View source for Mount Elbert

{{short description|Highest mountain in Colorado, United States}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Mount Elbert
| etymology = [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]]
| photo = Mt. Elbert.jpg
| photo_size = 
| photo_caption = Mount Elbert seen from Turquoise Lake
| elevation_system = NAVD 88; NAPGD2022 (preliminary)
| elevation = 14440 feet (4401 m); 14437.6 feet (4401 m)
| elevation_ref =;<ref name="NAVD 88">{{Cite web |title=DATASHEETS |url=https://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=KL0637 |access-date=2025-08-15 |website=www.ngs.noaa.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s00190-024-01831-8|doi-access=free| title=Moving mountains: reevaluating the elevations of Colorado mountain summits using modern geodetic techniques|date=April 2024|first1=Kevin | last1=Ahlgren|first3=Brian|last3=Shaw|last2= Van Westrum | first2=Derek |journal=Journal of Geodesy|volume=98|article-number=29}} {{open access}}</ref>
| prominence = 9,093 feet (2772 m)
| prominence_ref = <ref name=PB>{{cite web|url=http://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=5736|title= Mount Elbert, Colorado|publisher=Peakbagger.com|access-date=December 30, 2015}}</ref>
| isolation = 671 miles (1079 km)
| isolation_ref = <ref name=PB/>
| parent_peak = 
| map = Colorado
| map_caption = '''[[Colorado]]'''
| listing = {{unbulleted list
|[[List of the highest major summits of North America|North America highest peaks]] 27th
|[[List of the most prominent summits of North America|North America prominent peaks]] 23rd
|[[List of the most isolated major summits of North America|North America isolated peaks]] 8th
|[[List of the highest major summits of the United States|US highest major peaks]] 14th
|[[List of U.S. states by elevation|U.S. state high points]] 3rd
|[[List of the highest major summits of Colorado|Colorado highest major peaks]] 1st
|[[List of Colorado fourteeners|Colorado fourteeners]] 1st
|[[List of Colorado county high points|Colorado county high points]] 1st
}}
| location = [[List of Colorado county high points|High point]] of [[Lake County, Colorado|Lake County]] and the [[Colorado|State of Colorado]], [[United States|U.S.]]<ref name=PB/>
| range = [[List of mountain ranges of Colorado#Mountain ranges|Highest summit]] of the<br />[[Rocky Mountains]],<br />[[Southern Rocky Mountains]],<br />[[Sawatch Range]],<br />and [[Elbert Massif]]<ref name=PB/>
| coordinates = {{coord|39|07|03.9|N|106|26|43.2|W|region:US-CO_type:mountain|name=Mount Elbert|display=it}}
| range_coordinates = 
| coordinates_ref = <ref name=NGS/>
| topo = [[United States Geological Survey#Topographic mapping|USGS 7.5' topographic map]]<br />Mount Elbert, Colorado<ref name=GNIS>{{cite gnis|id=180381|name=Mount Elbert|access-date=November 14, 2014}}</ref>
| first_ascent = 1874 by Henry W. Stuckle
| easiest_route = Northeast Ridge: Hike, {{YDS|1}}<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.14ers.com/routelist.php?peakid=10001 | title = Mt. Elbert Routes | publisher = 14ers.com }}</ref>
}}

'''Mount Elbert''' is the [[List of mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains#Highest prominent summits|highest summit]] of the [[Rocky Mountains]] of North America. With an [[elevation]] of {{convert|14,440|ft|m|abbr=on}}, it is also the highest point in the [[United States|U.S.]] [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Colorado]] and the second-highest summit in the [[contiguous United States]] after [[Mount Whitney]], which is slightly taller. The [[Ultra-prominent peak|ultra-prominent]] [[fourteener]] is the highest peak in the [[Sawatch Range]], as well as the highest point in the entire [[Mississippi River#Watershed|Mississippi River drainage basin]]. Mount Elbert is located in [[San Isabel National Forest]], {{convert|19.4|km|order=flip|abbr=on}} southwest ([[Absolute bearing|bearing]] 223°) of the city of [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]] in [[Lake County, Colorado]].<ref name=NGS>{{cite ngs|pid=JL0883|name=MT ELBERT|accessdate=January 2, 2016}}</ref><ref name=PB/><ref name=GNIS/>{{efn|The elevation of Mount Elbert includes an adjustment of +1.995&nbsp;m (+6.55&nbsp;ft) from [[Sea Level Datum of 1929|NGVD&nbsp;29]] to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988|NAVD&nbsp;88]].}}

The mountain was named in honor of a Colorado statesman, [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]], who was active in the formative period of the state and [[Governor of Colorado#Governors of the Territory of Colorado|Governor]] of the [[Territory of Colorado]] from 1873 to 1874. Henry W. Stuckle of the [[Hayden Survey]] was the first to record an ascent of the peak, in 1874. The easiest and most popular climbing routes are categorized as [[Yosemite Decimal System|Class 1 to 2]] or A+ in [[mountaineering]] parlance. Mount Elbert is therefore often referred to as the "gentle giant" that tops all others in the Rocky Mountains.

