Mt. Elbert TR 6-5-2006

[mtnbikerskierchick]

update 2/4/2015 - The pictures for this post are missing because BigLines is no longer hosting them. Please visit a revised version of this post with pictures here.

Mt. Elbert, 14,433 ft
6-5-2006
goldenboy, mtnbikerskierchick

Goldenboy and I camped near the Mt. Elbert trailhead the night before our hike. We were rudely woken up in the middle of the night to music playing... Pink Floyd to be exact. The Pink Floyd groupies had arrived quite late and had decided to set up camp next to us. When the sun rose the music was still playing. Ashame that Pink Floyd had to be used to disturb my sleep. We were to start our day with only 2 hours of sleep. I told myself that if our Pink Floyd camping neighbors were asleep when we returned I'd sing the Brady Bunch song at the top of my lungs

We began our hike around 6:30 in the morning. We took Mt. Elbert trail to the summit. Near the bottom the trail was quite steep and passed through a section of forest where hundreds of trees had recently fallen. It was also full of mosquitos.... and we weren't even in the Mosquito Range! One mosquito decided to bite my nice and hard on my butt! (And on the way home in my car I was wondering... "Why does my butt itch so much??" !!)

Here is goldenboy hiking.


We summited before 11:30 and hung out there for awhile talking to tourists who were surprised we'd hauled our skis all the way to the top of a 14er. Goldenboy and mtnbikerskierchick at the summit.


La Plata is looking pretty dang good!


So is Missouri


Mtnbikerskierchick skiing off the summit.


From the summit, we traversed our way over to the Box Creek Cirque.

Mtnbikerskierchick








Goldenboy tearing it up.















At the bottom of the cirque the snow ended. Goldenboy decides skis are better for snow than for dirt (unlike some others I know) and takes his skis off here.



Our line down the Box Creek Cirque.



The skiing was pretty fun down the Box Creek Cirque, but it was pretty short. The hike down was pretty quick and relatively easy, and we were back to our campsite by 1:30 pm. It was hot, so we sat in the shade drinking beer for awhile before parting ways to go home. While sitting in the shade, a Texan chatted with us for awhile, and bragged to us that he's climbed Mt. Elbert 40+ times, the SAME way each time. Wow, I wish I was him

On the way home, I got a good view of Mt. Elbert from 24. The red line marks our ski path. The other line marks our traverse out of the Cirque to the main Mt. Elbert trail.


While taking the photo, a horsie decided to come over and say hello. Hello horsie! You can see Mt. Elbert behind my new furry friend.

[skiHOG]

amazing that after nearly two weeks of 95 degree heat in denver, and there's still some snow to ski. jesus christ, i'm ready for winter all ready.

[Graupel]

Nicely done!

I hiked Elbert years ago when I used to live in CO. I remember thinking that that cirque would be a really good ski. Way to get after it.

[lemon boy]

[Austin Powers]
Yeah Baby! Yeah!
[/APV]

[Pow4Brains]

Nice work folks! Looks like you got the camera figured out……..the skiing pix are $$$.

[MTT]

I am now motivated to go hike for some turns.

Thanks for getting me off the couch.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

I am now motivated to go hike for some turns.

Thanks for getting me off the couch.

Good! Glad to hear it And I still have another TR coming

[f2f]

cool stuff! would be nice to go out where it's cold for a while

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

Nice trip. Way to start off a student free summer. La Plata is looking very very tempting.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

Nice trip. Way to start off a student free summer. La Plata is looking very very tempting.

So VERY tempting indeed (hint, hint )

[iskibc]

La Plata tempting? Nah. I hear it's melted out.

I like the picture of the horse. He must have been attracted by your stinky pants that you haven't washed in weeks!

[mtnbikerskierchick]

La Plata tempting? Nah. I hear it's melted out.

I like the picture of the horse. He must have been attracted by your stinky pants that you haven't washed in weeks!

Nah, he was attracted by my smell of wet-wipes which was trying to disguise the sweat And the good news is that I cleaned my pants. Bushwhacking in willows with you pretty much made them due for an appointment with the washer

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

La Plata tempting? Nah. I hear it's melted out.

Yeah, your right. You Front Range folks shouldn't even bother with such a long drive for crappy snow. I'd just stick to the IPW if I were you.

[steve]

great TR..

I'm sure most of you know this, but just in case you don't, I want to point out that Elbert is the highest peak in Colorado.

/highpointers club member
//I've done 22 states
///haven't done CO yet

[GheePup]

Nice TR. Way to keep the ski stoke coming mbsc.

Mtnbikerskierchick skiing off the summit.

I see you even got leid during your trip.

[Danno]

Still plenty of snow up there this weekend. Camped and skied on Indy Pass, it was sweet.

[Huckwheat]

Looks like a fun day, I will be very interested to hear how LaPlata goes.

So goldenboy, you are still on the old school Diamirs huh? Is it to keep your AT setup ultra-light?

With all the crazy decents you have done......that's a bit scary. (I was on a 5 year old pair until last month....and finally upgraded to Freerides).

At the bottom of the cirque the snow ended. Goldenboy decides skis are better for snow than for dirt (unlike some others I know) and takes his skis off here.

[FrankZappa]

Thanks for the TR MBSC. Looks like fun snow... esp that late in the day. Also looks like there was a fair amount below where you traversed out - what gives?

[goldenboy]

Looks like a fun day, I will be very interested to hear how LaPlata goes.

So goldenboy, you are still on the old school Diamirs huh? Is it to keep your AT setup ultra-light?

With all the crazy decents you have done......that's a bit scary. (I was on a 5 year old pair until last month....and finally upgraded to Freerides).

Yeah, HW, weight is super-important to me, which is why I'm using the old fritchi's with the short and skinny skis. Honestly, though, I've never come out of them, although I think I might upgrade next year. Then again, I am 5 foot nothing and weigh a buck nothing, so I can get away with it a little better than an NBA center like you.

La Plata was fun- that's all for now.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

Thanks for the TR MBSC. Looks like fun snow... esp that late in the day. Also looks like there was a fair amount below where you traversed out - what gives?

The snow at the bottom of the Box Creek Cirque was getting quite rotten at times, so any snow that was lower would have been even more rotten. Also, it is difficult to tell from the picture, but the snow was very patchy below the cirque and it also would have lead to a much much longer traverse out of there considering the Mt. Elbert trail quickly drops to the lookers left and then out of the picture. Hope that helps

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

La Plata was fun- that's all for now.

A TR to come? Please don't be stingy since your pics have me rethinking my plans for Grizzly next week.

[mtnbikerskierchick]

A TR to come? Please don't be stingy since your pics have me rethinking my plans for Grizzly next week.

A TR is coming for La Plata. Tomorrow maybe. I have to finish one for Democrat from last week first

La Plata is good right now. Can ski from the exact summit.

[Dside11-11]

Now that's what I'm talkin' bout. Nice!

[FigureEleven]

Go team!