Hike Mt. Elbert – Colorado’s tallest Peak – With the CU Young Alums

This is a great opportunity to hang out with fellow young alumni and say that you have climbed the tallest peak in Colorado. While there is nothing technical about this hike and pretty much anyone in reasonable shape can make it to the top of this mountain, it is a long day and you should be prepared for that. Here is a brief description of the itinerary.

The day begins with meeting at the Woolley Mammoth park–N–ride (NW corner of I-70 & Morrison exit) at 4:15am. We will leave sharply at 4:30am to arrive to the Trail Head by 6:30am. After handing out your hiking goodie bag (CU water bottle, bottled water, Gatorade, sun screen and snacks) and getting set up will we start up the trail at 7:00am. The hike in total should take approximately 8-9 hours roundtrip (with breaks) getting us back to our cars by 3:00 – 4:00 pm then back down to the park-N-ride by 5:00 – 6:00pm. Hiking times are approximate and will depend upon the general pace of the group. For a detailed description of the hike check out: http://www.14ers.com/routemain.php?route=elbe1&peak=Mt.%20Elbert

What you will need to bring:
– Backpack
– Layers: At least a T-shirt, long sleeve shirt, rain jacket / windbreaker, shorts and/or hiking pants
– Hat and/or sunglasses
– Liquid: We will provide some bottled water and Gatorade, but you should bring at least 1-2 Liters of your own beverages because you will go through a lot of fluids on this hike.
– Food: Sandwich / energy bars / trail mix. We will be providing some small snacks but you will need to bring the majority of your own food. You will be burning quite of few calories and will need to refuel.

Answers to common questions:

Why so early? Summer afternoons in Colorado have high tendencies for thunder storms and they happen even more frequently up in the mountains. You do not want to be near the top of the mountain much after 12:00 – 1:00pm because the chances of weather moving in quickly are very high.

What is the driving situation? We will all be meeting at the Woolley Mammoth park – N – ride (NW corner of I-70 & Morrison) and then car pooling from there. If you are coming with a group you certainly can ride together. It will take roughly 2 hours to drive to the trail head and a compact 2WD car can easily make it to the trailhead.

How will I know where to meet? We will be in an uncrowded spot in the Woolley Mammoth and have a CU flag out.

Where do I pay the $5? When we get to the trailhead and you will get your hiking goodie bag which will include CU water bottle, bottled water, Gatorade, sun screen, and small snack.

How do I sign up and who can I contact with additional questions? Please contact Dan Palm at cugolf4@yahoo.com

There will be a clinic at the Boulder REI on Hiking Fourteeners scheduled Wednesday, July 30th beginning at 7:00 p.m. REI is located at 1789 28th Street , Boulder , 80301, (303) 583-9970. The Denver Flagship Store is having the same presentation on July 31st!