==Geography==
Mount Elbert is visible to the southwest of Leadville, often snow-capped even in the summer.<ref>{{Cite book|page=132|editor=Cate Starmer|edition=9|publisher=Fodor's|title=Colorado|isbn=978-1-4000-0415-7}}</ref> Many other [[fourteener]]s surround Elbert in all directions, and it is very close to central Colorado's [[Collegiate Peaks]]. The neighboring [[Mount Massive]], to the north, is the second-highest peak in the Rocky Mountains and the third-highest in the contiguous United States, and [[La Plata Peak]], to the south, is the fifth-highest in the Rockies. The community of [[Twin Lakes, Lake County, Colorado|Twin Lakes]] lies at the base of Mount Elbert, [[Denver]] is about {{Convert|130|mi|km|0}} to the east, [[Vail]] is {{convert|50|mi|km|0}} to the north, and [[Aspen, Colorado|Aspen]] is {{convert|40|mi|km|0}} to the west. [[Leadville, Colorado|Leadville]], about {{convert|16|mi|km|0}} to the northeast, is the nearest large town.<ref name=Elbert/> Elbert's [[parent peak]] is [[Mount Whitney]] in [[California]].{{Sfn|Helman|2005}} Including Alaska and Hawaii, Mount Elbert is the [[Mountain peaks of the United States|fourteenth-highest mountain]] in the United States.

===Climate===
Weather conditions often change rapidly, and afternoon thunderstorms are common in the summertime; [[hail]]storms and snow are possible year-round. One thunderstorm on the mountain's summit was considered remarkable enough to be reported in the July 1894 issue of ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]''.{{Sfn|Vetter|2011|p=111}}

{{Weather box
|location = Mount Elbert 39.1170 N, 106.4402 W, Elevation: {{cvt|14019|ft}} (1991–2020 normals)
|single line = y

|Jan high F = 19.5
|Feb high F = 18.7
|Mar high F = 23.7
|Apr high F = 29.3
|May high F = 38.1
|Jun high F = 49.7
|Jul high F = 55.9
|Aug high F = 53.9
|Sep high F = 47.4
|Oct high F = 36.6
|Nov high F = 25.8
|Dec high F = 19.7

|Jan mean F = 7.9
|Feb mean F = 6.7
|Mar mean F = 11.3
|Apr mean F = 16.2
|May mean F = 24.9
|Jun mean F = 35.5
|Jul mean F = 41.7
|Aug mean F = 40.2
|Sep mean F = 33.9
|Oct mean F = 24.1
|Nov mean F = 14.8
|Dec mean F = 8.5

|Jan low F = -3.6
|Feb low F = -5.2
|Mar low F = -1.2
|Apr low F = 3.1
|May low F = 11.8
|Jun low F = 21.3
|Jul low F = 27.5
|Aug low F = 26.6
|Sep low F = 20.4
|Oct low F = 11.7
|Nov low F = 3.8
|Dec low F = -2.7

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 4.26
|Feb precipitation inch = 4.07
|Mar precipitation inch = 4.39
|Apr precipitation inch = 5.39
|May precipitation inch = 3.89
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.65
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.18
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.42
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.65
|Oct precipitation inch = 3.29
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.08
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.78

|source=PRISM Climate Group<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://prism.oregonstate.edu/explorer/
|title= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|publisher= PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
|quote= To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking ''Coordinates'' (under ''Location''); copy ''Latitude'' and ''Longitude figures'' from top of table; click ''Zoom to location''; click ''Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp''; click ''30-year normals, 1991-2020''; click ''800m''; click ''Retrieve Time Series'' button.}}</ref>
}}

