Sunrise at Elbert (Pics & Video)

[benlen]

Hey folks,

Just another humble little hiking update that I thought I'd share. Had a great time climbing Elbert the night of July 31st/morning of August 1st, with the moon to light the way and a brilliant sunrise. Pictures and video below.















I started the hike at about 3:15am and reached the summit around 6-ish. There was one female hiker who I kept pace with heading up the mountain. One of us would stop, the other would pass when we shed or added layers or took a momentary breather from the steep grades, especially in the tree line where the early morning temps were surprisingly stifling. The hike started in the high 40s, and then descended to close to freezing at the summit.

I encountered many hikers heading down from their overnight moonlight summits.

On the last push towards the summit, I passed two guys (Andrew and Mike), also hailing from Vail. We had a good conversation and took photos at the summit when they arrived a few minutes after me and the lady hiker.

There was a group of young kids from Indiana who had started even earlier, and were at the summit celebrating.

The summit was windy and frigid, much colder than Quandary the weekend before.

I left the summit around 6:45am, and my stiff knees made it a little slower going as my ascent companions raced down to the trailhead, hahaha!


All in all, good hike!

[Alicat423]

Ah love this! Great pics! And brrrr

[SpringsHiker]

I was in the basin west of Elbert, on my way to do French and Casco, and happened to look up at the Elbert summit just a little after 6:00. Only stick figures from that distance but now I know who was up there. Temps must have changed a bit as I hit my first summit at 8:00 and it was sunny and warm.

Your first pic is of the 3 peaks I did, R to L, French, Frasco Benchmark and Casco! If you don't mind I would like to add your pic to my collection for the day. (I downloaded it).

[tobiasfunke]

Beautiful, and the best part is being there in person is always better than the photos. When I talk to nonclimbers they think I'm crazy for doing early starts and not sleeping in. In my opinion, however, you'd have to be crazy not to be up there to experience this.

[benlen]

Your first pic is of the 3 peaks I did, R to L, French, Frasco Benchmark and Casco! If you don't mind I would like to add your pic to my collection for the day. (I downloaded it).

Sure no problem! Just if you ever use the pic for print or share it on another website, just please let me know/credit me at bengproductions.com

Those certainly look like beautiful 13ers! How was it, SpringsHiker?

Beautiful, and the best part is being there in person is always better than the photos. When I talk to nonclimbers they think I'm crazy for doing early starts and not sleeping in. In my opinion, however, you'd have to be crazy not to be up there to experience this.

Total agreement. The light is better, you have more quiet, there's an adrenaline rush from hiking in the dark, and you tend to encounter more skilled hikers with appropriate skill sets, equipment, and mindsets.

Not to mention, it's totally worth getting up to avoid being part of that long procession of late morning hikers (I use Jon Krakauer's somewhat mean term for a long procession of amateurs, "clusterf---k") all sweating and complaining and bunched together, hahaha.

[Shaolin]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

[JGiffinPhotog]

I saw some headlamps over on Elbert for sunrise from over on Massive. What a great morning!

[benlen]

I saw some headlamps over on Elbert for sunrise from over on Massive. What a great morning!

Nice! How was the summit of Massive? Chilly? How many folks were up there?





This is my Subaru on the road out, around 9:30am, with Mount Massive in the background. Road was washboard-y as all hell!

[JGiffinPhotog]

Definitely chilly. Especially since I was a little faster up than I anticipated, so was waiting for 45min for sunrise. I put on every layer I had to stay warm. Almost went over to Massive Green just to keep moving. We had about 10 people in our group that here up there for sunrise.

[benlen]

Definitely chilly. Especially since I was a little faster up than I anticipated, so was waiting for 45min for sunrise. I put on every layer I had to stay warm. Almost went over to Massive Green just to keep moving. We had about 10 people in our group that here up there for sunrise.

Nice, you must have hauled up that peak!

[SpringsHiker]

Benlen,

Sure, will credit you for the photo anywhere I post it.

Next to Elbert, the peaks I did look small as it towers 500+ ft. above them. But French and Casco are both centennials sitting over 13,900 ft. so they feel just like any basic 14er, just with no people. The connecting ridge is really fun and I think accurately rated as difficult 2+. I chose some harder lines to keep it fun and was in class 3 and a little 4 below the Casco summit, but you don't have to do that. I have done many solo climbs, and climbs with another friend or two where we did not see anyone else for the day (Oklahoma comes to mind) but this was the first climb ever that I did solo AND did not see anyone else--except for all of you stick figures in the distance on Elbert. That entire basin, the peaks, the full ridge and connected ridges--nobody. It was a glorious day and the weather could not have been better.

[benlen]

Benlen,
That entire basin, the peaks, the full ridge and connected ridges--nobody. It was a glorious day and the weather could not have been better.

Awesome, detailed rundown––I'm totally going to have to get into climbing some 13ers, as hitting crowds on the way down a 14er can be a drag.