Mount Elbert
Mount Elbert is considered the “Gentle Giant” of U.S. mountain climbing because most routes on the ascent are hiking trails that are ranked lower on the scale of difficulty compared to other mountains.
Reveille Peak and Aggie Lake are located directly east of the mountain, with Bull Hill peak to the southwest, and French Mountain to the northwest.
Country: United States
State/Province: Colorado
Mountain Range: Sawatch Range, Southern Rocky Mountains, Rocky Mountains
Parents: Elbert Massif, Sawatch Range, Southern Rocky Mountains, Rocky Mountains
Elevation: 14,440 feet / 4401 meters
Prominence: 9,093 feet / 2,772 meters
First Ascent: 1874, by Henry W. Stuckle
Fun Fact: Mount Elbert is the highest mountain peak of the Rocky Mountains, and the highest point in Colorado. It is also the second-highest peak in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney.
Plant Life: You can find evergreens in the lower elevations of Mount Elbert, including pine, spruce, aspen, lodgepole and fir trees. Lush green vegetation and wildflowers carpet the lower slopes in the warmer months. Alpine plants including the Phacelia sericea (sky-pilot), Hymenoxys grandiflora (old-man-of-the-mountain), and Geum rossii (alpine avens) grow in higher elevations.
Animal Life: Animals common to Mount Elbert include the black bear, elk, mule deer, marmot, bighorn sheep, pika, and pocket gopher.
Bird Life: Grouse and turkey are among the many birds species that can be found on Mount Elbert.
Climbing: This mountain is in our list of Starter Peaks: Nine Easy Mountains to Climb in the U.S.
Featured Article: Mount Elbert: The Highest Peak in the Rocky Mountains
Sources:
- Wikipedia: Mount Elbert
- Google Maps
1 ping
[…] Mount Elbert […]