==Geology==
{{wide image|2007-06-10-elbert-summit01s.jpg|624px|Panoramic view of Mount Elbert in June 2008|center.}}
Mount Elbert is part of the [[Sawatch Range]], an uplift of the [[Laramide Orogeny]] which separated from the [[Mosquito Range]] to the east around 28 million years ago.{{Sfn|Hopkins|Hopkins|2000|p=107}} The tops of this range were heavily glaciated, leaving behind characteristic summit features and other such clues. For example, the base of Elbert on the eastern side exhibits expanses of [[igneous]] and [[metamorphic]] rocks exposed when the glaciers receded, leaving a [[lateral moraine]]. Further up the eastern side there is a large [[cirque]] with a small [[tarn (lake)|tarn]].{{Sfn|Hopkins|Hopkins|2000|p=110}} There are also lakes to both the north and south, [[Turquoise Lake|Turquoise]] and [[Twin Lakes (Colorado)|Twin Lakes]] respectively; the Twin Lakes are a result of the natural dam of [[end moraine]]s,{{Sfn|Hopkins|Hopkins|2000|p=110}} and Turquoise Lake was created by the manmade [[Sugar Loaf Dam]].

Mount Elbert is composed largely of [[quartzite]].{{Sfn|Kelsey|2001|p=956}} However, the summit ridge consists of [[metamorphic]] [[basement rock]], which is [[Pre-Cambrian]] in origin and about 1.7 billion years old.{{Sfn|Hopkins|Hopkins|2000|p=110}} There are various igneous intrusions including [[pegmatite]], as well as bands of [[gneiss]] and [[schist]].{{Sfn|Hopkins|Hopkins|2000|p=110}} Unlike mountains of similar altitude elsewhere, Elbert lacks both a permanent snowpack and a prominent north-facing cirque, which can be attributed to its position among other mountains of similar height, causing it to receive relatively small quantities of precipitation.{{Sfn|Kelsey|2001|p=956}}

==History==
[[File:Samuel Elbert.gif|right|thumb|Mount Elbert was named after [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]]]]
Mount Elbert was named by miners in honor of [[Samuel Hitt Elbert]], the governor of the then-[[Territory of Colorado]], because he brokered a treaty in September 1873 with the [[Ute people|Ute]] tribe that opened up more than {{convert|3000000|acre|km2}} of [[Indian reservation|reservation]] land to mining and railroad activity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/elbert.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030822221146/http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/govs/elbert.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 22, 2003|title= Samuel Hitt Elbert|access-date=4 September 2013|publisher= Colorado Governor's Index }}</ref> The first recorded ascent of the peak was by H.W. Stuckle in 1874, who was surveying the mountain as part of the [[Hayden Survey]].{{Sfn|Enright|2009|p=12}}

Originally measured as {{convert|14,433|ft|m}} in height, Mount Elbert's elevation was later adjusted to {{convert|14,440|ft|m}} following a re-evaluation of mapped elevations, which sparked protests. The actual change was made in 1988 as a result of the [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]; it seems the original measurement resulted from the Sea Level Datum of 1929.<ref name=Elbert>{{Cite web|url=http://www.summitpost.org/mount-elbert/150325|title=Mount Elbert|access-date=14 May 2013|publisher=Summitpost Organization|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002609/http://www.summitpost.org/mount-elbert/150325|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.skyrunner.com/story/coheights.htm|title=No tall tale: State higher than thought|access-date=4 September 2013|publisher=Denverpost}}</ref>{{Sfn|Enright|2009|p=12}} A matter of some contention arose after the [[Great Depression]] over the heights of Elbert and its neighbor [[Mount Massive]], which differ in elevation by only {{convert|12|ft|m}}. This led to an ongoing dispute that came to a head with the Mount Massive supporters building large piles of stones on the summit to boost its height, only to have the Mount Elbert proponents demolish them.{{Sfn| Dziezynski|2012|p=153}} The effort was ultimately unsuccessful and Mount Elbert has remained the highest peak in Colorado.<ref name=Elbert/> The first motorized ascent of Elbert occurred in 1949, when a [[Jeep]] was driven to the summit, apparently to judge suitability for [[skiing]] development.{{Sfn| Dziezynski|2012|p=153}}

==Flora and fauna==
[[File:Platanthera hyperborea - Flickr 004.jpg|thumb|left|upright|''[[Platanthera hyperborea]]'']]
The summit of Mount Elbert is an [[alpine tundra|alpine environment]], featuring plants such as ''[[Phacelia sericea]]'' (silky phacelia), ''[[Hymenoxys|Hymenoxys grandiflora]]'' (old-man-of-the-mountain), and ''[[Geum rossii]]'' (alpine avens).{{Sfn|Enright|2009|p=12}} Also noted are ''[[Carex|Carex atrata]]'' var. ''pullata'', ''[[Salix|Salix desertorum]]'', ''[[Platanthera hyperborea]]'', ''[[Thalictrum fendleri]]'', ''[[Aquilegia canadensis]]'', ''[[Chenopodium album]]'', ''[[Gentiana|Gentiana detonsa]]'' var. ''hallii'', and ''[[Ericameria parryi|Bigelovia parryi]]''.{{Sfn|Porter|Coulter|1874|pp=2, 4, 64, 83, 111, 116, 128, 132–}} Below [[treeline]] the mountain is heavily forested, with the lower slopes covered with a mixture of [[lodgepole pine]], [[spruce]], [[aspen]], and [[fir]].{{Sfn|Holmes|1990}}

