Mt. Elbert Trip Report 07/07/2014

Peak(s):	Mt. Elbert - 14,438 feet
Date Posted:	07/07/2014
Date Climbed:	07/04/2014
Author:	johnnyschu

Mt. Elbert with 3 Kids!
Climbed Mt. Elbert with our 3 kids (7, 10, and 12) for Independence Day 2014!! Start Time: 0700 Summit Time: 1030 End Time: 1337 Total Time: 6h 37m Total Distance per iPhone GPS: 9.42 mi. First I want to go over the 4WD road. After driving up county road 24 and passing the low trailhead we turned onto the 4WD road (125b on google maps). This road is about 2 miles long. However, it is not a difficult road at all. To be fair, I was in a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (a big truck with a lot of clearance). However, I never went out of 2WD and I had no problems. I would not recommend this road in a sports car with little or no clearance, but I imaging a normal car could make the trip if need be. The stream crossing is the only issue, but even that was only about 4-6 inches deep at this time of year. We parked about 200 yards shy of the actual trailhead. I also want to talk about the experience with the kids. You can figure out the general hike info elsewhere, it is a hike. All three kids made this climb with no real problem. We did do some preparatory training with them, hiking about 2-3 times per week on the mountains around Golden. We took relatively frequent breaks, average every 20-30 minutes of hiking, but never stopped for more than 2-3 minutes. We usually stopped just long enough to get a sip of water and a bite to eat as we walked. While this frustrated the kids a bit, it kept the pace up and they never had the chance to get sore. Each of the kids brought a camelbak with 1 liter of water and had a small amount of water left at the end of the hike. My wife also brought a 1 liter camelbak and finished it with about an hour left on the descent. I brought a 2.5 liter camelbak and had some to share with my wife and some left at the end. I would suggest about a liter for each kid, and about 2 liters for each adult, plus a little for backup. We also brought plenty of gorp, granola bars, protein bars, and peanut butter crackers for energy. I have always found that consistent protein and carbs are a great way to keep kids happy during tiring adventures. We also brought a sweatshirt and a rain jacket for each person. The rain jacket was key to warding of the cold winds at the top, and the kids used their sweatshirts as well. There were a few moments the kids were struggling on the steep sections, but they were very proud to have accomplished this feat so early in their lives.

Mt. Elbert with 3 Kids!

Climbed Mt. Elbert with our 3 kids (7, 10, and 12) for Independence Day 2014!!

Start Time: 0700
Summit Time: 1030
End Time: 1337
Total Time: 6h 37m
Total Distance per iPhone GPS: 9.42 mi.

First I want to go over the 4WD road. After driving up county road 24 and passing the low trailhead we turned onto the 4WD road (125b on google maps). This road is about 2 miles long. However, it is not a difficult road at all. To be fair, I was in a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD (a big truck with a lot of clearance). However, I never went out of 2WD and I had no problems. I would not recommend this road in a sports car with little or no clearance, but I imaging a normal car could make the trip if need be. The stream crossing is the only issue, but even that was only about 4-6 inches deep at this time of year. We parked about 200 yards shy of the actual trailhead.

I also want to talk about the experience with the kids. You can figure out the general hike info elsewhere, it is a hike. All three kids made this climb with no real problem. We did do some preparatory training with them, hiking about 2-3 times per week on the mountains around Golden. We took relatively frequent breaks, average every 20-30 minutes of hiking, but never stopped for more than 2-3 minutes. We usually stopped just long enough to get a sip of water and a bite to eat as we walked. While this frustrated the kids a bit, it kept the pace up and they never had the chance to get sore.

Each of the kids brought a camelbak with 1 liter of water and had a small amount of water left at the end of the hike. My wife also brought a 1 liter camelbak and finished it with about an hour left on the descent. I brought a 2.5 liter camelbak and had some to share with my wife and some left at the end. I would suggest about a liter for each kid, and about 2 liters for each adult, plus a little for backup. We also brought plenty of gorp, granola bars, protein bars, and peanut butter crackers for energy. I have always found that consistent protein and carbs are a great way to keep kids happy during tiring adventures.

We also brought a sweatshirt and a rain jacket for each person. The rain jacket was key to warding of the cold winds at the top, and the kids used their sweatshirts as well.

There were a few moments the kids were struggling on the steep sections, but they were very proud to have accomplished this feat so early in their lives.

Comments or Questions

nychicol	Enjoy your moments 7/7/2014 10:49pm Thanks for the TR. I'm sure there must be many like me who fondly recall the days of hiking with our kids back when they were the age of your kids now. It was a special time for all of us. Thanks for jogging the memories.
okeeffefam	Thanks 7/15/2014 6:45pm Thanks for sharing the info. I will be attempting Elbert or maybe Massive with my three kids next week. They are 9, 11 and 13, so I appreciate what you posted about your experience.
pens1fan	Great kid info 3/18/2015 3:09pm I am planning on doing Mt. Elbert this summer with my 9 year ols son and I was a bit hesitant until reading your trip report. Thanks for the great info.

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