a series of switchbacks.⸻twenty-two of them if I counted correctly. Some of the sections consisted of plain dirt while others included rock steps placed there by trail builders. From time to time a pika would let out a chirp and scamper to another rock.
Although the switchbacks were grueling on my legs, I was anxious to get them over with and arrive at last on the upper ridge. From the trailhead to the upper ridge we climbed 3,731 feet in only 3.2 miles. That averages out to 1,165 feet a mile.
I should mention here that Jenna and Jordan were great sports. They easily could have out-done their old man, but they were always gracious and let me take the lead.
As we climbed higher, the views to the south became more magnificent. Across the valley rose La Plata and Rinker Peaks in all their grandeur. From our view we could see the ridges, crags and crevices of those magnificent mountains. Knowing that La Plata Peak was the fifth highest in the state, I suddenly longed to climb it.
Arriving at the ridge was a welcome relief to our thighs and calves. Now before us we could see the summit of Mount Elbert, still two miles away and another thousand feet of elevation climb.
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| La Plata (right) and Rinker Peaks. |
Arriving at the ridge was a welcome relief to our thighs and calves. Now before us we could see the summit of Mount Elbert, still two miles away and another thousand feet of elevation climb.
We did, however, take the opportunity to detour a fifth of a mile and climb an extra 150 feet to say we summited Mount Cosgriff. From our angle it didn't look much like a peak, but from down below I suppose it does. This little summit was named after Peter Cosgriff, a Leadville attorney that was influential in the community.
On the summit there was a pile of rocks and a plaque honoring Ned Cosgriff, the son of Peter. Ned died seven years ago and spent a lot of time traveling the world and hiking mountains. This was a good spot for us to take a break and eat a sandwich.
Even though we were now on the ridge, and the slope was not quite as drastic, it was still no walk in the park. Our legs were worn out.
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| Mount Cosgriff summit. |
Even though we were now on the ridge, and the slope was not quite as drastic, it was still no walk in the park. Our legs were worn out.
From Cosgriff the ridge slowly climbed toward South Elbert, a sub-peak that stood just over 14,100 feet. At times there was a good trail and at times we were walking atop shale rock.
After South Elbert the trail descended back to 13,900, all of which we had to regain, and them some.
This section of the ridge gave the appearance of being steep on both sides and narrow on top, but once we got there it didn't seem that bad. The wind picked up with extreme gusts.
Before we knew it we were on the top of Mount Elbert with a couple dozen other people, most of them young folk.
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| From the top of the switchbacks, South Elbert in foreground and Mount Elbert behind. |
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| Past South Elbert looking forward to Mount Elbert. |
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| Final ridge to Mount Elbert. |
Before we knew it we were on the top of Mount Elbert with a couple dozen other people, most of them young folk.
The view from the top was excellent, both on the Leadville and Mount Massive sides. I overheard a guy speaking who pointed out Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak in the distance.
We spent at least half an hour at the summit. Some people had a cardboard sign that read “Mount Elbert 14,440 feet” that they held while taking their picture. Most of the people there were just hanging out, just enjoying the scenery and the moment. In addition to being the highest peak in Colorado, Mount Elbert is the second highest peak in the contiguous forty-eight states, behind only to Mount Whitney in California.
We knew we had to get down to avoid any afternoon rain shower. The hike down was much more pleasant and quicker.
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| From the summit of Mount Elbert, looking north toward Mount Massive, Colorado's second highest peak. |
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| Jenna enjoys the view from the summit. |
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| Looking northeast toward the city of Leadville. |
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| View from Mt. Elbert, looking southeast toward Twin Lakes and Mount Cosgriff. |
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| La Plata Peak, the fifth highest summit in Colorado. |
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| Eating on the summit of Mount Elbert. |
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| View west. Casco Peak and French Mountain across South Halfmoon Basin. Snowmass Mountain and Capitol Peak in distance. |
We knew we had to get down to avoid any afternoon rain shower. The hike down was much more pleasant and quicker.
By the time we got to the top of the switchbacks we could see a dark rainstorm moving our way. It had us worried, but at least we weren't hearing thunder.
We hit the switchbacks hard, moving as quickly as possible. At the bottom of the switchbacks⸻1,300 feet down⸻was the treeline, a place of better shelter from rain and lightening. That was our goal.
We were about halfway down when the rain began to hit. I put on a poncho and Jenna her raincoat. Jordan didn't have either, so he booked it to the trees to find shelter.
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| I believe this is quartzite. |
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| Jordan running ahead. |
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| Rainstorm headed our way. |
We were about halfway down when the rain began to hit. I put on a poncho and Jenna her raincoat. Jordan didn't have either, so he booked it to the trees to find shelter.
As for me and my poncho, it was a pain in the you-know-what⸻getting twisted and flapping in the wind, barely protecting me from the elements. I decided then and there that I would buy a raincoat.
By the time we made it to the bottom of the switchbacks we found Jordan huddled beneath a tree. The rain began to slow, then stopped altogether.
Soon we were back in our beautiful basin with lodgepole pines and Douglas-fir all around; and all the colors of the wet landscape were saturated. La Plata and Rinker Peaks once again reigned majestically from across the canyon. ♠
Mount Cosgriff
Mount Cosgriff
Distance to peak: 3.4 miles
Net elevation gain: 3,748 feet
Final elevation: 13,584 feet
Mount Elbert
Distance from Cosgriff: 2.3 miles
Distance from trailhead: 5.7 miles
Net elevation gain from trailhead: 4,719 feet
Total elevation gain: 5,218 feet
Total distance: 10.9 miles
Total time: 10 hours, 49 minutes
Final elevation: 14,440 feet
