Mount Elbert
| Mount Elbert | ||
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 Mount Elbert with Turquoise Lake in the foreground |
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| height | 4401 m | |
| location | Colorado , USA | |
| Mountains | Sawatch Range , Rocky Mountains | |
| Coordinates | 39 ° 7 '1 " N , 106 ° 26' 43" W | |
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| First ascent | 1874 by Henry W. Stuckle | |
| Normal way | Mountain hike | |
The Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in the North American Rocky Mountains . At 4401 m , it is the second highest mountain in the Continental United States , the highest four-thousand-meter peak in the US state of Colorado and the highest mountain in the Sawatch Range . The mountain is located in Lake County about 10 miles southwest of Leadville , in the San Isabel National Forest near the Twin Lakes in central Colorado.
The mountain was named after the American politician Samuel Hitt Elbert , who played an active role in the formative era of the US state and was governor of Colorado in 1873 and 1874. Henry W. Stuckle climbed the summit in 1874 and was the first named climber of the mountain. Mount Elbert is considered technically not particularly difficult to climb, so he as a gentle giant (dt. Gentle giant is called).
geography
The mountain is in the San Isabel National Forest. Denver is 209 km and Aspen is 40 miles away. Mount Elbert is the highest mountain in Colorado. Just like him, two neighboring mountain massifs ( Mount Massive and La Plata Peak ) also belong in the list of Fourteener (mountains that are over fourteen thousand feet high). The climatic conditions are very changeable, there are more thunderstorms in the afternoon, and snow is possible all year round in the summit area.
geology
Mount Elbert is part of the Sawatch Range. This originated in the Laramian orogeny about 28 million years ago. The peaks of the area used to be heavily glaciated. The glaciers left characteristic summit formations and other peculiarities. For example, when the glacier retreated, B. deposited volcanic and metamorphic rock on the east side. There are also basins with small, narrow mountain lakes on the eastern flank. On the north and south sides, natural dams created larger lakes such as the Turquoise and Twin Lakes.
There are many large quartz deposits on the mountain . However, the summit area of the mountain consists largely of metamorphic rock from the Precambrian.
Compared to other mountains of a similar height, Mount Elbert has few firn fields , which is due to the fact that the mountain, due to its location and shape, is a less effective weather barrier than surrounding mountain ranges and therefore the amount of precipitation is lower.
Flora and fauna
The summit area is largely barren alpine terrain. Above the tree line, various plants can be found that can survive in alpine altitudes (typical high mountain flora). In the different vegetation levels, animal species such as the brown bear , marmots and pocket rats can be found. Other typical representatives of the mountain fauna such as grouse , elk or ibex can also be observed, preferably in summer.
Approaches
There are three main routes to get to the top. All three routes cover around 1200 meters in altitude . The standard route to the summit can be accessed from the Colorado Trail , which runs through the east flank. The 7.4 kilometer long North Elbert Trail begins near the Elbert Creek Campground and overcomes 1,400 vertical meters. The path is often used by mountain bikers, horse riders and, in season, by hunters. A simpler but longer route is the South Elbert Trail with a length of approx. 8.9 km, which also climbs approx. 1400 meters. From the south one climbs up the eastern mountain flank.
The most difficult route is via the Black Cloud Trail , which, depending on the climbing ability, can take up to fourteen hours. On this route approx. 1600 meters of altitude are overcome. In addition, the southern summit of Mount Elbert (4308 m) is exceeded. There are other routes that start from the west and southwest, such as the South Halfmoon Creek Trailhead and the Echo Canyon Trailhead .
All approaches require physical fitness, but special mountaineering or climbing skills are not required. The greatest danger on the mountain is the altitude. The occurrence of altitude sickness cannot be completely ruled out, even with acclimatized climbers.
