Rough Weather Heading Into Twin Lakes

I hiked into Twin Lakes this afternoon, and I am glad to get out of the cold weather for a night.  On Sunday, a front moved through the mountains, bringing with it rain, snow, wind, and colder temperatures.  I was so chilled, I thumbed a ride at Tennessee Pass to Leadville, where I stayed at the the Leadville Hostel, and warmed up. 

I went back out on the trail on Monday, and the snow was falling at a pretty good clip.  Eventually, it stopped, and the sun came out, warming the day up to 40-degrees.  I camped at Halfmoon Creek that night, where temperatures fell into the high 20's.

I did not let the weather dampen my determination to climb Mt. Elbert (14,433-feet), which is the highest peak in Colorado, and the second highest peak in the contiguous United States behind Mt Whitney in California.  It was cold, snowy, and windy up at the top, so I spent maybe 5-minutes up there.  I scrambled back down Mt. Elbert, where I cross-country hiked through snow that was knee-deep in some areas, and then I followed the South Mt. Elbert trail down to the CDT.  It was quite the adventure, but I survived.

I will try and get my trail journal updated in full in Salida, Colorado, where I plan to take my next zero day.  While there I will update my videos on YouTube and pictures on Flickr.  Expect updates again on Sunday.