Colorado - Day 5: Carbondale to Mount Elbert to Manitou Springs
On Thursday, August 15, 2024, I hiked Mount Elbert, the highest peak in Colorado, via the Northeast Ridge route. It was my first 14er!
In hindsight, I probably should have chosen a shorter 14er for my first one. At 9.75 miles round trip, Mount Elbert is one of the longer hikes. But since it’s a Class 1 hike with a well-defined and well-marked trail, according to 14ers.com, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to summit the highest peak in Colorado!
Mount Elbert is a popular 14er (as most Class 1 routes tend to be), so the parking lot fills up quickly. I arrived at the Halfmoon Creek Trailhead around 3am and was the second car there. I started hiking around 3:30am.
Based on my previous hikes, I expected this one to take about 8–10 hours. I completed the Sky Pond hike in Rocky Mountain National Park in about 8 hours, Old Rag in Shenandoah in about 7 hours, Wheeler Peak, a 13er in Great Basin National Park, in about 6.5 hours, and I had recently completed the Lares Trek in Peru.
Instead, Mount Elbert took me much longer than expected. It took about 8 hours to reach the summit and another 7 hours to descend. I didn’t get back to my car until around 7pm.
It was slow going on the ascent because my knee was still hurting from hiking down from Crater Lake at Maroon Bells two days earlier. The final stretch, from about 13,500 feet to the 14,440-foot summit, also felt much tougher than I expected.
But I did it. I summited my first 14er!!!
Despite the slow pace, the experience was incredible. As I hiked, I would often hear people approaching from behind, so I’d step off the trail to let them pass. Sometimes we’d strike up a conversation and Id’d mention that I had injured my knee and was moving slowly. Everyone I encountered was incredibly kind, often asking if I was okay or if I needed anything. Luckily, I had come fully prepared with plenty of food, water, snacks, layers, and Advil. The only thing I hadn’t planned for was a bum knee.
As I write this, my knee is now fully healed, and I regret nothing. I’m incredibly grateful that I was still able to summit, and I met so many wonderful people along the way.
When I reached the car, I drove 3 hours drive to Manitou Springs to check into The Cliff House at Pikes Peak in and start the next part of my trip. I arrived around 10pm and headed straight to bed.
I chose to stay at The Cliff House at Pikes Peak because it is located in the heart of Manitou Springs and is a short drive away from Broadmoor Seven Falls, Garden of the Gods, and The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the activities I had planned for the next leg of my trip. I had also planned on hiking the Manitou Incline, but had to remove that from my list of activities, due to the knee pain. I’ll be back at some point to conquer the incline!
It was a little expensive, at $640.22 for 2 nights in August 2024. But, it’s such a beautiful hotel and so conveniently located, I couldn’t not treat myself. The staff was amazing and the food was delightful. I definitely plan to stay there the next time I go to Manitou Springs.
