I will be heading to Kansas in early July to celebrate my father’s retirement. One week later I will be in Colorado to celebrate the wedding of my two friends, Becca and Evan. I am so excited to be present for both of these events. And the timing was perfect to afford me some extra time in Colorado to play in the mountains!
I have an ambitious plan for about five days that need to be split between adventures and research. Yes, that pesky PhD degree does still need my devotion. So my tentative agenda, weather permitting, is as follows:
- Visit my good friends Elise and Phil in Colorado Springs. Then climb the Incline the next day with Elise as an easy acclimation hike. Let my body adjust to the time change and early wake up.
- Camp at the base of Pikes Peak for an early summit of that fourteener the next morning. Hoping that despite the summer season, my week day hikes will remain relatively quiet!
- Post up camping in the greater Leadville area. Summit Mount Elbert and South Elbert. Then take on Mount Massive, South Massive, Massive Green, and North Massive. And hit La Plata Peak on the last day.
- Drive over to Grand Lake for the wedding celebration of the amazing Becca and Evan. Gather with good people, eat food, relax in the beautiful mountain town, and celebrate.
- A final night in Boulder with Andrew and Emma, before flying back to California.
It will be an action-packed, whirlwind of a trip. But I am so excited for celebrations, catching up with friends, and getting outside!
If you are around and want to meet up, let me know! I won’t have a lot of free time, but am always down to have adventure partners to meet up with!
Elizabeth Erickson 
There’s good camping at the base of Massive, From the Half Moon Creek trailhead walk in about 1.5 miles to the end of a gulch, there’s a creek to the left and a bunch of downed trees from an avalanche or something. The trail forks there and goes steeply to the summit. Have a great trip Schemer!
The road getting to the trailhead is a little dodgy, 4wd is necessary. There’s another trailhead nearby though.
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I was planning to loop out from the Leadville Nat’l Fish Hatchery. It’s longer, but I have a recent (~1 mo) conditions report for that direction to circle through all the side peaks, not strictly staying on the East Ridge Route. I was planning to get Elbert from its opposite side at Twin Lakes side, too. I don’t think my front-wheel vehicle will make it up Halfmoon Road, so I was trying to avoid it. Though it would have been nice since both peaks can head out from the same campground. I did catch some nice beta off your post, though. Thanks! Have fun on Grays and Torreys. Try to avoid a weekend day, or head up early. The crowds can by fierce on that one.
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