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Mt. Elbert--conditions on Feb. 13

PostPosted: Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:24 am
by deungsan
Just in case anyone is interested...

I climbed Elbert on Sunday, Feb. 13.

Access to the 2WD trailhead was no problem, even in a rented Toyota Corolla.

I used snowshoes and crampons, but saw many people with snowshoes and micro-spikes.

Some people told me they used snowshoes and then switched to just boots, but I would have felt uncomfortable doing that. Then again, if I had been looking for an all-rock/dirt route, there might have been one.

The wind was wicked above treeline, gusting enough to knock people down. Many turned around, I was told.

Temps were OK, though, as long as you had a windproof outer layer.

Nice snowshoe trail meant virtually no chance of getting lost. No concerns about the snow not being stable, since the route was the East Ridge.

Note: LOTS (maybe 2/3) of the upper part of the trail was rock and dirt. Anyone who left on their crampons got them severely dulled.

Enjoy.