Some of the fauna reported on the climb to the summit include [[American black bear|black bears]], [[marmot]]s, [[mule deer]], [[pika]]s, and [[pocket gopher]]s; there are also many species of [[birds]].{{Sfn|Holmes|1990|p=189}} [[Elk]], [[grouse]], [[turkey (bird)|turkey]], and [[bighorn sheep]] are present in the area during the summer.{{Sfn|Holmes|1990}} Grizzly bears are extirpated.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schwartz |first1=C. C. |last2=Miller |first2=S. D. |last3=Haroldson |first3=M. A. |year=2003 <!--|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-xQalfqP7BcC&q=%22grizzly%20bear%22 -->|chapter-url=http://www.gsseser.com/RMAteachers/Grizzly_Chapter.pdf |chapter=Grizzly bear |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140107002629/http://www.gsseser.com/RMAteachers/Grizzly_Chapter.pdf |archive-date=7 January 2014 |pages=556–586 |editor-first1=G. A. |editor-last1=Feldhamer |editor-first2=B. C. |editor-last2=Thompson |editor-first3=J. A. |editor-last3=Chapman |title=Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation |publisher=[[Johns Hopkins University Press]] |location=Baltimore, Maryland}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Hiking==
[[File:Mount Elbert North-east ridge August 2010.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The north-east ridge]]
There are three main routes to ascend the mountain, all of which gain over {{convert|4100|ft|m}} elevation. The standard route ascends the peak from the east, starting from the [[Colorado Trail]] just north of Twin Lakes. The {{convert|4.6|mi|km}} long North (Main) Elbert Trail begins close to the Elbert Creek Campground, and gains about {{convert|4500|ft|m}}.<ref name=forest>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/recreation|access-date=13 May 2013|title=Mount Elbert Trails (Fourteener)|publisher=US Dept. Agriculture}}</ref>{{Sfn| Dziezynski|2012|p=151}} The trail is open to equestrians, mountain bikers and hunters during season.{{sfn|Gaug|2011|p=124}} An easier, but longer route, the South Elbert Trail, is {{convert|5.5|mi|km}} long, climbing {{convert|4600|ft|m}} at a less-punishing gradient than the North Elbert Trail, approaching from the south and then climbing the eastern ridge.<ref name=forest/>

The most difficult of the main routes is the Black Cloud Trail, a [[Yosemite Decimal System|Class 2]] climb that takes ten to fourteen hours depending on pace, gains {{convert|5300|ft|m}} in elevation, and also involves an ascent of the sub-peak, South Elbert, at {{convert|14134|ft|m}}.{{Sfn|Roach|1999|pp=93–8}} Even healthy and experienced climbers report great difficulty on this route, and despite the fact that there is a trail, the route is extremely steep, unstable, and rocky in places. The elevation gain is not evenly distributed over the 5.5-mile ascent. There are also routes approaching from the western face, and southwestern ridge, from South Halfmoon Creek Trailhead and Echo Canyon Trailhead respectively.{{Sfn|Roach|1999|pp=93–8}}

Although strenuous and requiring physical fitness, none of the conventional routes require specialist mountaineering skills or technical [[rock climbing]]. The main dangers of the mountain are those common to all high mountains, particularly [[altitude sickness]]. This can affect anyone, even those who are acclimatized. In serious cases, it can lead to [[high-altitude pulmonary edema]] and [[HACE|cerebral edema]], which can lead to difficulties with breathing, paralysis, and death. Climbers are advised to begin their ascent at or before 6 A.M. and to summit and descend before early afternoon to minimize exposure to possible afternoon thunderstorms while at high altitudes. Although the most conventional form of ascent is by hiking, [[Anna Elizabeth Dickinson]], the orator, ascended the mountain on a [[mule]] borrowed from the U.S. government.{{Sfn|Gallman|2006|p=129}}

