Date: September 8th, 2013
We had done Columbia the previous day, so after some debate, we decided we'd do an easier route, Mt. Elbert, on Sunday. It seemed appropriate, too, since this would be Cody's 14th 14er, and Mt. Elbert is the tallest peak, at 14,433 feet. Waking up in the Element was terrific, as always:
Despite camping .25 mile from the trailhead, we took our time and slept in. We got on the trail at 9:00am. Ryan was training for the
Bear 100 trail race, so he decided to see if he could run the whole mountain (he did!). Cody and I took our time, enjoying the trail.
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| Elbert went that-a-way |
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| The Colorado trail, leading to Mt. Elbert |
It seemed like in no time at all, we were breaking tree line, and began the steady slog to the top. There were a lot of people on the trail, since it was such a perfect day. Cody got tons of compliments, pets and a lot of food. She loved every other hiker on the trail that day, even stopping to sit with them for a bit. What a goof!
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| This exact spot is tree line |
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| See- no more trees here! |
Finally, we saw Ryan running down the trail. Cody saw him too, and took off after him. And yes, I am an awful wife, because I laugh when Ryan almost falls ;)
It took us a little bit longer to ascend after that, and the views, like always, were amazing. It was practically a party at the summit, but I didn't mind. Cody was on her best behavior, and only went begging for treats from the folks who had teriyaki beef jerky. She gets attention from nearly every hiker out there, especially when she's wearing her boots!
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| Dog in boots! |
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| The Summit Shot |
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| Tongue out to celebrate her 14th 14er! |
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| See, there IS water in Colorado! |
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| On top of the world |
I don't have a data summary for this hike because my garmin battery died!! The horror! However, this trail is extremely runnable (despite the lack of oxygen). There's almost no technical footing, and the ascent is relatively steady the whole way up. On a weekend, you'll have a harder time dodging people than rocks, though, so be prepared for the crowds.
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