I'm hoping to maybe tackle Mount Elbert with some people on Oct 22nd. Does anyone have info about the snow on the mountains in that area? Should I be concerned about avalanche danger? Will gaiters be necessary? Thanks!

Snow will be the least of your worries, Saturday is the beginning of hunting season. Watch for flying lead then the pop-pop-pop sound. Wear bright colors.

Fresh snow this morning down to 10K, but looks to be clear rest of the week. Certainly no avalanche danger, but gaiters are like that rain coat I always carry, rarely need it, but when I do, glad it's in my pack.

Enjoy your hike.

Looks like I'll get the hunter orange out.Thanks a ton, that was really helpful.

WADR,

Along with Grizzly Bears and early season conditions you are always in far more danger driving to a trailhead than being shot by a hunter or hit by lightning. Yes, blaze orange is good, an incredibly small price to pay for the Billions of dollars sportsmen and women contribute to conservation that special interest environmental groups don't come remotely close to matching. Professed paranoia from folks like Mtn Hermit is either incredibly ignorant or masks an overall disdain for Sportsmen and women despite the fact the very ground he walks on was more likely to have been protected by Sportsmen and women in the first place. Full disclosure: I have an admitted bias. Although I haven't fired a gun in 30 years I'm in an outfitting family.

Have an awesome hike!

You're definitely right about it being far more dangerous driving but I also always say that people are the most dangerous animal in the world.

Paranoia maybe but it is a real thing. Among others, it's called failure to identify target.

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