Mount Elbert Loop
Looking for a moderate distance trail run that gets you up into the high alpine? Do you prefer loops to out-and-backs, so that you don’t have to travel along the same trail in both directions?
Looking for a moderate distance trail run that gets you up into the high alpine? Do you prefer loops to out-and-backs, so that you don’t have to travel along the same trail in both directions?
We’ve always insisted that some of the easiest peaks can present the biggest challenges. We had twice failed to reach the grassy summit of Electric Peak, 13,598 ft. in the Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
Camp at the first Dry Lake. Continuing with our exploration of the peaks and valleys of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, we headed up to another new area, Dry Lakes and Horn Peak, 13,450 ft. (more…)
Fall is in the air. Ted, on the route down the north side of Harvard. [Christy here again] After spending the last three weekends running through the incredible Maroon – Snowmass Wilderness, we thought we’d switch it up and explore a new area. Earlier this summer, we had done a fun loop run over Missouri and Belford Mountains. From the summit of Missouri, we had an amazing view of the...
Looking over to South Maroon Peak, 14,156 ft., from the summit of the North Maroon. The ridge goes from the lower right towards the center of the photo. The less technical ledge system is on the right side and below the ridge. The 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act was this past weekend. The local papers have been covering the “news” that more people than ever have been cramming into...
We wanted to go climb a mountain this past weekend, and we were unsure of where to go. We were looking for something that was tall, nearby, and was a summit we hadn’t yet climbed. It was actually kind of hard to find a mountain that fit that description.
Any finish at the Hardrock 100 should be considered a great achievement. There are so many ways to come up short on the burly course that anyone who makes it all the way back to Silverton deserves to be commended.
On the descent from Spread Eagle Peak, looking south towards the heart of the Sangre de Cristos We left town for the holiday weekend and made our way down to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains for a little backpacking and peakbagging. The destination was a place known as Lake of the Clouds, and the goal was to climb two nearby 13ers, Cloud Peak and Spread Eagle Peak. (more…)
The view from the summit of Mount Adams. Click for enlarged view. As far as Colorado ski mountaineering is concerned, I’ve always considered the 3rd week in May to be my favorite stretch of time. The random weather that tends to sweep through the state earlier in the season usually gives way to a dry and sunny summer pattern. That in turn allows for cold clear nights and a reliable...
On Eureka’s summit, 13,507 ft., looking down to Eureka and Hermit lakes and the Wet Mountain Valley. Continuing with our exploration of the Northern Sangre de Cristos, we backpacked up San Isabel Creek and climbed Eureka Mountain last weekend. Two years ago, Christy and I looked down on San Isabel Lake from the summit of Hermit Peak to the north, and knew we would have to camp there some day...
We met in Aspen in 2000 and have been happily stuck in the rockies ever since, getting out in the mountains every day we can, in every season and by all means possible. Read More© 2026 · Stuck in the Rockies