Mount Elbert - 14,433 ft

Date: 7-3-2005

Climbers: George Barnes & Kai Martin

Route:  Northeast Ridge II, Class 1

RT distance:  9.0 miles

Elevation gain:  4,400 feet

RT time: 7 hours

Time to summit:  4 hours

Time on summit:  30 minutes

Time to trailhead: 2 hours 30 minutes

Coordinates of summit:  39° 7.07'N, 106° 26.72'W

USGS Quadrangle:  Mount Elbert

Trip Report:

Pre-climb:

    Kai had driven out from Iowa only the day before, so we thought we should try to get him acclimated before our attempt on Elbert.  We planned to drive up Mayflower Gulch road off CO 91 and do a little easy hiking at 12,000 feet.  After 4-wheeling up the road in my Renegade, we decided that Fletcher Mountain (13,951 ft), looked awfully close, and despite our late hour (5 PM) we'd give it a go.

    The weather had cleared up and looked fine as far as we could see, so I didn't feel too guilty about climbing this late in the day.  To help Kai move faster I offered to wear the only pack, and load it up with gear for both of us.  Kai performed admirably, especially considering he'd never been above 12,000 feet in his life.

Climb:

    We arrived at the North Mount Elbert Trailhead just before 7 AM, and were greeted by an already nearly full parking lot.  There's nothing like climbing popular peaks on holiday weekends!  Because the standard route on Elbert is a Class 1 walk up, we thought we'd spice things up by completing the descent on our unicycles.

    Things went pretty well off the start, and we averaged well over 1,000 feet per hour.  Portions of the trail below tree line were flat enough that we could ride some of the ascent on our unicycles.  We managed to pass several groups of hikers on the ascent, which raised our morale because we were pushing 20 pounds of unicycle and carrying another 5 pounds of tools and protective gear.

    Thus far the trail looked largely rideable, though by 13,400 we began to question our plans.  For the next 1,000 vertical feet the trail looked rocky, steep, and very loose.

    For the final 1,000 feet our unicycles had to be carried, because the trail was too rugged to push them up the slope.  This didn't help our pace, but by 11 AM we reached the summit, for an ascent time of exactly 4 hours.  The summit looked like Mount Evans on a weekend... a giant human ant-hill.  We found a less populated shelter and spent the next 30 minutes resting and gearing up for the descent.  At 14,433, Mt. Elbert is the highest in Colorado and the Rocky Mountains.  This was my highest peak to date, and probably the highest elevation my unicycle will ever see.

    We begin our descent by walking to a point just below the summit where the trail is smooth enough to mount.  I take the lead and try to dodge ascending climbers as I negotiate the rocky switchbacks.  Kai follows as we quickly drop elevation.  The riding is a combination of rolling and hopping to clear large obstacles.  At one point we find a pair of guys who volunteer to take some group pictures of our descent, an unexpected bonus!

    Some sections of the upper slopes have to be walked because the rocks are all loose and covered with slippery dry dirt.  At 13,800 the trail becomes dramatically steeper, and we opt to walk the unicycles down to about 13,400.  Prudence forces us to walk some stretches of trail that probably would have been rideable.   Help is a long ways away when you get hurt at 13,000 feet.

    Once below tree line (~11,700 ft), the trail is technical, but 100% rideable and we make great time down the mountain.  Closing in on the trailhead I initiate one of my most spectacular UPDs (Un-Planned Dismount) to date.  For whatever reason (fatigue?), while crossing a rocky water bar on a steep downhill my wheel stops turning and I keep going... think "unicycle-ejection-seat-initiated-Superman".  I have enough time in the air to think "This isn't good" and then begin tucking into a ball.  I do a complete head over heels rotation, but emerge upright and completely unscathed (and not even sore!).  There's something to be said for knowing how to fall and more importantly being lucky enough to not have an audience.  This was my only dismount of the day that I didn't land on my feet.

   We finish out the trail (on pure adrenaline in my case), making it back to the trailhead at 2 PM.  We attempt to wow the crowds as we both "air it out" over a set of stairs into the parking lot.  Elbert becomes my 19th fourteener, my 4th descent of a fourteener via unicycle, and Kai's first for both!