This is a great trail inconvenient to Ouray until the snow melts up high
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This is a relatively short but strenuous hike, but worth every mile! Hiking in late October will have a lot fewer hikers, but expect cooler temperatures and patches of snow and ice. The majority of the trail was clear, but the last switchbacks up to the lake were snow covered and I broke trail through about a foot of snow. Some sort of ice grippers on your hiking shoes are required as well as hiking poles for that stretch. I had Stabilicers and poles. I took a leisurely pace up and took photos, so it was about 2 hours up to the lake. I got chased back down by a small snow squall, so that took about an hour and 40 minutes down.
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My wife and I hiked Mt. Elbert on July 10th, 2018. Not being from the area, we got an early start at 5:20 AM after camping just down the road. The trail was clear and even in the dawn light headlamps were not needed. After breaking through the treeline, we started to slow as the altitude got to us. The trail is not as well marked in two locations where scrambling is necessary, so it was helpful to have the GPS. Once on the ridge, the trail levels out a little for the final approach to the summit. Overall, it was a great experience, and one of the best hikes I have ever completed.
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