Top of the Rockies

Mt Elbert 14,440 feet (4,401 m) Highest point in the Rockies of North America

A spur of the moment decision led to me lying in a car at the base of Mount Elbert preparing to summit the highest point of the rockies of North America.
I had thought that it would be later on in the summer before I would manage to get out to it, the mountain was hours away.
But the day before myself and a friend of mine had been talking about the mountain and how it would be amazing to reach its summit but that we would have to leave it till later in the summer, later on that evening we were again chatting about the mountain when we decided to take off that night.
I got my gear packed and headed to the shop to grab myself all the food id need for the climb, once I got back Triona and Dillon landed in we finished packing and hit the road.
we drove right through the night and landed at the base of Mount Elbert in the early hours of the morning.
We decided to get a few hours sleep before tackling the mountain and so we hit the hay for a few hours cramped and excited.
At 6 o clock we got ready to set off, climbers shaking the haze of sleep off began to emerge from their vehicles to get prepared. By half 6 we were ready and set to go.
The weather was brilliant as it had been throughout my time in Colorado, we made our way onto the forest trail and made our zig-zag way up the mountain passing over rivers and streams as they rushed down the trail past us.
Having walked for over an hour the trees began to thin out and a slight wind began to blow down the mountain, eventually the trees lower down on the mountain gave way to open hillside with the summit looming above.

We had been walking for a few hours at this stage so we stopped for some water and something to eat.
We drove on up across the switchbacks along the side of the mountain. There was a lot of people making there way up along the mountain and on such a fine day you could understand why, having pierced above the tree line the rockie mountains opened up around us from Mount Massive opposite Elbert to the many the peaks that where to be seen. The view was brilliant we continued on up towards the peak and where closing in on the top by midday.
Mt Elbert has two false peaks on top and made the end of the climb deceiving, when you thought you had made it to the top another peak reared its head up and you had to continue on climbing.
I reached the top by 12 o clock with Trina and Dillon following close behind we sat on top for some time taking in the views of the rocky mountains, sitting at the highest point for miles and miles was a great feeling.
We stayed on top for a long time before eventually making a quick descent, much of which we ran, down towards the car.
By 3 o clock we were back in the car sweaty, hungry and tired and we hit the road back to Denver the highest point in the rockies and Colorado reached.

Me (right) and Dillon at the summit of Mt Elbert