Elk Mountains

1 / 35 (Coffee Pot Road)

Elk Mountains from Coffee Pot Road at the south end of the Flat Tops over Blair Ranch in Glenwood Canyon
May 8 2020 - 11:13 am

2 / 35 (Illustrator)

Six county roads county roads provide access to the Elk Mountains: two paved (Maroon Creek Road and Castle Creek Road); the rest unpaved well-maintained gravel roads
made with Adobe Illustrator

3 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

North Maroon Peak (14,014') and Maroon Peak (14,156'), twin peaks of the Maroon Bells
Oct 24 2019 - 12:26 pm

4 / 35 (Stevens Gulch Road)

Capitol Peak (14,130') from the west
Oct 29 2017 - 4:50 pm

5 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Capitol Peak from the east showing the knife ridge fatal to many climbers
Mar 8 2018 - 2:20 pm

6 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Maroon Bells and Capitol Peak lead all 14ers in Colorado climber deaths; all Elk Mountains are dangerous, even 13ers and 12ers
due to interbedded sandstones and shale of the Maroon Formation yielding crumbling rock on steep slopes
from Google Graphic

7 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Pyramid Peak (14,018') snow avalanche bending trees even uphill on both sides of the road
Oct 24 2019 - 12:13 pm

8 / 35 (Stevens Gulch Road)

Columbine (Colorado State Flower) reflecting azure Colorado skies
Jun 27 2017 - 3:24 pm

9 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Golden Aspen at thier peak above 10,000'
Sep 24 2021 - 11:49 am

10 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Castle Creek Road
Sep 24 2021 - 11:58 am

11 / 35 (Stevens Gulch Road)

Seven 14'ers of the Elk Mountains: (from left) Capitol Peak, Snowmass Mountain, North Maroon Peak, Maroon Peak, Pyramid Peak, Conundrum Peak, and Castle Peak
Oct 29 2017 - 4:45 pm

12 / 35 (CO 82)

Maroon Formation in deep in the Roaring Fork Valley
Mar 8 2018 - 3:34 pm

13 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Snowmass Ski Area
Mar 8 2018 - 2:10 pm

14 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Snowmass Creek
Mar 8 2018 - 2:49 pm

15 / 35 (CO 82)

North End of the Elk Mountains
Mar 8 2018 - 1:32 pm

16 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Castle Creek headwaters
Sep 24 2021 - 12:03 pm

17 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Bikers everywhere on Castle Creek Road
Sep 24 2021 - 12:10 pm

18 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Capitol Creek Valley
Mar 8 2018 - 2:54 pm

19 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Pyramid Peak from the South
Oct 24 2019 - 12:12 pm

20 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Pyramid Peak from the West
Oct 24 2019 - 12:29 pm

21 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Golden Aspen
Sep 24 2021 - 12:15 pm

22 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Hayden Peak (13,020')
Sep 24 2021 - 11:49 pm

23 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Maroon Formation of Sievers Mountain raised a mile above the valley floor less than 10 miles away
Oct 24 2019 - 12:31 pm

24 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Capitol Peak silhouetted against an early evening sky
Mar 8 2018 - 2:57 pm

25 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Maroon Bells
Oct 24 2019 - 12:26 pm

26 / 35 (Stevens Gulch Road)

Wildflowers everywhere (even in winter if you count seeded flowers)
Jun 27 2017 - 3:10 pm

27 / 35 (Coffee Pot Road)

Panorama along Coffee Pot Road from the southeast Flat Tops
May 8 2020 - 11:12 am

28 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Maroon Bells Parking (the road is only open to cars before 8:00 am after 5 pm, parking usually fills up by 4:00 am due to many hikers. Shuttle buses only during the day, reservations required)
Oct 24 2019 - 12:29 pm

29 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

Exit from parking lot view of Sievers Mountain. Wonder where the Maroon Formation got its name?
Oct 24 2019 - 12:32 pm

30 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Castle Peak (14,278') and Conundrum Peak (14,064') from the east
Sep 24 2021 - 12:22 pm

31 / 35 (Castle Creek Road)

Golden Aspen along Castle Creek Road
Sep 24 2021 - 11:50 am

32 / 35 (Stevens Gulch Road)

Castle Peak (right of the left-center pair) and Conundrum Peak (left of the left-center pair) from the west
Part of the conundrum is whether Conundrum Peak is a 14er on its own or just a ridge off Castle Peak
Oct 24 2019 - 12.32 pm

33 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Snowmass Mountain (14,092')
Mar 8 2018 - 2:56 pm

34 / 35 (Capitol Creek Road)

Capitol Peak
Mar 8 2018 - 2:20 pm

35 / 35 (Maroon Creek Road)

I timed the trip just right, a clear day right after a snowstorm and the golden aspen crowd. The next day the road was closed until Memorial Day by another snowstorm
Oct 24 2019 - 12:38 pm