==See also==
{{portal|North America|United States|Colorado|Mountains}}
*[[List of mountain peaks of North America]]
**[[List of mountain peaks of the United States]]
***[[List of mountain peaks of Colorado]]
****[[List of Colorado county high points]]
****[[List of Colorado fourteeners]]
*[[List of U.S. states by elevation]]
*[[List of the highest major summits of the United States]]
*[[List of the most prominent summits of the United States]]
*[[List of the most isolated major summits of the United States]]
{{clear}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|first=James|last=Dziezynski|title=Best Summit Hikes in Colorado: An Opinionated Guide to 50+ Ascents of Classic and Little-Known Peaks from 8,144 to 14,433 Feet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KT0Uf6MLtisC&pg=PA152|date=7 August 2012|publisher=Wilderness Press|isbn=978-0-89997-713-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Enright |first=Kelly| title=America's Natural Places: Rocky Mountains and Great Plains|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AKME9xeG5hsC&pg=PA12 |year=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-35315-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Gallman|first=J. Matthew|author-link=J. Matthew Gallman|title=America's Joan of Arc : The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson: The Life of Anna Elizabeth Dickinson|url=https://archive.org/details/americasjoanofar0000gall|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/americasjoanofar0000gall/page/129 129]|date=15 March 2006|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-803654-8}}
*{{cite book|last=Gaug|first=Maryann|title=Hiking Colorado, 3rd|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zEc5Bm9lUcQC&pg=PA124|date=17 May 2011|publisher=Globe Pequot|isbn=978-0-7627-6880-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Helman|first=Adam|title=The Finest Peaks - Prominence and Other Mountain Measures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kr8AM-w8IFQC|year=2005|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=978-1-4120-5995-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Holmes|first=Don W.|title=Highpoints of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cHnBFLw8RIoC|year=1990|publisher=Cordillera Press|isbn=978-0-917895-33-3}}
*{{cite book|first=Ralph Lee|last=Hopkins|first2=Lindy Birkel|last2=Hopkins|title=Hiking Colorado's Geology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AbCIlRpU7AcC|year=2000|publisher=The Mountaineers Books|isbn=978-1-59485-307-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Kelsey|first=Michael R.|title=Climber's and Hiker's Guide to the World's Mountains and Volcanos|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9L1FAgAACAAJ|edition=4th|year=2001|publisher=Kelsey Publishing|location=Provo, Utah|isbn=978-0-944510-18-6}}
*{{cite book|last1=Porter|first1=Thomas Conrad|last2=Coulter|first2=John Merle|title=Synopsis of the Flora of Colorado|url=https://archive.org/details/synopsisfloraco01coulgoog|page=[https://archive.org/details/synopsisfloraco01coulgoog/page/n148 128]|edition=Public domain|year=1874|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office}}
*{{cite book|last= Roach |first=Gerry |title=Colorado's Fourteeners: From Hikes to Climbs|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kYeteYSl6F0C|date=1 April 1999|publisher=Fulcrum Publishing|edition=2|isbn=978-1-55591-412-7}}
*{{cite book|last=Vetter|first=Jeremy|title=Knowing Global Environments: New Historical Perspectives on the Field Sciences|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f9ZUcvtI7SoC&pg=PA111|access-date=16 May 2013|year=2011|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-0-8135-4875-3}}

==External links==
{{sister project links|auto=yes}}

* {{cite web
  | url = https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/14er.php?peakid=10001
  | title = Mount Elbert
  | publisher = 14ers.com
 }}
* {{cite bivouac
  | id = 9145
  | name = Mount Elbert
   }}
* {{cite web
  | url = http://www.hikingintherockies.com/fourteeners/elbert/elbert.htm
  | title = Trip report from Mount Elbert
  | publisher = HikinginTheRockies.com
 }}
* {{cite web
  | url = http://www.hikingincolorado.org/elbt.html
  | title = Mount Elbert (Photo Essay)
  | publisher = hikingincolorado.org
 }}
* {{cite web
 |url         = http://peakery.com/Mount-Elbert/
 |title       = Mount Elbert
 |publisher   = Peakery.com
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20110919105328/http://peakery.com/Mount-Elbert/
 |archive-date = 2011-09-19
}}
* {{cite web
  | url=http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/mount-elbert.htm
  | title=Mt. Elbert - Main route via North Elbert Trailhead
  | publisher = RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
  }}

{{Mountains of Colorado}}
{{NA highest}}{{NA prominent}}{{NA isolated}}
{{Colorado highest}}
{{Colorado Fourteeners}}
{{U.S. State Highest Points}}
{{Colorado}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elbert, Mount}}
[[Category:Mountains of Lake County, Colorado]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states]]
[[Category:Fourteeners of Colorado]]
[[Category:Four-thousanders of the United States]]